• Home
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Write for Sports Collectors Daily
    • Write About Your Sports Collection
    • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
  • Hot on Ebay
    • Most Watched Baseball Cards
      • 50 Hottest Baseball Hobby Boxes
      • Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs
      • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
      • Most Watched Vintage Baseball Card Sets
      • Babe Ruth Cards
      • Hank Aaron Cards
      • Mickey Mantle Cards
      • Willie Mays Cards
      • Nolan Ryan Cards
      • T206 Cards
      • Goudey Cards
      • 1952 Topps Cards
    • Most Watched Basketball
      • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2020-21 NBA Rookie Cards
      • 100 Hottest 2019-20 NBA Rookie Cards
        • Zion Williamson Rookie Cards
        • Ja Morant Rookie Cards
      • Top Prizm Basketball Auctions
      • Luka Doncic Rookie Cards
      • LeBron James Rookie Cards
      • Michael Jordan Cards
      • Kobe Bryant Cards
      • National Treasures Cards (all sports)
    • Most Watched Football Cards
      • Most Watched Football Rookie Card Auctions
      • Most Watched 2020 NFL Rookie Card Auctions
      • Patrick Mahomes Rookie Cards
    • Most Watched Hockey Cards
      • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Cards
      • Most Watched 2019-20 Hockey Rookie Cards
      • Connor McDavid Cards
      • Bobby Orr Cards
    • Most Watched Soccer Cards
    • Most Watched Golf Cards
    • Most Watched Rookie Cards
    • Most Watched PSA 10 Cards
    • Most Watched 1 of 1 Cards
    • Most Watched Memorabilia
    • Most Watched Racing Cards
    • Most Watched Autographs
  • Ending Soon on Ebay
    • Baseball Cards
    • Basketball Cards
    • Football Cards
    • Hockey Cards
    • Golf Cards
    • Vintage Sports Memorabilia

Sports Collectors Daily

Sports collecting news - Sports cards and sports memorabilia industry news.

Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you click one and make a purchase, we may receive a commission.  It helps keep us afloat!

  • Sports Memorabilia News
    • Barnebys Sports Auction Highlights
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
      • Shop Talk
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Affordable Vintage Cards, Collectibles
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
    • Hobby Shops Selling, Breaking Online During COVID-19
  • Around The Hobby
    • Editor’s Blog
    • David Cycleback’s Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Popular Stories
  • Sell Your Cards
You are here: Home / Rich Klein's Ramblings / Retirement Vision Becomes Reality for Twin Cities Sports Cards
Baseball Card Exchange

Retirement Vision Becomes Reality for Twin Cities Sports Cards

January 6, 2015 By Rich Klein

There are a lot of shop owners out there with interesting stories to tell. I have been trading email with Rob Hunegs of Minnesota who recently opened Rich Ramblings 2014up a store as a retirement venture.   Twin Cities Sports Cards is located in the suburb of Golden Valley.

He gladly consented to answer some questions and we’re always happy to have a Q&A with store owners and show dealers with an interesting story or two inside Rich’s Ramblings.

When did you start collecting, Rob?

RH:  When I was approximately eight years old I was introduced to baseball cards by the kids in neighborhood. Minnesota did not have its own major league baseball team at that time and so I became a fan of the Minneapolis Millers, a AAA team.  I also followed the St. Paul Saints, another AAA team.  Like most kids at that time I spent my nickel for a pack of baseball cards at the local drugstore. 

Life intervened and college and early married life put the hobby on hold for me. It was when my son became old enough to get interested in the hobby, that I brought up my old collection to show it to him and things just took off from there for me and how I remembered how much I loved working with the cards.  As my wife will tell you, once I get a passion about something I have a tendency to go full speed ahead. Ultimately, I built my collection to include complete sets from 1948 through 1955 Bowman, and complete sets from 1952 Topps through 1987 Topps. My 1952 set included all the high numbers.

Now that’s a nice collection indeed and to finish any 1952 Topps set in any condition is an accomplishment.  And by the way, among those to have played for the Minneapolis Millers are three great HOF outfielders: Ted Williams, Willie Mays and Carl Yastrzemski. Wouldn’t it be great to say you saw players like these before they became famous?).

Twin Cities Sports CardsWhy did you decide to open up a card shop after retirement?

RH:  I had been participating in our local Twin Cities Sports Card Club shows for number of years, I would go primarily to get reconnected with the hobby and I met a lot of great people there. Throughout that time I always felt that there needed to be a vintage brick and mortar card shop in Minneapolis and our area was missing that type of store. 

My wife and I used to drive around and whenever we saw a for rent sign in a strip mall we would stop and look in the windows and I would imagine what it would be like to have a baseball card shop there. Finally after being retired for about a year I found the right location and best of all it was only five minutes from our home.

What have been the biggest challenges and surprises since you opened up your doors?

RH:  I’ve been pretty good with email for a number of years. But the thing that was the most difficult for me was working with the social media and technology aspects that are required to run the business today. Finding somebody who could convey my ideas that I wanted to express on the web site was really hard. Setting up a Facebook page didn’t come naturally to me either.  I had to rely on friends and family who were much more knowledgeable about all of this then I am. In my previous business, I really didn’t have a need to use social media and the various firms I represented ran their own web sites independently.

Has anything surprised you about this business?

Memorabilia Twin Cities Sports CardsRH:  When my partner and I open the store, we anticipated that supplies for the hobby would be a large part of our sales. We worked with vendors to get our hobby supply inventory very deep as we wanted to have different supplies that people might not be able to find anywhere else. I think the thing that surprised us the most is how strong our vintage card and memorabilia sales have been and that although it has been good, supplies haven’t been as big of a seller that we thought they were going to be. 

The other item that surprises me is this popular card game called Magic and the number of people who came in and asked if we sold Magic cards. Luckily for us we have a comic shop about 2 miles from our store and we actually do a very good job referring business back-and-forth to each other.

What is the nicest item or collection you have seen since you opened?

RH:  I have truly been surprised by the number of nice buys that have walked into the store. I was hoping that would be the case but you’re never really sure until it starts happening and I’ve had really good luck in that regard. A very nice gentleman came in with a set of golf clubs that were approximately 60 years old. Wooden handles you know, an interesting piece but not something I really wanted to purchase, but I’m in business and he was nice enough to bring these in and offer them to me for sale and so I purchased them. Those golf clubs are still sitting in my store, but within 30 days of my purchase of those golf clubs this the same gentleman started bringing in his baseball card collection which included which included complete sets of 1959 Topps,1959 FleerTed Williams, 1964 Topps, 1964 Stand Ups, 1964 Topps Coins and much more…not a bad buy starting out with a set of golf clubs I really didn’t even want to purchase.

I have also purchased complete sets of 1948 Bowman 1956 Topps, 1954 Topps, 1958 1960 1963 1968 and ‘69 sets. I have also purchased partial sets of 1933 Goudeys and 1952 Topps, to name a few.

What are some of the promotions you have done to get people into your store?

RH:  At different shows that I set up at I handed out coupons good for $5 off any $25 or more purchase in the store. Within the store I also handed out the same coupon to people who had made purchases to entice them to return.

I also partnered with my bank and set up a display with in the bank to promote our card store.

Tell me about your family.  Have they helped you?

RH:  All of my family has been so supportive and helpful to me in getting this business off the ground. My wife, my two children and my three grandchildren. Families been a huge help, my son help me find the website designer because I had no idea how to go about that. Everyone has offered good advice and thoughts around the website and the Facebook page, As well as the layout and merchandising of the items in the store.

Is there anyone else involved in the business?

RH:  I do have a partner in this venture. I developed a friendship over the years with another vendor from those club shows that I went to. He focuses on selling memorabilia where as I specialize in vintage cards. As I talked about this bricks and mortar store over the years, he thought it sounded like a good idea so when the time came we put our two inventories together and have a incredibly well-rounded store to offer buyers.  We have significant vintage sports cards and also interesting memorabilia to offer for sale, including a huge collection of bobble heads, programs, tickets, game used bats and autographed baseballs.
 

Thanks to Rob for sharing his story with us.  If you’re a collector, especially one who appreciates the hobby as a whole, it sounds like a great place to visit and collectors are lucky to have Rob’s store in the Twin Cities.  If you’re in the area, his hours are:

Monday – Wednesday 12-6

Thursday 12-7

Friday 12-6

Saturday 10-5

Sunday Closed 

You can find him on the web here and on Facebook here.

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Reddit
  • Facebook Messenger

Related Stories:

10 Tips for Running a Good Sports Card Shop Lower Level Mike BergmannRamblings: Shop Owner Prefers to Concentrate on Brick-and-Mortar Business Rich’s Ramblings: In Defense of Store Owners Topps 2015 hobby boxEditor’s Blog: Recent Newspaper, Magazine, TV Coverage for the Hobby sports card shop trade nightShop Owners: How To Save A Buck… Or $2,000 Louisville Sports Cards Fills Void With New, Old ‘Sweet Old Lady’s’ Card Shop Kept Alive By Her Children Car Crashes Through Pennsylvania Card Shop Notes: Small Town Shop Thrives; Charity Shows Draw Collectors; RR Auction TV Segment

Filed Under: Rich Klein's Ramblings Tagged With: baseball card shops, Minnesota, shop owners, sports card business, sports card shops, sports card stores

Our articles may contain affiliate links. When you click one and make a purchase, we receive a commission.  The revenue is what helps keep SC Daily afloat!

What\
  • Football
  • Basketball
  • Baseball
  • Hockey

Bargain Corner

  • Michael Jordan Cards Under $5
  • Mickey Mantle Cards Under $100
  • Graded T206 Cards Under $75
  • Pre-1980 Graded Baseball Cards $5 and Less
  • Pre-1985 Graded Football Cards $5 and Less
  • Pre-1980 Graded Basketball Cards Under $10
  • Pre-1990 Graded Hockey Cards $5 and Less
  • Complete Sets Under $10 with Free Shipping
  • Baseball Hall of Famers for $5 or Less
  • Football Hall of Famers for $5 or Less
  • Hobby Boxes Under $30
  • Pre-1986 Rookie Cards Under $1

RSS Auction Report

  • Steve Novella Offers PSA Graded Football and Basketball Ending January 26, 2021
  • CertifiedLink: Bid on Rookie Cards: Mantle, Mays, Aaron, Jordan, Gretzky, Mahomes & More! Ends Feb. 8th
  • Kobe Bryant Custom-Built Car on Goldin Auctions Block


Categories

  • Around the Hobby
  • Business/Industry News
    • Sports Memorabilia Business News
    • Sports Memorabilia Industry News
  • David Cycleback's Identification and Authentication Advice
  • Editor's Blog
  • Hobby Shop Talk
  • National Sports Collectors Convention
  • Popular Stories
  • Rich Klein's Ramblings
  • Sports Card News
    • Modern Sports Card News
      • New Sports Card Release Calendar
    • Vintage Sports Card News
      • Old Baseball Card Sets
      • Old Basketball Card Sets
      • Old Football Card Sets
      • Old Hockey Card Sets
      • Vintage Pack Facts
  • Sports Memorabilia News

Sponsor Links

  • Sports Card Forum
  • Buying Vintage Sports Cards
  • Game Used Jerseys
  • 1952 Topps Baseball
  • Championship Rings For Sale
  • Vintage Basketball Cards
  • NBA Signed Items
  • Signed Sports Memorabilia
  • UFC Memorabilia
  • Autographed Baseballs
  • NASCAR Autographs
  • Vintage Graded Baseball Cards
  • Player Pictures
  • Vintage Football Cards
  • Sports Card Boxes
  • Sports Collectors Store

Pages

  • 100 Hottest 2019-20 NBA Rookie Cards
  • 100 Hottest UFC Trading Cards
  • 100 Most Watched Golf Trading Cards on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Graded Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • 100 Most Watched Wrestling Trading Cards on eBay
  • 20 Hottest Barry Sanders Football Cards
  • 2016 Cubs Replica Championship Rings Don’t Cost a Fortune
  • 2017 Topps Definitive Collection Box Breaks, Most Watched
  • 2019 Toronto Raptors NBA Championship Memorabilia Guide
  • 2019 US Women’s World Cup Apparel, Merchandise, Memorabilia Guide
  • 50 Hottest Baseball Hobby Boxes at Auction on eBay
  • 50 Hottest Kareem Hunt Rookie Cards
  • 50 Most Watched Kevin Durant Auctions on eBay
  • 75 Most Watched Bowman Chrome Cards
  • 8 Types of Kobe Bryant Collectibles to Remember Him By
  • Aaron Judge Game Used Memorabilia Inventory Growing
  • About Us/Contact/Advertise
    • Advertise with SC Daily
    • Contact Us
    • Get Sports Collectors Daily via EMail
  • Affordable Vintage Sports Cards and Collectibles
  • Barnebys Sports Memorabilia Auctions
  • Baseball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Basketball Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Best Derek Jeter Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Best Display Cabinets for Sports Memorabilia
  • Best Joey Votto Rookie Cards
  • Best Pascal Siakam Rookie Cards
  • Chiefs Super Bowl Champs Memorabilia Hits the Market
  • Current Most Watched Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Dale Murphy Rookie Card Remains Popular, Affordable
  • Eagles Super Bowl Champions Memorabilia Guide
  • Fanatics Under Wraps 2017 Next Level Edition Autographed Baseballs
  • Football Card Auctions on eBay Ending Soon
  • Frank Gore Rookie Cards Get No Respect
  • Gardner Minshew Rookie Cards Heat Up as Fun-Loving Rookie Shows His Ability
  • Great Gifts for Cubs Fans
  • Guide to 2018-19 Clemson Tigers National Championship Memorabilia
  • Guide to Houston Astros Championship Memorabilia
  • Guide to LSU National Championship Merchandise, Memorabilia
  • Guide to Nationals World Series Champs Memorabilia, Merchandise
  • Guide to St. Louis Blues Stanley Cup Champions Merchandise, Memorabilia
  • Guide to Vegas Golden Knights Stanley Cup Memorabilia
  • Hank Aaron Cards on eBay
  • Henrik Lundqvist Rookie Cards a Strong Long-Term Play
  • Hockey Card Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Hottest 2019 Baseball Rookie Cards
  • Hottest 2019 NFL Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Hottest Chicago Bulls Memorabilia Auctions on eBay
  • Hottest Devin Booker Rookie Cards as Suns Star Piles Up Points
  • Hottest Kyle Lewis Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Hottest Lonzo Ball Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Hottest Panini National Treasures Cards on eBay
  • Hottest Panini World Cup Stickers on eBay
  • Hottest Pokémon Card Auctions on eBay
  • Hottest PSA 10 Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Hottest Topps Living Set Auctions on eBay
  • Hottest Topps NOW Cards on eBay
  • Hottest Xander Bogaerts Rookie Cards
  • LeBron James Lakers Jerseys Already Available
  • Links
  • Mickey Mantle Cards on eBay
  • Most Popular Bobbleheads on eBay
  • Most Popular Mark McGwire Rookie Card Auctions on eBay
  • Most Watched 1/1 Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Basketball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Complete Baseball Card Sets at Auction on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Football Rookie Card Auctions
  • Most Watched Goudey Baseball Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Hockey Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Kobe Bryant Basketball Card Auctions on eBay
  • Most Watched Racing Cards on eBay
  • Most Watched Soccer Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Autographs on eBay
  • Most Watched Sports Jerseys on eBay
  • Most Watched Topps Project 2020 Auctions on eBay
  • Most Watched Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
  • Most Watched Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay
  • Nick Bosa Rookie Cards Getting Collectors’ Attention
  • Patriots Super Bowl 51 Champions Merchandise
  • Ryne Sandberg Rookie Cards, Minor League Issues Still Collector Favorites
  • Selling Sports Cards on eBay for Cash
  • Sports Memorabilia Auctions Ending Soon on eBay
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Test
  • The 2013 Bowman Chrome Draft Kris Bryant Auto Saga: A Timeline
  • Tony Gwynn Rookie Cards Recall “The Best Hitter Since Ted”
  • Top 100 Most Watched Baseball Rookie Cards on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Basketball Rookie Cards for Sale on eBay
  • Top 100 Most Watched Hockey Rookie Card Auctions
  • Top Authenticated Vintage Unopened Sports Card Boxes, Packs on eBay
  • Top Selling Patriots Super Bowl Championship Items
  • Upper Deck Authenticated Autographs Remain Popular, Accessible
  • Vintage Sports Memorabilia on eBay Ending Soon
  • Wade Boggs Rookie Cards Still a Collector Favorite
  • What’s Hot on eBay
  • What’s It Worth
  • Where Can I Sell My Baseball Cards?
  • Where to Buy the Anthony Fauci Topps Baseball Card
  • Write About Your Sports Collection
  • Write for Sports Collectors Daily

Copyright © 2021 SportsCollectorsDaily.com | Genesis Web Design by Wickam Group