I stopped in a local shop a couple of month's ago as it is next door to a florist I get flowers from for my wife.
When I went in it looked like my bedroom when I was a young kid with baseball cards in non protected stacks and sprawled out everywhere. The cases were sparse of anything actually in them. Everything was on top and not laid out to be shopped through but litteraly just like stacks of cards had fallen over and never picked up. I saw a case had a dozen cards in it (this is one of those large display glass front cases) the cards were from the 60's. He asked if I collected or was just looking. I told him I did collect but I mainly enjoyed the vintage stuff and added "but I guess you don't have anything older than those cards (indicating the case with a dozen in there) or anything from the 50's or prior?" He said "yeah I have some from the 50's in there." After he looked for a minute at the cards and I pointed out that they were from the 60's he replied with "Then I guess not"
I wasn't rude, but it was obvious he doesn't use the store to sell cards. I told my wife that I felt like the store was front for something else because there was nothing of value in there. The only thing I may buy was supplies, but even those were covered with a thick dust layer.
I asked him if he did shows, he said he didn't because he has the store so he doesn't need to do shows. So, again, I have no idea how this guy is making any money staying open. I know he does IT for the other stores in the strip mall so maybe that is how he makes money and uses the store front to buy collections.
The store has been there since I was a kid (I am now 33) and I only recall being in there once or twice as it wasn't convenient for my parents (there were more choices back then) but I know at that time there were several boxes to look through.
There is one other store I know of that I liked, but it just isn't convenient for me and last time I was there aprox 10 years ago, they stayed open by appeasing the gaming community.
|