Some young people probably begin at the wrong end. Instead of looking at the fundamentals like economics, self-reflection, critical thinking and a healthy dose of cynicism, they jump instantly to the achieved, monetized successes of internet entertainers (increasingly postulating as educators) and fill out the blanks of how to get there by daydreaming and underestimation.
There is room for dreams and visions but there is no room for avoiding difficult realities if you want to make them come true.
There is a very succesful local sports card shop in my area that has been open for at least 20 plus years. The owner is very adamant that most likely ânobody would be able to take this over from me and make moneyâ. Strictly because he wouldnt be able to help/train a person to be able replicate how he runs/operates his business on a day to day basis. How he buys/sells/engages customers/etc etc.
Iâve joked around with him a few times about selling it to me when he is done and he flaty stated âI like you too much to sell this to you.â Then preaching to me about how a person buying his business would need to either be retired with a hefty cushion for losses or somebody with a very well paying main job.
I think in a perfect world, many of us see this perfect game store experience that we may have enjoyed as children, or would enjoy now. We want to bring this idealized place into reality to share this childlike love and passion we have for these hobbies with others. A really hard pill to swallow is that our world wasnt built to operate on love and passion projects. Not to say its impossible, but i think theres a pretty quick realization of why things are the way they are. Growing up is understanding that your LGS doesnt kinda suck because theyre just assholes, theyre doing what they can to stay afloat.
I think there is a real allure for younger generations to start their own businesses.
Some of this comes from watching their parents/grandparents generation work a 9-5 job. Previous generations coveted job security, consistency and stability, whereas newer generations want a balanced lifestyle, flexibility, and freedom. There is no glory in grinding out a day job for 45 years to buy a house and support a family.
The second part is we live in the age of internet and information. There are seemingly more small businesses starting from YouTubers, only fans to influencers. Perhaps this gives rise to the idea that anyone can make a business from nothing and have a shot at âmaking itâ.
I think many younger people are searching for âanother wayâ aside from working a desk job they hate and collecting a W2. Regardless of the success or failure rate, I can certainly respect the guts it takes to start your own venture.
Not a physical LGS but I quit my factory job in August to sell cards full time online.
This however was a âfive year planâ and not a overnight decision (House paid off, Reliable car, Fully funded emergency fund, Retirement account).
For me its been a blast, im working more than ever but it really never feels like work. Im also able to collect more than ever, and still love collecting! It does change your relationship with the cards, but I still dont see my collection as dollar signs. Id like to think Ive found my sweet spot, and im just going with the flow.
I feel this in my bones. The only exception to this IMHO is japan. There are some LGSâs near me, but most of what they have is marked up. And I get it - they need the margins to turn a profit. Buying from ebay is easier and usually cheaper. I want to support local businesses, butâŠmoney.
Iâve DMâd E4 members before who have posted those threads and given them reccos, but for most of my continent, most stores are (like you said) picked over, or have overinflated prices/limited selection.
Definitely. I think it hits harder if youâre running a brick & mortar store. And people forget itâs retail at the end of the day, and retail can completely change a person.
One of the incentives I appreciate seeing the IP holders do is officializing LCSâs as a OTS store. Giving them exclusives, promos, and earlier release dates definitely helps put a brick & mortar ahead of the game against non-OTS stores and big box retailers. But ultimately, it still is the overhead; electricity, A/C, rent lease donât come cheap.
I think one benefits for LCSâs is having the luxury to look at the products and singles in person, and people sometimes forget that, and you can purchase and acquire the goods immediately instead of waiting for it to arrive, find out itâs not as expected, filing a claim, and creating a sour experience for both parties. Personally, I think if LCS were to price match literally everything to online prices, people with the luxury of being able to inspect the goods, will be able to comb clean a LCSâs whole inventory, then itâs just absolutely no deal for the next person. Itâs a battle of âhere & nowâ vs âcheap & laterâ scenario. Reasonable markups are justifiable, if I paid attention to Econ 101 correctly.
And I think itâll be even harder going forward for sports cards, too. Especially with the Fanatics takeover, theyâre already starting to cut less and sell less to brick & mortars and moving on selling directly to the consumer for almost the same price as wholesale. Magic: The Gathering is seeing very similar issues since Hasbro decided to sell directly through Amazon to consumers; I think the leftover packs at big box retailers speaks volumes on thatânow imagine if you were a brick & mortar and stuck with all that inventory.
I think LCSâs actually lose more on balanced lifestyles. Instead of a 9-5 job, it may be like a 3-10 job because the events and clientelesâ schedules would conflict. Most the clientele either go to school from 7-3 or work 9-5, so conflicting hours wouldnât bring in money. And one other thing is TCGs are always volatile: if the market donât sleep, neither can you. Thatâs a little bit of an exaggeration, but still true nonetheless for anything that follows a trend. During the downtime, I think itâs sorting inventory for listing, and nobody enjoys sorting through commons and bulk every day of their job.
Totally agree with you. Running a business is significantly more work than a 9-5. In fact, a salary is payment for not having to deal with the companies problems after 5pm. But only point was people are looking for another way to make money and have a business. Whether that route is viable is an entirely different animal.
As someone who has been working a government desk job 8-5 for more than a decade, Iâll tell everyone it grinds you down for sure, but job security and consistent benefits is the goal. I would love to make the hobby my sole source of income but I know it isnât simple, cheap or consistent. Instead, I think the better route, at least at first is to set up a small online business and see if you can even make something work without the brick and mortar costs.
I would love to be surrounded by cards and have unlimited resources and products and work 6 hour days, but thatâs not the reality. I think many just forget or donât realize turning a profit on a card or booster box is just one little fraction of the entire card shop operation.