Quote:
Originally Posted by SmokyBurgess
Video killed the radio star....
...and the internet killed the local card shops.
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Funny, but I was having this same conversation with a dealer friend of mine today. He doesn't have a shop, but he does eBay, shows, etc. I think the idea of internet/eBay killing card shops is a bunch of garbage. If that is the case, why do some shops thrive when others fail (in the same city/town)? It's because the ones that survive keep evolving to keep up with the times. The ones that are stuck back in the '90s with Gregg Jefferies, Jerome Walton and Todd Van Popple RCs in their showcase are doomed for failure regardless of eBay/internet.
There are two shops here in Houston that I've been buying from since I was a kid - Sports Collectibles of Houston and Houston Sports Connection. There are other successful shops as well, but I mention these two because they have been around for nearly 30 years. How do they find a way to survive when other shops fail? Simple, because they change with the times. They don’t rely solely on in-store sales. They do eBay, they promote show/signings, they have events in their stores to draw customers. Heck, Houston Sports Connection is having PSA/DNA in his shop this week (usually flies them in twice a year) just to authenticate for his customers at a discounted rate. How many other shops offer a service like that for their customers? That’s why he survives and others fail – nothing to do with eBay/internet.
I'm not saying internet/eBay hasn't hurt shops. Sure it has. Then again, can't that be said about a lot of businesses? All I am saying is that the majority of shops that fail is due to a management issue, not an eBay/internet issue.