Hey Hockeybuzzards!
Let’s start hitting on something I get tonnes of email about: Where can I buy X? Well, the answer to that question is long and drawn out in nature due to the fact that although there are really only a handful of general spots where you would go in search of your hobby “poison”, there are some distinct advantages and disadvantages to going any of those routes. In order to do this service then, I’ve decided to do a little series of columns over the next little bit highlighting the pros and cons of making one’s purchases through a particular method. I can’t hit every single pro/con for each of these, but have tried to touch on the most salient ones that would inform your approach whether you be looking for cards, game-used equipment, autographs, pucks, figures, portraits, or anything else that grabs your fancy!
So to start, I thought it would make the most sense to go with the traditional walk-in storefront business that we all know and love. So lets take a peek at the “pros” to get us rolling...
PROS
STAFF KNOWLEDGE
This is a factor that can really make or break a shopping experience. At best an unknowledgeable staff can fail to give you any new information, while at their worst they can misinform, create false impressions of or misrepresent a product, or can provide you with information that leads you to invest in something you definitely would not have had you been given a legitimate rundown on it. Conversely, the worst a knowledgeable staff can do is tell you something you already know (with the unintended effect being you developing a confidence that they know what they’re talking about), or come across as pretentious know-it-alls (just think Comic Book Guy from the Simpsons), while the best they can do is educate you, inform your purchases, open your eyes to product you weren’t aware of and quite possibly get you more bang for your buck (something of the utmost importance in the present economic crunch). Now, I’ve been to a lot of stores in my time collecting and can say that the harmful knowledge-challenged staff is the exception, not the rule, while only rarely does one run into the Comic Book Guy personality (which you should just sit back and enjoy as there’s nothing more entertaining than someone who loathes people who don’t know as much as they do!). The vast majority of store staff are, rightfully so, very in-the-know in terms of the industry, the current market and are easily accessible by any level of collector, from beginner to the old pro. As far as I am concerned they are the cornerstone advantage of a store-based buying experience, and as such should be used as the invaluable resources they are. Make inquiries around your purchase and see what their spin is. They may have something that better suits your wants, is a better investment, or even have insight as to why you might want to hold off for a bit before dropping the coin. Most importantly they’re going to broaden your knowledge of the hobby and its inner workings as a whole. Once they open their mouths class is in session, and it’s to your advantage to soak it in!!
SELECTION
Any store worth their salt is going to cater to a wide range of customers, and their stock selection will reflect this. Even if they focus on only one section of the hobby (i.e.,, jerseys, cards, autographs) they will want to have a selection that touches upon all parts of the spectrum to some extent. This is to our benefit in that we have our hobby eyes opened to the variability in product which allows us to explore numerous purchase options in one location.
IN-STORE EVENTS
Yes, these are ultimately little shills to get our disposable-income butts through their doors, but hey, they’re fun! The main one is when stores host player/coach/celebrity autograph signings (either free or for cash) which provide us collectors with a chance to both meet our collectibles “heroes”, maybe get a picture, while also purchasing signed materials, or enhancing already owned items with an auto. The cost of these events is a topic for another column, but try to remember the store is providing us with a service that we normally wouldn’t be able to obtain on our own (hard to swallow with the prices that are bandied about sometimes, but bares remembering). Another spin on this is the Private Signing, where an individual will come in and autograph a load of memorabilia with only staff present. This will include things belonging to the store for them to sell, but they will oftentimes give customers the opportunity to pre-order an item, or send in their own item, to be signed for a fee. Takes the interaction out of the equation, but sometimes you just have to deal, right?
AUTHENTICITY
This is a very important one here folks. Purchasing anything requiring some form of authenticity judgement (i.e., autographs, game-used equipment, jerseys) is really tricky under some circumstances, and you want to do whatever you can to protect yourself against purchasing fraudulent product. Making your purchase through a dealer can help to alleviate some of the concerns that go along with this type of investment. Dealers are aware of the prevalence of bogus items out there, and subsequently have had to become very informed in terms of their purchases of stock such that they are not passing off these goods to us the consumer. This is a business where reputation is huge, and these folks do NOT want to be known as untrustworthy in terms of their product. Subsequently they will most often go right to the source for their product, purchasing their game-used stock directly from the source or from trusted 3rd parties (i.e., Meigrey), and have deals with players to come in for private and/or public signings in the case of autographs.
ATMOSPHERE
Walking into a room filled wall to wall with cards, jerseys, framed portraits, autographs, game-used memorabilia, banners, books, pucks, score sheets, figurines, and other assorted swag sets the tone for what should be an enjoyable purchase! You get what you came for, see things you’d like in the future, and drool over things you’ll never be able to afford but would love to have. And the war stories of purchases gone good and bad, the information exchanges and the companionship of others who understand your little addiction! Gotta love it!
PAYMENT
This one’s simple: cash, credit, debit. It all works for them! Seems petty, but as we’ll see with other ways of buying the payment issue can be tricky.....
PERIPHERALS
When I buy cards at a card shop I can also pick up sleeves, toploaders, a Beckett or whatever else I might need for supplies. When I buy a jersey at a memorabilia store they will likely have display cases and other assorted shadow box displays available for purchase. In other words, these places will have all the accessories available for you to pick up at the same time as your main purchase which is both convenient and lends itself to you being able to protect/display your investment as soon as possible without having to trek all over the countryside.
LEAVE WITH PURCHASE “IN HAND”
You bought it, you got it. No shipping to worry about, no wait and you are sure of the quality of what you’ve just put your coin into as you been able to give it a good once over before your very eyes.
Well, as rosey a picture I paint of the old store, we must take a look at the downfalls inherent in this method, and they are some serious ones!!
CONS
PRICES
Plain and simple, all businesses have overhead/expenditures they have to deal with. In terms of a storefront-based one these can be even higher due to rental/lease on the store space, advertising, insurance, payroll and so on and so forth. This is rightfully going to be reflected in the price of the product, and as such you may have to pay a bit more than you would using other methods. The extent of the difference will differ from store to store and product to product, but as a general rule the “pay more” rule will hold.
LOCATING A STORE
These stores aren’t like Starbucks/Tim Hortons, in that you’re not going to find one every 20 feet. Unfortunately, in a large amount of cities and towns you won’t find any, so accessibility is certainly an issue in this regard. To help in this regard I’m going to slowly but surely start compiling a list of stores across North America for people to reference in terms of locating one, but as we”ll see in a future column the internet has certainly stepped up as a way to circumvent this problem.
KNOWING A DEAL WHEN YOU SEE IT
When you price something in a store it’s not like you can just walk to the store next door and compare cost. As such this hobby necessitates that you do your research before making a purchase!! I cannot stress this enough people! Whether it have to do with price, quality or content you have to be informed as to what it is you’re purchasing, how much is reasonable to pay for it and have an informed idea of what to expect once you have it. If you’re in a card shop check your ego at the door and ask the guy to take a look at their store copy Beckett to check out the values on the cards in the set you’re about to buy. What are the insert ratios? What is the difference in pricing between the retail and hobby versions? If you’re investing in some game-used or autographed memorabilia then do at least some cursory research on-line before buying so you know what others are charging. At the very least you’ll be able to ask why they’re charging more than Joe Blow across town/state/country who has the same thing for less. Like it or not, this hobby is investment-based, and you want to make sure you’re investing carefully with your hard earned money.
STORE FOCUS
This is particularly a struggle for our US brethren who want to build a hockey-specific collection as a great many stores outside of traditional hockey markets do not carry a lot of hockey product. Conversely, those that do oftentimes do not carry as wide a selection as one would find in a Canadian store. In a supply and demand sense it is logical as more individuals in the States are focused on Baseball, Basketball, Football and even NASCAR-based collectibles. This is frustrating beyond belief for those attempting to make a purchase, and other options we’ll discuss in future columns end up being more viable options.
LOCATION PREMIUMS
The location premium factor essentially goes like this: A Carey Price fan buying a rookie card in a Montreal store will end up paying more than the a Carey Price fan making the same purchase in a San Jose store. Why? Supply and demand. It’s what drives the hobby across all facets, and reinforces the fact that something like Beckett pricing is merely what it states: a guide. The reality is that the price of any one piece is WHAT THE BUYER WILL PAY FOR IT. Some places are doubly hit just by the fact that they are hockey hotbeds. So in a place like Montreal or Toronto you’ll likely be paying top end prices for anything related to a top tier player as compared to most other locations where hockey-fever is a bit more tempered.
So there’s our first kick at the can in our exploration of where to grab our swag! Where do we go next for alternatives? Seems logical to stick with the store we’ve just talked about, but in its online form. This is something many stores have had to do in order to combat the E-Bay revolution (column three) and just as it’s physical form does, it has it’s pros and cons!!
I’d welcome and encourage any additions to these pros and cons in the comments so fire away! As usual feel free to drop me an email, and add me up on Facebook if you’re so inclined. Cheers folks, have a great holiday, and we’ll see you next week with a box break....
Shawn Gates
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