As one of my many jobs, I work full time at a sports card and collectible shop in my hometown in Central Pennsylvania.In this new series, I will be checking in each week to share some of the more memorable stories, experiences and trends I've seen first-hand at the shop.Anyone reading this is probably very familiar with the volatility of the current sports card and collectibles … [Read more...]
2020 Mikey Awards: Sports Card Hobby Rolls with the Punches
Before I get to some of the follies the sports card and collectible industry enjoyed in 2020, I want to share my hopes that you, your families and your friends all did as well as possible in all ways in the past year. It is rare to find someone who wasn't directly affected either by COVID-19 or by the many implications from it. Sadly a few times this year, I heard … [Read more...]
What’s Hot: Keeping it Affordable in a Hot Market Ain’t Easy
Hello fellow card peeps, I hope that you enjoyed your Thanksgiving and that it was all it could have been. Since we all got through 2/3 of the football games we hoped for, we can now get to our regularly scheduled Black Friday sales. Looking back at the last month, it has been more cardboard insanity at my shop. Just about every new release has been well … [Read more...]
What’s Hot: Rookie Card Rooting and Top 5 Sellers
I just got done watching the Arizona Cardinals beat the previously perfect Seattle Seahawks. I was rooting for the Cardinals and when it became evident to my wife that I was leaning for Arizona to win, she of course asked me why. My response was that I have more 2019 products with possible Kyler Murray rookie cards than I did have 2012 with possible Russell Wilson … [Read more...]
What’s Hot: Football Rises Up as Sports Calendar Overfloweth
As I'm writing this early on September 24th, many things in the sports world are completely normal. The NFL is in full swing. Many college football teams are several games into their season. My son Sam just got done playing golf for his high school team (sorry, I had to drop that in there). The Rockies have essentially been eliminated from playoff contention. Of … [Read more...]
What’s Hot: Return of Sports Helping Boost an Already Strong Market
I was working at my shop on Monday and I realized that on one day, I was going to be able to watch the Nuggets play their first playoff game of the year, the Avalanche were taking a 2-1 lead into their playoff game against the Coyotes and the Rockies were starting a series with the Astros. We have come a LONG way since we were happy watching Russian non-contact hockey, … [Read more...]
What’s Hot: What Isn’t? Shop Still Buzzing with Business
I'm starting this at 2 AM or so and I'm enjoying the background noise from the classic Harley Davidson & The Marlboro Man as I relive some of my early 90's viewing habit. Since I work at my shop from 10 - 6 and then spend 9 PM - 1 AM back at the store cleaning up, prepping for tomorrow and trying to find product my collectors are looking for at something resembling a … [Read more...]
What’s Hot: The “I’m Sorry” Edition
"Greed is good." - Gordon Gekko "It's only worth what you can sell it for." - Paul Fruitman "I'm sorry." - Mike Fruitman Hello fellow card peeps, I can safely say I have not wrestled with writing a story this much since I began sharing my thoughts with Sports Collectors Daily several years ago, but I am sorry for where the market has gone in the past few years and … [Read more...]
What’s Hot: COVID Not Stopping Collectors
I want to start off this edition of What's Hot by sharing my hopes that you, your families and your friends are all doing as well as possible. I know that we are experiencing weird times together and while I'm looking forward to one day enjoying it, I don't know when "normal" will return. I do know that my store got closer to that level of normal this past Monday when … [Read more...]
Hot List: Lending a Hand, Trying Something New
Hello fellow card maniacs, I hope you are all doing well and that your family and friends are also healthy and getting through current days as well as possible. Clearly we are experiencing something we have never faced. before and prior to yammering about sports cards and dishing the list of 5 hottest products, I wanted to share that sentiment. In the past few … [Read more...]