-
Is your local card shop a hangout place?
I spent some time today selling some cards at my local trading card hobby shop. I noticed that some people were there the whole time I was. I had also stopped by another local shop that has a bar with bar seating as well as sofas.
I’m wondering if these shops are places where people hang out?
I feel like there are “regulars” who like to spend time at their local shop. They go often and like to spend time there, not just go in to make a purchase and leave. Is this accurate? Do any of you do that?
I know most places have trade nights but it’s seeming to me that shops are almost like coffee shops where people like to spend time hanging out maybe even several times a week.
This photo is of a card ripped by a guy who was standing just down the counter from me the whole time I was selling my cards. When I finished selling he ripped two blasters and let me watch. One was football and another baseball. He pulled this sweet auto!!
I usually go in and make a purchase and leave. But maybe I’m missing out on interaction with other collectors. Are card shops not just stores but instead are places where you can go and spend some time talking with others who share your hobby?
-
19 Replies
-
Theres a few around here that are hangout spots. i think its important for some of them to be. Theres one that is always doing something and doing things to engage kids and adults.
-
You’ve mentioned that they could be magical places. I think being a hangout is a part of that. A place where you have a community. I didn’t realize that the ones you’re talking about are different from other kinds of stores where you go in and get something and come straight out. It seems lots of people like to spend more time in card shops. Kind of like a neighborhood bar.
-
yeah.. i mean ive gone to some card shops that was just that. not really any tables to sit and mingle. they also didnt have value boxes
-
The new card shop here has a bar with high chairs and a TV on the wall with sports always playing. And sofas with a big coffee table at the far end of the space. They definitely are going for the hangout feel. The owners are young guys in their 20s.
I’m wondering if maybe this is a new trend? I think young people have missed out on a lot of things because they came along during Covid and were communicating on their phones and not in person. And they missed being actually together and want that experience now.
The other shop I go to has a bunch of tables set up where you can rip or play games. They have game days.
And both of these shops have trade nights that draw big crowds. Two Jack’s fast food restaurants in our area are starting to host monthly trade nights too. I think the hobby is expanding in more ways than just buying cards and is becoming a community of people who like to spend time together.
Just like what the creators envision for this site.
There aren’t many of us on this site (yet) but I’d say we’re a community.
And it’s also nice to have an in-person community to go to as well.
-
place sounds pretty neat. for sure a different atmosphere. i think it is a good take to incorporate other themes around sports cards. sounds like a chill place
-
-
-
-
-
nopeee well not that i know off
-
Too bad your city doesn’t have a shop like the one owned by young guys here. They have a bar with a TV behind it always playing sports and a couple of sofas with a big coffee table. Definitly a hangout vibe. I’ve only been during the middle of the day and sometimes people are haning out then but I bet there are lots more who are there in the evenings.
-
-
i have his /25 if you want to pair it up with that card
-
I remembered you got one too and thought of that when I saw the sig. This one isn’t mine though. I just watched this guy rip a couple of blasters and get lucky with this auto. He used to work at a big card shop in Memphis and immediatly said that this sig wouldn’t get a 10 graded because the ink wasn’t perfect.
-
-
I am thinking of opening up a card shop post military but definately like going into card shops now when I have a chance to look around and chill
-
I’m really rooting for you to make that happen! I’m starting to think that the trend is going to be gathering in person with people who share interests. We might be tired of so much online stuff and want to be in person and not on our phones. You can create the neighborhood bar feel in a hobby shop and make it a comfortable and fun place to drop by regularly.
I’m wondering what the affordable product is. A blaster might be too expensive to buy regularly but hangers are affordable. I’m betting you know what’s available and are thinking how to best use it.
Is your college work toward an MBA or other business degree? Marketing? A more specialized businees degree? I’m guessing it’s in the business or maybe business + tech field.
-
Im working on a bachelors in business administration
-
Excellent! I think you’ll put it to good use!
-
Yup I am definately going to try to
-
-
-
-
-
I think you’re onto something here. My local card shop definitely has that “third place” feeling sometimes — people aren’t necessarily there because they need to buy something. They’re there because they know other collectors will be there.
I’ve started noticing the regulars too. Guys who seem to know the employees, know each other, talk cards, look through boxes, trade, watch people rip, and just hang out for a while. It reminds me a lot of a good local coffee shop where the community is almost as important as the actual product.
Honestly, I think that’s one of the coolest parts of the hobby. You can walk into a shop knowing absolutely nobody and potentially walk out having met somebody who collects the same player or set you do.
-
I had NO idea hobby shops could be like this! I figured they were like any other store where you go in and choose a product and the person behind the regiater rings you up and MIGHT make eye contact. I was so pleasantly surprised when someone sat down with me and took a lot of time helping me decide what to send for grading. And then on visits after that I noticed that the vibe wasn’t like the usual stores. That there was more interest in people. The owner introduced himself and went and got his wife and intoroduced HER. And when I think back there seems always to be at least one guy who is hanging out at the counter and talking with folks and who is obviously in no hurry. And the shop folks are totally good with that. I like going by because the vibe is so friendly and helpful.
-
That’s exactly what surprised me about card shops too. You walk in expecting a retail transaction and realize pretty quickly that a good LCS is really more of a community hub.
The fact that someone will sit down with you, talk through your cards, help you figure out what makes sense to grade, and actually remember you the next time you come in makes such a difference. And when the owner is introducing you to his family, you know it’s not just “customer walks in, customer walks out.”
I think those regulars hanging around are actually a big part of what makes a good shop special. They aren’t necessarily there to buy anything. They just enjoy being around people who are into the same stuff.
Honestly, I think that’s something the hobby does really well when you find the right shop. You’re not just buying cardboard — you’re finding your people.
-
That may be the biggest surprise I’ve had in this hobby. Certainly one of the best. And it’s all the more special because I’m not in the category of the most typical sports card collectors. I’m definitely an outlier
-
If your card store people seem open to chat, give it a go. They are card nerds too. It’s always good to be known at the shop too because sometimes we may text customers we know when we take something in that we know they collect.
-
-
-
-
Log in to reply.