Card Shop Directory
When I was down at Sooz’s house this week we were trying to find card shops to check out and there are very outdated lists and phone numbers online. There are a couple of places that attempted a directory, but I would like to put together a list of shops and keep it posted here for reference.
Having a list of shops that are actually open and sell cards would be super helpful to those of us that travel or visit friends in other areas. My intention here is to compile a list of shops, and I would prefer if you have visited the shop you provide in the comments section so we all know what they sell. Some places are predominately comics, hobby items (model building, etc.), or cards and supplies. I will add the shops you guys tell me about to a running list to keep posted on the blog for reference.
I will start the list off here with shops that I have visited. (UPDATED with reader submissions)
New Jersey
The Baseball Card Store
45 Prospect Street
Midland Park, NJ 07432
Store sells all packs and boxes of all sports as well as supplies. Singles available- mostly baseball.
The Backstop
2018 Route 37 E
Toms River, NJ 08753
The home of Dr. Wax and Friday night Pack Wars. Store sells everything from packs to singles, and plenty of supplies. All sports available, great selection of single cards.
J&J Sports Cards
205 Bellevue Ave
Hammonton, NJ 08037
Store has high end singles, wax boxes and supplies available. They broadcast on blog.tv, and sell singles and auto’s on eBay as well.
New Concept Cards, Hobbies and Mental Skate Shop
676 Stokes Road
Medford, NJ 08055
Store sells mostly non-sports cards items, but keeps a nice stock of sports cards available all the time. Store usually has new releases the day of release. They sell card supplies as well as singles.
Rookies and Stars Sports Collectibles & Memorabilia
1350 Route 35 North.
Woodbridge Twp, NJ 07001
Phone-732.396.3870
They have supplies singles packs and boxes. Baseball and all sports. Good pricing and friendly staff.
New York
Toy Wiz
253 W Route 59
Nanuet, NY 10954
Store sells mostly comics, action figures, and non-sports cards. They have a solid selection of packs from the major sports, and some singles (very expensive singles).
Maryland
Baseball Card Outlet & Sports
7502 Eastern Ave.
Baltimore, MD 21224
Store has a huge variety of sports cards packs, boxes, and singles. Tons of supplies, and memorabilia of the local teams.
Burton’s Cards and Coins
5831 Buckeystown Pike # D Frederick, MD 21704
301-663-3223
Lots of vintage and newer singles – both baseball and football. Current packs and boxes. All kinds of storage supplies. Bi-weekly ‘bid board’ auctions (items brought in by collectors).
Shop has been there since the early 80’s and still going strong.
Florida
Orlando Sportscards
9476 South Orange Blossom Trail
Orlando, FL 32837-8321
(407) 240-0384
They sell everything you can think of Packs, boxes, supplies. Been in business for a long time. The owner is very knowledgeable and courteous and touts himself as “the king of singles” I love going through the boxes and boxes of singles. all prices are very reasonable.
Ohio
All Pro Sportscards
492 Graham Rd
Cuyahoga Falls, OH 44221
(330) 922-4642
They have a huuuuuge selection of singles, all ranging from 25 cents and up. They also have a relic/auto bin separated by sport which is $5 each or 4 for $20. TONNNNS of packs, TONS of cases, and also some memorabilia. A little pricey but the selection is amazing! Also they trade with buyers. The owners seemed pretty friendly. NOT open on Sundays!
Ohio
Cardboard Dreams
2467 Canton Rd
Akron, OH 44312-5050
(330) 699-2881
Much cheaper than All Pro, but the selection for everything is a lot smaller, as is the shop in general. 10 cent cardboard cases of cards, which is cool, though many of those cards are of the “we busted such and such expensive product for the hits, here are the base cards” variety. A few $1, $2, $5 bins, but nothing much in them (not even relics or autos), and no real hits to be found as singles. Decent amount of cases and packs at lower prices than All Pro, but again, selection isn’t as nice. They do stay current though and have the latest stuff, and the owner was nice.
Collectors Palace
9274 Ohio 43
Streetsboro, OH 44241
330-626-2464
This shop sells sports cards, comics, coins and gold. They usually have a good selection of newer wax packs and boxes. They don’t open very much product, so it’s just packs, boxes and some vintage singles. The prices are fair and they are open seven days a week.
Chapel Hill Sports
2000 Brittain Road
Akron, OH 44310-1823
330-630-3160
This shop is located inside the Chapel Hill Mall in Cuyahoga Falls. They carry sports cards, supplies, apparel and memorabilia.
They have some singles and a very limited selection of wax. Despite being in a mall, their prices on wax are very reasonable. The owner is very friendly and likes to talk sports.
Grand Slam Sports Cards
17800 Chillicothe Road
Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
440-543-2758
This shop is one of the best on the east side of Cleveland. Joe’s shop is literally jammed full of cards. Boxes, packs, singles, supplies…. his selection is the best. Lots of wax boxes, dating back to the 70s even. Good prices too.
Dream Chaser Sports Cards
874 East Aurora Road
Macedonia, OH 44056
330-467-0105
This shop is new, just opening in the summer of 2009. He has a good selection of singles, low-end and high-end wax. Prices can be a bit high at times.
California
All Star Cards
8781 Cuyamaca Street
Santee, CA 92071-4216
(619) 562-1975
Singles on consignent, boxes and packs (almost everything dating back 10 years), junk wax, supplies… Baseball heavy but has stuff from all sports and large selection of non-sports. Great prices, especially on supplies, run by a guy and his daughter. Very friendly.
Colorado
Mike’s Stadium Sportscards
4022 South Parker Road
Aurora, CO 80014
(303) 699-9808
mikesss.com
They offer all new wax, gobs of restocks and a massive selection of recent years wax including a considerable amount of higher-end products. We also offer weekly and monthly drawings, case breaks and loads more promotions.
Arizona
Batter’s Box
2855 W. Cactus Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85029-3350
(602)942-9156
Mostly vintage cards.
Washington
Swell & Wacky Collectibles
9960 Silverdale Way NW Suite 11
Silverdale, WA 98383
360-698-3550
Glenn Watchmen is what I would consider the perfect Sports Card shop owner. He was my goto guy when I was still living in Seattle, I would drive an hour out of my way to go buy from him even though I lived down the street from West Coast Sports Cards.
West Coast Sports Cards
2008 South 314th St
Federal Way, WA. 98003
253-941-1757
They carry everything and I mean everything from cards to comics to beenie babies and Pokemon cards.They hire people off the street that know nothing about sports cards and you just point to what you want and they will grab it for you.I would only suggest this place if you are looking for something specific that you can not find elsewhere.
Arizona
Hot Corner
6750 E Main
Mesa, AZ 85205
480-396-0442
The owner, JJ Genzale, opened the store in 1990 and has been in the same location the whole time.He knows his stuff.
Connecticut
Dugout Dreams
45 Padanaram Rd
Danbury, CT 06810
High end and low end wax. He also probably has the best selection of vintage memorabilia in the country. Tons of autographs and he is priced better than any sports memorabilia show.
Pennsylvania
The Baseball Card Shop
1891 East State Street
Hermitage, PA 16148
724-981-4443
The Baseball Card Shop is the best shop in this area. Jim, the owner, has been running the shop forever (since 1989). This shop is the go-to shop for both low-end and high-end wax. He has one of the largest selections of packs I’ve ever seen at a shop. The cost of new packs and boxes are fair, but his prices on old wax boxes are high.
Bennie’s
462 Sharpsville Ave
Sharon, PA 16146
724-347-3390
Bennie’s has been open since the mid-80s. They sell comic books and sports cards. Bennie who ran the comics side ran the shop with his wife Mary who handled sports cards up until about 2003 when they sold the shop an it’s all the contents. Currently, the shop is open under a new owner and they have many singles, in random boxes which aren’t organized. They don’t sell high-end wax, just your Topps 1 & 2, Heritage, some UD. They also have sets and 90s wax boxes for sale.
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If your ever in Florida
Orlando Sportscards
9476 South Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32837-8321
(407) 240-0384
They sell everything you can think of Packs, boxes, supplies. Been in business for a long time. The owner is very knowledgeable and courteous and touts himself as "the king of singles" I love going through the boxes and boxes of singles. all prices are very reasonable.
Rookies and Stars Sports Collectibles & Memorabilia
1350 Route 35 North. Woodbridge Twp, NJ 07001 Phone-732.396.3870
They have supplies singles packs and boxes. Baseball and all sports. Good pricing and friendly staff.
Mike's Stadium Sportscards
4022 South Parker Road
Aurora, CO 80014
(303) 699-9808
mikesss.com
Hello, full disclosure here – I'm the owner and we offer all new wax, gobs of restocks and a massive selection of recent years wax including a considerable amount of higher-end products. We also offer weekly and monthly drawings, case breaks and lods more promotions.
I hope other shops take advantage of this opportunity to share and thanks for the chance to introduce myself and my store.
Hey Mike, thanks for stopping by and letting us know about your shop. Don't be a stranger, it's always nice to hear from shop owners on things we all debate and talk about.
Batter's Box
2855 W. Cactus Rd.
Phoenix, AZ 85029-3350
(602)942-9156
It's been my favorite card shop since it opened in 1982. More vintage than new stuff. It's one of the few card shops left in the Phoenix area. Here are directions:
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4DKUS_enUS278US278&q=batter%27s+box+phoenix+az
In Washington State- 2 shops:
Swell & Wacky Collectibles
9960 Silverdale Way NW Suite 11
Silverdale, WA 98383
360-698-3550
Glenn Watchmen is what I would consider the perfect Sports Card shop owner. He was my goto guy when I was still living in Seattle, I would drive an hour out of my way to go buy from him even though I lived down the street from West Coast Sports Cards.
—————————
West Coast Sports Cards
2008 South 314th St
Federal Way, WA. 98003
253-941-1757
The original West Coast Sports Cards was a small store front where people could sit and chat the whole day and the owner would personally help you. Now this is a "Super Store" that I would compare to a Wal Mart, very impersonal. They carry everything and I mean everything from cards to comics to beenie babies and Pokemon cards.They hire people off the street that know nothing about sports cards and you just point to what you want and they will grab it for you.I would only suggest this place if you are looking for something specific that you can not find elsewhere.
In Arizona- 1 shop:
Hot Corner
6750 E Main
Mesa, AZ 85205
480-396-0442
The owner, JJ Genzale, opened the store in 1990 and has been in the same location the whole time.He knows his stuff.
Connecticut:
Dugout Dreams
45 Padanaram Rd
Danbury, CT 06810
I work for him. He has all the best wax high end and low end. He also probably has the best selection of vintage memorabilia in the country. Tons of autographs and he is priced better than any sports memorabilia show.
check out ebay store: dugoutdreams
Tons of local teams autographs, singles and other memorabilia.
In western Maryland:
Burton's Cards and Coins
5831 Buckeystown Pike # D Frederick, MD 21704
301-663-3223
Lots of vintage and newer singles – both baseball and football. Current packs and boxes. All kinds of storage supplies. Bi-weekly 'bid board' auctions (items brought in by collectors).
Shop has been there since the early 80's and still going strong.
Here's a few more:
The Baseball Card Shop
1891 East State Street
Hermitage, PA 16148
724-981-4443
The Baseball Card Shop is the best shop in this area. Jim, the owner, has been running the shop forever (since 1989). This shop is the go-to shop for both low-end and high-end wax. He has one of the largest selections of packs I've ever seen at a shop. The cost of new packs and boxes are fair, but his prices on old wax boxes are high.
Bennie's
462 Sharpsville Ave
Sharon, PA 16146
724-347-3390
Bennie's has been open since the mid-80s. They sell comic books and sports cards. Bennie who ran the comics side ran the shop with his wife Mary who handled sports cards up until about 2003 when they sold the shop an it's all the contents. Currently, the shop is open under a new owner and they have many singles, in random boxes which aren't organized. They don't sell high-end wax, just your Topps 1 & 2, Heritage, some UD. They also have sets and 90s wax boxes for sale.
Collectors Palace
9274 Ohio 43
Streetsboro, OH 44241
330-626-2464
This shop sells sports cards, comics, coins and gold. They usually have a good selection of newer wax packs and boxes. They don't open very much product, so it's just packs, boxes and some vintage singles. The prices are fair and they are open seven days a week.
Chapel Hill Sports
2000 Brittain Road
Akron, OH 44310-1823
330-630-3160
This shop is located inside the Chapel Hill Mall in Cuyahoga Falls. They carry sports cards, supplies, apparel and memorabilia.
They have some singles and a very limited selection of wax. Despite being in a mall, their prices on wax are very reasonable. The owner is very friendly and likes to talk sports.
Grand Slam Sports Cards
17800 Chillicothe Road
Chagrin Falls, OH 44023
440-543-2758
This shop is one of the best on the east side of Cleveland. Joe's shop is literally jammed full of cards. Boxes, packs, singles, supplies…. his selection is the best. Lots of wax boxes, dating back to the 70s even. Good prices too.
Dream Chaser Sports Cards
874 East Aurora Road
Macedonia, OH 44056
330-467-0105
This shop is new, just opening in the summer of 2009. He has a good selection of singles, low-end and high-end wax. Prices can be a bit high at times.
Great idea! I love reading about other card stores. Here's the info for my LCS…
In southern California:
All Star Cards
8781 Cuyamaca Street
Santee, CA 92071-4216
(619) 562-1975
Singles on consignent, boxes and packs (almost everything dating back 10 years), junk wax, supplies… Baseball heavy but has stuff from all sports and large selection of non-sports. Great prices, especially on supplies, run by a guy and his daughter. Very friendly.
sruchris…thanks for giving a description of Chapel Hill! Even though my girlfriend's family lives LITERALLY 5 minutes away, I have never been in the card store. I've probably been to Chapel Hill Mall 20-30 times, but at first I wasn't a collector, and now it's always with my girlfriend, who doesn't want to go look at cards. I'll have to look inside one of these days!
In the San Francisco Bay Area, and around San Jose in particular, it is especially hard for card shops to survive, let alone thrive, even when the economy is good. Rent is uniformly high, even for dive strip mall locations.
Whenever I ask a card, coin, or comic book shop how they remain in business so long, it's often because they have a generous property owner that doesn't put annual pressure on rent.
When times turn sour, disposable income plummets farther and faster here. Despite these things, I can recommend a couple places to go when in the San Jose area.
All American Sports Cards
1377 Kooser Road
San Jose, CA 95118-3814
(408) 267-0300
This is one of those shops that seems to have survived because the strip mall it's in isn't the best, but it is in a pretty good location, near a McDonald's and a Chuck E. Cheese's, so the kid magnet factor helps add a little gravity to the shop. It's a little sad walking in, as at least a third of the shelf space is just empty, and another 10% of it is placeholder inventory that nobody ever buys (celebrity photos, player plaques, junk boxes of various Pro Set, etc.). There's a moderate amount of M:TG and kid gaming cards, but limited to one display case, and the rest of the shop is sports related.
This shop is a case of how current wax can keep a store in business. Their older wax is varied, and their loose cards are a good deal, especially for local sports teams. The owner is also likely to boost you some freebies out of inventory, especially if you're a new customer. The shop is friendly bases its prices in reality, with the exception of a little premium on high-end new wax.
Stevens Creek Sports Cards
3220 Stevens Creek Boulevard
San Jose, CA 95117-1131
(408) 243-1120
http://www.peninsulasportscards.com/index.php
Simply put, this shop is a sports card collector's dream. I used to work within walking distance from it, and would hit it at lunchtime about once a month.
There isn't a single Magic card, Yu-gi-oh pack, comic book, beanie baby, or hot wheel to be found. Just wall-to-wall four major sports cards, autos, and memorabilia. Baseball cards, including HOFers, dating back to the 19th century, as well as early 20th century oddball stuff, are highlights for me every time I go.
The owners are exactly what you'd hope for; tough graders that also price everything at normal exchange value. Anything vintage that's a bit off-grade (EX or less) is regularly 10% off, and once you hit the register, they're likely to round down the price for you a little further.
On my last visit, they even gave me a little break on some very hot current wax. I am a repeat customer, but these guys will be fair and a little generous; they'll want to increase the chances of repeat business.
Interestingly, this shop is one of a network of three that runs up the Peninsula. The Belmont shop is also good, and does have a smattering of kid gaming cards, but the store is 80% sports, and they have a huge assortment of older wax boxes that are often at fierce discounts.
If you're a sports fan and card collector that happens to be taking a trip to the Bay Area to see a game, you have to add Stevens Creek Sports Cards to your sightseeing list. It's practically a card museum with affordable price tags and top-notch curators.
I just wanted to point out that Rookies and Stars in Woodbridge NJ is also closed on Sundays.
New thoughts on this shop, which you haven't listed yet:
The Coin Shop
2482 South Walnut Street, Bloomington, IN 47401-7735
(812) 331-2646
Pops up on google maps as the only card place anywhere near Bloomington, Indiana. It's definitely a coin shop/random memorabilia shop first, but there are cards to be found. Plenty of 70's-80's hits under glass, as well as some newer relic hits, all at very decent prices. He also sells tons of completed sets from tons of years/sports. He won't break up sets or deals though – what you see is what you're buying!
Three new Ohio store reviews from Cincinnati, OH:
1. Dean's Cards – estore only – don't go here it's just a stock front. Buy online!
2. Funtime Sports Cards
9644 Cincinnati Columbus Road
Cincinnati, OH 45241
(513) 755-8989
– Lots of base single types, with a large slant towards local teams (aka Reds and Bengals). Some nice autos and relics of those teams, otherwise it's mostly packs and boxes, which are decently priced. I was after the autos and relics and got a few at decent prices. But it's not the most comprehensive of stores outside of the wax – this is definitely a place to buy boxes/packs over singles.
3.Maverick's Baseball Cards
8522 Winton Road
Cincinnati, OH 45231
(513) 521-4900
– This is like 90% a comic book store, but they have some decent wax. It's mostly newer, and mostly hits, but there's a 2000 count box of cards for a quarter, some hit boxes, and some hits under glass. The owner is also really cool – as I browsed around he pulled stuff from boxes behind the counter that he thought I might like. I didn't buy any of them, as it was nothing I was really crazy about. But it was a nice touch as they were some nice cards – way to go above and beyond in assisting the customer! He also offered me half off on the hits which was cool. Totally worth a visit.
Here's another:
Extra Innings Sportscards
13470 Washington Bl.
Culver City, CA 90292
310-733-9942
They carry everything from Pokemon to Hockey, and anything else you might think to collect. Check out the cool rock posters on the walls.
Nostalgia World Inc
2492 Summer Avenue, Memphis, TN 38112
(901) 327-6522
open weekends only
has mostly vintage, and a little new stuff
much of the vintage is lower grade (which works good for my budget
also in Memphis:
Triple Crown Sports Cards
7519 Capital Drive
Germantown TN 38138
901-757-4080
http://www.triplecrownsportscards.com/
big selection of new and old..most of the vintage is high grade..although it is not marked (which is a turn off to me)
Tennessee Card Co
2811 Bartlett Boulevard
Memphis, TN 38134
(901) 372-1408
not as many cards as the other two shops,as they focus more on logo merchandise (pennants, cups, wallets, etc), but still can find a few good cards here and there any time you go
and in STL just went here last week…love this shop!
great vintage stuff
1,000,000 Baseball Cards
14560 Manchester Blvd #23
Manchester MO 63011
636-527-4424
http://www.onemillionbaseballcards.com
The shop I go to in New York City:
Alex's MVP Baseball Cards & Comic Books
256 East 89th Street
New York, NY
212-831-2273
http://www.cardsandcomics.com
Packs & singles for all major sports, supplies, memorabilia, and comic books if that's your thing.
And the place in my hometown:
Sandlot Sports Cards
46 West Main Street
Norfolk, NY 13667
315-384-4973
Haven't been there in years, but when I was a kid they had a nice selection of packs & singles and some cool collectibles. Very friendly and courteous. The owner is the father of some of my old friends from high school. Not often you find a card shop in a town of 1,300.