I know we have an advertising section and I can find lots of web based stores out there but what I am looking for are actual stores.

Both at home or when I travel, I am always looking for new stores to go to.

Maybe we can just have a section sorted by states then within the state, maybe title can start out with city name, then store name. It will be like a directory. I have searched for stores via Yahoos yellow pages online and some of the stores aren't listed under trading cards. Sometimes a sports card store or a comic book store carries a large line of non-sports cards too.

For instance, I was in California on vacation and found a great card shop while I was doing some tourist walking and would have loved to share with others!

Can't we share this info with others on the board?

Oh, sure Kevin, just burst my bubble

My point is not about advertising though. For instance, I go to a local sports store, a non-sports card collector would probably not think of going there because it really is geared towards sports but I have found some great stuff there! The people are great and they sell lots of non-sports cards too. They have even recommended me to a comic book store that I didn't know about because they know I am always looking for new places to go.

Speaking of which, I can't wait for the CECE show!!!

Personally I agree with Wendi. . .

I'd love to see some sort of a shop listing. . . I've recently moved to a new area (fairly close to Wendi, actually) and haven't had great luck with shops.

In fact just today I went to a shop I found in the Diamond locator -- Diamond said they carried non-sport cards. I guess that was partially true. The rude shop owner asked what I was looking for -- I said "Non-Sport Cards -- like Harry Potter, Garbage Pail Kids, Charilie and the Chocolate Factory" He pointed me to a display of 80s non-sport cards and to a haggard box of Harry Potter Film Cels.

I mentioned that I was surprised he didn't have really anything new since I found him listed in Diamond as carrying NS cards -- his response: "Well, when you are looking for such a specialized list of things I don't carry any of that." So I asked "So, what modern non-sport cards do you carry" and of course he pointed back to the haggard half box of Potter Cels.

I knew it was pointless, but I asked if there were any shops in the area that sold modern boxes and packs (I know of a few myself), and he told me "NO one sells that stuff around here."

This little jaunt cost me about 2 hours between driving to this shop, waiting for the shop owner to hope his store (late), and driving home, and I found nothing. I certainly would welcome some sort of shop locator service, or something.

Heck. . . if it doesn't belong on Card Talk, I'd be willing to build and host it. Any one interested in helping design it? (I've been looking at a total site redesign anyway).

Jon

I think listing shops that carry our cards is a good idea. They would not compete with the advertisers who are mostly mail order suppliers.
I stopped by a local shop where I have been able to find good stuff for years, and I noticed nothing really new. The owner said hardly anyone buys non-sports except me, so he's going to cut back on it.

We have to support the shops that carry non-sports, to encourage them to buy more.

quote:

Originally posted by jon@webjon.com (spydrman):
This little jaunt cost me about 2 hours between driving to this shop, waiting for the shop owner to hope his store (late), and driving home, and I found nothing. I certainly would welcome some sort of shop locator service, or something.

Heck. . . if it doesn't belong on Card Talk, I'd be willing to build and host it. Any one interested in helping design it? (I've been looking at a total site redesign anyway).

Jon

I think it would be excellent if someone would. I might actually find a place down here to buy single packs.


P.S. Jon, next time call first.

Ok, so I was recommended to another store to try out. They had one box of opened Batman Begins cards, which I was afraid might have been cherry picked so I didn't buy any. Then there was a ton of gaming cards and a big box full of miscellanous packs of cards. I asked the guy what the deal was with those packs cuz there was a littl of everything. He said they usually open a box of cards, put them on the counter for a period of time and whatever doesn't sell goes into this misc. stock.

Wendi, they can't cherry pick the autographs from Batman Begins...
Also, one of my dealers takes the packs from near empty boxes and puts them in a box marked down. I've gotten inserts including costume cards from this box. It's worth a try.

quote:

Originally posted by Don Norton:
Wendi, they can't cherry pick the autographs from Batman Begins...
Also, one of my dealers takes the packs from near empty boxes and puts them in a box marked down. I've gotten inserts including costume cards from this box. It's worth a try.

You have to be careful though as there is a place near me where they have a similar box that is heavily cherry picked -- I've purchased hundreds of packs from it (yeah -- took a long time to learn) without ever pulling anything.

Perhaps the three of us Chi-Suburb folks could compare shop lists -- if nothing else we could help each other.

Thoughts?

Jon

I'm with you Jon, anyone in the NW suburban Chicago should know all the good shops -
dealers in the 4 shops I go to do not cherry pick, I've gotten too much good stuff from them.

Ok, I have started the site!!!

I want it to grow to be a worldwide store locator but I have just started out and started with Illinois. I also added a store in California that I found when I was out there that I liked.

Please email me if you have stores to add!!! Let me know what you think...
Wendi's Website

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Wendi,

Email sent. This is the best idea I've seen in ages

I think a store finder would be an awesome idea. I know something like this would make it easier for people who prefer to pack buy to find places where they can go.

Besides that Diamond locator isn't the most up to date I've found. There have been some stores that either moved or closed up and weren't updated, and like Jon found, there are some stores that list that they carry non-sport cards and it winds up being about fifteen different boxes of Pokemon cards.

I'm all for a store finder!!

Nice start Wendi!

I was thinking it would be helpful to have some sort of a review or rating system. I had actually started designing a site myself, and was thinking that it would be good to have notes on what the store carries -- IE. commons, boxes, wax, chase, new or old, etc. Also other notes like the boxes are often well picked over or they aren't picked over, or how the cards are priced, etc.

Jon

Got your email Graham, thanks! I will try to get started on the UK soon but I can use some advice on how to organize the UK since I am not from there. Any suggestions, anyone? Check out how I did the USA first, especially Illinois. It is still rough but the concept is there.

Jon, I was thinking about the same thing but held off because I wasn't sure how to "review" the store. I don't want some to get discouraged to go somewhere but then don't want someone to take a long trip to a store that wouldn't be worth their wild.

Great idea, Wendi! I've just sent you an e-mail. By the way, for anyone who didn't know, on the Rittenhouse website they have a list of dealers HERE.

Which reminds me, I really need to e-mail them to update my store's information...

-Bob-

TheUberBob, your store has been added. Thanks!!

Wendi,

This is a great idea. I did a quick search on google, and there is something like this out there for comic and trading card stores.

It is located here:

Master List

It has some store profiles and email addresses as well.

I'm not saying that it is better than what you are doing, but something that you can get ideas from....

Mike.

Mike, thanks, I looked at it and I liked the site. However seems more geared towards comics. I would like something more towards cards. Maybe, if all the nonsports card collectors contributed it would be something great!