Archive for Featured Retailers
Enjoy the 2012 Jordan Brand Classic with All Things Collectible
Posted by: | CommentsWe love to spotlight our Certified Diamond Dealer partners and some reasons why you need to visit their stores. And with the 2012 Jordan Brand Classic coming up this weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina, Upper Deck is partnering with our Featured Retailer to provide fans with tickets and more! The Jordan Brand Classic (JBC) is an annual basketball event that features the next generation of hoop stars. Alumni who have appeared in the JBC before include Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and more. If you are in the North Carolina area and want to check out these future superstars take flight, make sure to visit All Things Collectible this week!
The Jordan Brand Classic has become such a big event, with such top-tier prospects, Upper Deck has incorporated some of the game-used memorabilia into basketball card sets.
All Things Collectible
4312 Wilkinson Boulevard, Suite F
Gastonia, NC 28056
(704)824-0010
Email: sportscardsandall@hotmail.com
Click HERE to “Like” All Things Collectible on Facebook and click HERE to “Follow” All Things Collectible on Twitter
Monday – Friday: 1:00PM – 7:00PM, Saturday: 11:00AM – 7:00PM, Sunday: 1:00PM – 7:00PM
I personally enjoy a hobby shop that has a strong variety of items they carry and if you are anything like me, you are going to love All Things Collectible. This week we are running a special promotion with All Things Collectible where you can get FREE passes to the 2012 Jordan Brand Classic with an Upper Deck purchase at the store. Talk to Will Hannah at the shop for more details. And here are a few more reasons why you should visit the shop straight from Will.
Stop into All Things Collectible this week and grab your tickets to the 2012 Jordan Brand Classic courtesy of UD and ATC!
“Everyone has different reasons for opening a hobby shop, but I’ve found the core reasons are pretty much the same. Those being that you want to be able to make a living and provide for your family, but more than that, we do this because sports are our passion and love. I have been in the collectibles business since 1987 and have been able to grow my business over the years despite ups and downs in the economy. I started out setting up at local flea markets and shows in high school. After graduation I opened up my own brick and mortar store.
Most shop owners don't open packs and boxes, but Will enjoys the thrill! He gets a kick out of collecting with his #1 employee; his dad!
“I’m a little different than most shop owners in that I really love to rip open new boxes of cards. I collect anything from football, baseball, basketball, non-sports and even hockey. Most importantly for me is the chance to enjoy the hobby while spending time with my best employee; my dad. He worked a lot while I was growing up so we didn’t get to spend too much time together. Now we get to see each other every day while we share our love for collecting with each other and along with our loyal customers.
All Things Collectible really has an amazing assortment of items for every type of collector.
“At All Things Collectible, we carry a wide-range of products from all the major sports as well as fringe sports like racing and minor league products along with non-sports boxes. We also have the largest collection of gaming cards in the area with boxes and packs of the major trading card games (TCG’s) like Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh! and more. If cards are not really your thing then we also have new and old comics along with a subscription service. Supplies to house all your valuable items can also be purchased here along with advice on which ones to use.
If you are a comic collector in North Carolina, you've got to stop into All Things Collectible!
“We try to create a fun atmosphere were customers can stop by and open some packs or boxes and talk sports or gaming. We have a very diverse customer base and that makes the store a great place to visit because you get to see people having experiences with so many different types of products. We carry over 500 different boxes of sports, gaming and non-sports boxes currently in stock as well as loose packs from 1983 up to the present. There is always something to see at All Things Collectible so stop by and pay us a visit, especially if you want some great tickets to the JBC this weekend!”
Popularity: 1% [?]
Help Us “Save Jay’s” Sports Cards & Memorabilia
Posted by: | CommentsWe love to spotlight our Certified Diamond Dealer partners and some reasons why you need to visit their stores. If you haven’t been to a card store lately and are in the Wisconsin area, make sure to visit our Featured Retailer.
Jay’s Sports Cards
212 B West Main Street
Ashland, WI 54806
(715)292-6279
Email: jayssportscardsllc@gmail.com
Click HERE to “Like” Jay’s Sports Cards on Facebook
Tuesday – Wednesday 10:00AM-7:00PM, Thursday – Friday 10:00AM-9:00PM, Saturday 10:00AM-6:00PM, Closed Sunday & Monday
Jay's Sports Cards & Memorabilia is located in the basement of this retail address so he has to work hard for people to find his business.
We have been publishing a series of blog post on “How to Open a Trading Card Shop” as of late and as I shared those with our fan base, I saw a portion of a comment that immediately grabbed my attention:
“Been open for 1 year and 6 months and will be closing in 30 Days. I did everything those guys talked about and it still did not work.”
Now my main job is helping our hobby shops be successful and a piece of that would also be to keep them in business. We reached out to the shop owner who posted those remarks and found out more about what was going on with him. I was immediately impressed by his passion. He had worked hard to get the shop open by supporting his business with revenue from his former main business. Jason (Jay) removes bats from businesses and residences without harming the little critters. His business (Bats by Day) has done well for him, but I immediately sympathized with his plight. Wouldn’t you rather be dealing with sports cards than something like this?
Yikes! I'd much rather be talking trading cards that shooing this guy & his family from an attic.
Now Jay has opened his shop in a small town which has certainly been affected by the adverse economy so he has been having a tough time making this business work. Things are at the point where he needs the help from the community to get behind his business and help or he may have to close his doors. Here at Upper Deck we have committed to helping Jay by helping to organize a “Save Jay’s” event on Saturday, March 24, 2012 from 5:00PM-7:00PM. Stop by for your opportunity to take home some great giveaway items including signed memorabilia and autograph cards! In the meantime, here is Jay’s story:
“My name is Jason, but most people call me Jay. I own Jay’s Sports Cards & Memorabilia in Ashland, Wisconsin and we have been open since November of 2010. I started collecting cards at the age of four when my uncle gifted me a small collection. They were probably all commons, but I loved them anyway. I got my first pack of cards in 1988 and pulled a Tom Glavine rookie card and he has been my favorite player since.
“At the age of 10 I walked into a card shop for the first time in Washington and knew that this is what I wanted to do. I looked around in the shop and there were cards upon cards with $100 price tags on them, I could have stayed in there for hours on end. I had brought in my most valuable cards to see if I could sell them, to my dismay the most valuable card I had was just one dollar, but to a 10-year-old that is a lot of dough.
“The card shop owner told me they were looking for higher dollar items and to bring them in if I got them. It took me a little more than a year and I hit a Frank Thomas Triple Crown insert out of an Upper Deck product valued at $15.00. I sold it for $7.00 and at that moment I was hooked!
“I opened the shop to fulfill a life long dream and because there are no card shops in Ashland with the last one closing in 2001. Another reason I opened the shop is because there really isn’t much for kids to do in Ashland. I wanted to provide a fun and safe place for kids to go. I remember my experiences in card shops as a young boy and I want to be able to provide that to other kids. Unlike most businesses I promote loitering. Come down to Jay’s, talk about sports and check out some cards you hope to add to your collection one day.
Since Jay opened, his customers have been pulling some amazing cards like this Adrian Peterson one-of-one card!
“I love the hobby and I am very passionate about sports; mainly baseball and football. I grew up a baseball player and like any kid I wanted to be like Mickey Mantle or Ken Griffey Jr. I would pretend to be in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded, two outs, a full count, down by 3 runs, in the final game of the World Series. I frequently hit a home-run in those circumstances and the crowd went wild, aaahhhh! Today I’m not looking to hit a home-run with my shop, I’d be very happy with a series of singles to help keep the business going.
“At Jay’s Sports Cards & Memorabilia, we do more than just sell cards. I want to help new collectors understand the hobby and how to be happy with their collection. I want to teach kids how to take care of their cards because I know I didn’t when I was younger. If someone new comes down to the shop and I don’t have what they are looking for I will go and find it for them.
Jay is eager to help all of his customers find what they are looking for when it comes to helping them get closer to the game they love.
“But for those who do love cards, we have a great assortment of new and vintage stock with boxes, packs and singles. I am also happy to trade with customers as well. Another reason folks should come to Jay’s is because we hit big cards in here all the time. Since opening we have hit over 20 one-of-one cards and around seven Bryce Harper autographs! I’m not saying every box will yield huge hits, but it seems we get some great luck here in Ashland. In my 26 years of collecting I have never seen this many big hits pulled until I opened the shop.
Holy Harper! Jay's customers have been discovering some amazing cards at his shop and we don't want that to stop!
“Like most retail businesses in small markets, we have struggled as of late and I appreciate Upper Deck is willing to help out with a ‘Save Jay’s’ event. This is my dream and it means a lot to my customers in the area that we stay open. I’m not in this for the money, I love what I do and I want to share this hobby with people in our community. I don’t want my dream to end and I appreciate everyone’s help with that. So please stop by today and join me in this wonderful dream!”
If you are near the Ashland, WI area, please make sure to visit Jay’s this month in particular and don’t miss the “Save Jay’s” event on Saturday, March 24 from 5:00PM-7:00PM!!! We prefer to see Jay like this…
Look out behind you Jay, it's way more dangerous than a bat!
And not like this… Don’t you agree?
Careful Jay, he looks like a biter!
Let’s make sure these are the only type of bats he is working with…
Signed bats are more up Jay's alley in our opinion!
And what can you expect to score if you attend the “Save Jay’s” event? Well this is just a portion of the items we are helping Jay out with. Don’t miss out!!!
All these goodies are going home with Jay's customers, don't miss out!!!
Save Jay’s!!!
Popularity: 2% [?]
Featured Retailer: Sports Dome
Posted by: | CommentsWe love to spotlight our Certified Diamond Dealer partners and some reasons why you need to visit their stores. If you haven’t been to a card store lately and are in the Wisconsin area, make sure to visit our Featured Retailer.
Sports Dome
6916 Green Bay Road
Kenosha, WI 53142
(262)697-9288
Email: vera@sportsdome.biz
Website: www.sportsdomekenosha.com
Click HERE to “Like” Sports Dome on Facebook
Monday – Friday 10:00AM-7:00PM, Saturday 10:00AM-5:00PM, and Sunday 11:00AM-4:00PM
Vera Maalouf cuts the ribbon to open Sports Dome in Kenosha, WI.
I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Vera Maalouf since she started her business and I have always been impressed by how professional she is. She takes the business very serious and works very hard to make sure her collectors are always satisfied. I have really enjoyed partnering with her on some promotions through the years and she has done an amazing job representing the Upper Deck brand. Here is her story:
“I had worked in the banking industry for most of my career, but I took 20 years off to raise my family. When I decided to re-enter the industry, I had a tough time with it having been away for so long. It was Christmas break and I was visiting my kids in Chicago in 2004. I remember shopping with them at the Field of Dreams shop on Michigan Avenue and they were going crazy over the New York Yankee cards and memorabilia. It was then that I thought about opening a shop of my own. I did some extensive research on the collectibles industry and our local market first. After I was committed, we opened Sports Dome in June, 2005.
“The shop began as mainly a card and autographed memorabilia shop and little by little expanded into new lines of sports collectibles, fan gear, stadium gift items, NFL jerseys, and this past year, we have added an exclusive line of NFL and NHL apparel. It was important to me to keep the store clean so mothers felt like it was a nice place to bring their kids.
Sports Dome is a huge retail sports store that is clean and well lit.
“We have a lot of different product lines in the shop, but we work hard to do it right. With quality merchandise and great customer care, we have been successful with the business. We know most of our customers by their first name and we take the time to get to know them, their families and their stories. We are open seven days a week, with staff who are very knowledgeable on the hobby. We have also expanded into customized framing of jersey and autographed pieces. We pride ourselves on the superb quality for the framing business.
“We host a variety of events at the shop with case breaks and rip parties for newly released sports cards products. We give away lots of prizes to just about everyone who visits on those special nights; especially the kids. We host live trading card auctions at the shop every other Saturday with 20-30 card collectors in attendance. One of the most unique events we host quarterly is the opportunity to our exclusive card collectors to set up at the shop by invite only for a card show and present their collections. On that day they can sell, buy or trade with other customers at the shop. It is kind of like our own trading card show and everyone really enjoys it.
Two customers hold their breath as they hope to be the winner of an in store giveaway at Sports Dome!
“Our customers really enjoy when we bring players into the shop as well. We have brought in athletes like Chris Harris from the Chicago Bears, Paul Hornung and Aaron Rodgers from the Green Bay Packers and many more. It is exciting for us to see our fans interact with the players they love to collect.
Vera and Paul Hornung take time out from a busy signing to say "cheese!"
Super Bowl Champ Aaron Rodgers signs for Sports Dome customers at a private off site signing.
A young Bears fans is initially intimidated by Chris Harris, but later warms up to him. The athletes look much bigger in person!
“We also host the Boy Scouts through the MLPA program at the shop. We do a nice presentation for them about the fun and value of collecting. We encourage them to go through our single cards and pick out players they would like to collect. It is a lot of fun for us to help educate kids about the hobby. Another way we give back is by donating memorabilia items throughout the year to local schools and other charities.
Being active in the community is very important to Vera at Sports Dome. Here Boy Scouts learn about collecting at the shop.
“We are one of the major sponsors at a long-standing event in town, called ‘Sports Night.’ The event is hosted and sponsored by the Holy Rosary Church where two athletes (male and female) are recognized. There are awards and the event is attended by approximately 600 people. The event features a variety of athletes who share their positive life experiences and Bobby Hull was a huge hit at the event last year.
“We are also working at this time on a large benefit for a local high school. We are consigning several items from the shop for a benefit of the Indian Trails Academy athletic program where we heavily discount items to help the school make money for this great cause. We also donate some items for the event as well.
“The event I’m most excited about right now however is our ‘Rare Sports Card Exhibit’ coming to the shop on Sunday, March 4 from 12:00PM-5:00PM. One of our private collectors is an Upper Deck Diamond Club member and he will be showcasing his amazing collection of rare trading cards. With rare autograph cards from athletes like Babe Ruth and Michael Jordan and an amazing collection of other extremely limited cards, we think it will be a really memorable event for every level of collector. Entrance to the exhibit is free, but we ask guests bring two non-perishable food items per person to attend this special event. We will donate those items to a local charity. We hope you come down for this event or just to see the shop!”
Thanks Vera! I would like to share that I know the collector who will be displaying his trading cards at the exhibit and I really want to encourage fans in the area to attend on March 4. He is a really great person and he will have you laughing one minute and totally inspired the next. His trading card collection is absolutely amazing and it is the type of experience you should not miss. You just do not get to see this many limited cards like this in one place very often, I guarantee you will not be disappointed.
Popularity: 1% [?]
Upper Deck Retailer of the Month: Big Pull at Bubba’s Baseball Bullpen
Posted by: | CommentsEach month Upper Deck spotlights one of its hobby retailing partners and shares a few reasons why you need to visit their store. If you haven’t been to a card store lately and are in the New Mexico area, make sure to visit our Retailer of the Month.
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Bubba’s Baseball Bullpen
8206 Menaul Boulevard NE
Albuquerque, NM 87110
(505)299-1156
Email: bubbasbaseballbullpen@juno.com
Open: 10:00AM-6:00PM Monday through Saturday
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Jim Bennett owns and operates Bubba’s Baseball Bullpen in Albuquerque, New Mexico and collectors love visiting his shop. Jim was given the nickname “Bubba” in the service and he thought it sounded catchy for the name of his card shop. Visit Bubba’s Baseball Bullpen because they have great deals on boxes (old and new), supplies, Beckett price guides, figurines, novelty items, and individual cards. Jim also hosts a monthly trade night that you shouldn’t miss out on. It’s a great place to hang out and just talk sports!
He’s got a great selection of product and is always looking to help out his customers with completing sets. And more than anything, he seems to be getting a selection of hot product from most every sport these days. In the past month, collectors at his shop have pulled one-of-one cards of Cam Newton, Ryan Mallett and Ty Cobb to name a few. There was another pull of a dual autograph card numbered to just five copies of Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. With all these hot pulls Jim started looking at packs, especially those that had been left.
There’s an old saying that most collectors know, “Never leave a pack behind.” We frequently hear stories of collectors who left packs behind that held some really incredible cards. Well, with the high frequency of great hits being registered at Bubba’s, Jim took a look at a pack of 2011 SP Legendary Cuts Baseball that he said was just sitting on his shelf longer than normal, so he decided to open it.
“As I started to open it, I realized it was a booklet card so I knew I had something big,” explained Jim. “I shot out of my chair excited in anticipation of what it could be as there are some really unique booklet cards in the set. I paced back and forth for a minute and then looked at the front of the card and immediately saw the 1 of 1 marking. When I opened it up and realized it was a dual autographed cut signature card of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, my jaw dropped and I almost hit the floor. It doesn’t get much better than this!”
We agree Jim! Very Exciting! Jim is planning on selling the card through an auction service so stay tuned for more details on that. We are interested in seeing what a collectible this unique will sell for.
That is one happy shop owner!
Popularity: 2% [?]
Featured Retailers: Sports Cards Plus
Posted by: | CommentsWe all know how important it is to purchase from a Certified Diamond Dealer right? If not, just check out some of the videos made by other collectors on the subject by clicking here.
We love to spotlight shops that are doing the right things that collectors should visit. For collectors in the San Antonio area I would highly suggest checking this shop out if you haven’t! This shop has everything to offer from singles, autographed memorabilia, to San Antonio’s largest selection of wax boxes from the last twenty years. Above and beyond all that, Charlie DiPietro goes the extra mile to make sure his customers have a great experience when they visit his store. Here’s his story!
Charlie DiPietro's Sports Cards Plus shop is a place sports fans must visit if they are in San Antonio, Texas.
Sports Cards Plus
2239 Lockhill-Selma Road
San Antonia, TX 78230
(210)524-2337
Hours: Mon-Sat: 11am – 7pm
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sports-Cards-Plus/138669356152896
Website: http://www.sportscardsplussa.com/
“I started collecting baseball cards in 1957 at the age of nine. In my teenage years, cars, girls and saving for college put my card collecting on hold until 1982, when my ten-year-old son expressed an interest in collecting sports cards and revived my collecting interests. My two oldest boys and I would visit Mavericks, our favorite card shop in Dayton, Ohio at least once a week. We would make every card show within a hundred miles of Dayton, and I would visit card shops throughout the country whenever my engineering job sent me out of town on business.
“Ever since 1982, I planned to open a sports card shop someday with the help of my boys. With my boys by my side, in 1985 I started selling at card shows. I found that setting up a table at card shows was the ideal means to buy vintage cards at wholesale prices, but it seemed like I was always buying more than I was selling.
“In 1991 my wife, Norma retired from the United States Air Force. In March of 1992 we opened Sports Cards Plus at our current location in San Antonio, Texas. Norma ran the shop during the day while I continued my engineering career, and I worked the shop in the evenings and on weekends. In 2008 I retired from my engineering job and now do what I love to do full-time, play with my sports cards and talk with customers who love sports cards as much as I do.
There is plenty to see at Sports Cards Plus, expecially a great selection of sealed boxes!
“San Antonio has always been a basketball city, and in 2003 when LeBron James entered the NBA, my Upper Deck basketball sales went through the roof. In the fall of 2003, one of my frequent customers named Jeff came in and bought the last two packs from an open box of 2002-03 SP Authentic Basketball. Jeff’s second pack resulted in a Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson triple autograph card limited to just ten total copies! That is when we started counting Michael Jordan autos. Eight years later, we’re at 53 Upper Deck Michael Jordan autograph cards pulled at Sports Cards Plus boxes and still counting as 2011-12 SP Authentic is due out later this month. I’ve got a feeling we will be up to 56 Jordan Autographs within a month.
Charlie and Jeff were all smiles after Jeff pulled this amazing Michael Jordan multi-signed autograph card.
After Jeff's big pull, over 50 other Michael Jordan autograph cards have been pulled at Sports Cards Plus!
“Today, collectors can find every possible card on the internet. And through the internet, buyers can find the ‘cheapest prices in the world.’ Although overhead costs make it difficult from card shop owners to match or beat these prices, we pride ourselves on providing great service to our collectors to keep them coming back. We give new collectors honest advice on how to achieve their collecting goals. We provide a place where collectors can get together to have fun. And, we can provide assistance when someone’s collection needs to be sold.
Charlie hosts a variety of events and promotions to keep his customers engaged like this pizza party!
“Sports Cards Plus is your headquarters for sports cards and we have San Antonio’s largest selection of sports cards and memorabilia, serving the community for nearly twenty years. You can find hundreds of thousands of singles from the turn of the century to the present, autographed memorabilia pieces, and San Antonio’s largest selection of wax boxes from the last twenty years.
There is plenty to see at Sports Cards Plus! Stop in today!
“With the release of 2011 Upper Deck University of Texas Football, Sports Cards Plus will be running a variety of promotions we encourage you to come in and take advantage of. We will give away a variety of prized through random drawings through purchases and we will be giving away a grand prize of $100.00 to the person who pulls the most expensive card from 2011 Upper Deck University of Texas Football! So stop by this Fall to be a part of the promotion!”
Charlie will be running a variety of promotions around Upper Deck's new University of Texas Football set. Get excited Longhorns fans!
Popularity: 2% [?]
