Packs of cards can cost thousands of dollars with the ultimate prize pulling a card worth potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Chad Carter, operations manager for sports card store Card Stocks, called that “life-changing money.”
When you step into Card Stocks in Monroe, one of eight locations in the region, you quickly realize this isn’t the sports card shop where your father shopped.
The shelves are neatly lined with boxes of baseball, football, basketball, wrestling, entertainment and Pokemon cards. The glass showcases are filled with raw and graded cards of some of the hottest players in sports.
There also is an electronic ticker on the walls that scrolls the latest sports news and scores.
The Monroe store, 1308 Ohio 63, opened two months ago, and Carter said sales have been strong.
He said Monroe was selected as the seventh Card Stocks location because of the heavy traffic in the area. Nearby Miami Valley Gaming, two flea markets, Cincinnati Premium Outlets, multiple marijuana dispensaries and popular dining options drive motorists off I-75, he said.
The goal with all the locations is to make it easier for customers to shop more often, Carter said.
“We spot our stores in communities with a big population around,” he said.
The first Card Stocks opened in Liberty Twp. two years ago, and the eighth store recently opened in the Florence Mall in Kentucky.
Card Stocks is expanding at a time when there are multiple card shows every weekend in the region, Carter said.
He sees the popularity of collecting cards continuing to grow.
“The hobby will be stronger in five years,” he predicted.
While many businesses suffered during COVID, Carter said when employees worked from home, and they found extra time on their hands and more disposable income, they turned to collecting cards.
Carter called COVID “the biggest factor” in the hobby’s growth the last 100 years.
“There never has been a more explosive time,” he said of the months following March 2020.
John Bauereiss, 31, of Fairfield, serves as general manager of the Monroe location. He worked in the banking industry, but now prefers the atmosphere and excitement of managing a sports card business.
“This is really a fun hobby,” said Bauereiss, who added he enjoys teaching novice collectors about the hobby.
Investing in cards also can be profitable.
Collectors used to count on a money Beckett price guide to look up the value of their cards. But, now with the Internet, they can receive instant price updates that show real sales data, said Carter, 48, of Beavercreek.
If an athlete has an outstanding performance one night, the value of his cards may increase the next day.
“That fast,” Carter said. “It really is like a stock market that moves up and down.”
Packs are randomly inserted with rare cards that may be autographed or contain a piece of a player’s game-worn jersey or game-used bat. Other cards are numbered. The lower the number, the better.
The higher the stakes, the higher the price of the packs, Carter said. He compared it to the Ohio Lottery scratch-off tickets or the slot machines at Miami Valley Gaming.
But he quickly pointed out the store has bins of $1 single cards.
“There is a place for everybody,” he said. “It’s not about the money, not about the gambling.”
Card Stocks also hosts Trade Nights when customers are allowed to trade and sell with each other.
HOW TO GO
WHAT: Card Stocks
HOURS: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. Closed on Monday.
ADDRESS: 1308 Ohio 63, Monroe
PHONE: 513-687-0569
WEB SITE: cardstocks.com
GET INVOLVED
In this “What Do They Do There?“ feature, the Journal-News will profile a local business on Fridays. If you have a suggestion, please forward the business name and address to Rick McCrabb at rmccrabb1@gmail.com.
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