Businesses That Aren't Around Anymore
- Thread starter AdolfOliverBush
- Start date
More proof cards / card shops are dead
The baseball card industry, which did $1.2 billion in sales in 1991, shrunk to $270 million last year.
As for an explanation, those at the Grey Flannel Gallery in Lakewood Ranch point to the overproduction of baseball cards, making certain cards no longer sacred or unique.
"Card collectors did become annoyed with all the cards that were available," said Howard Rosencranz of Grey Flannel Gallery.
Rosencranz says there are also fewer superstar players and fewer card companies. In fact, Topps, a major card distributor, is up for sale.
"The numbers are down because the Major League Players Association, and the MLB have begun to limit the number of companies now that do trading cards," said Rosencranz.
Others blame the business slowdown on the skyrocketing popularity of football, which many say is the new American past time.
In fact, 13-year-old Jack Bechtold only trades football cards.
"Less players to collect and so if you collect all of them, it wouldn't take as long as baseball would," said Bechtold.
Some say the Internet also is to blame, as kids can spend time on it mostly for free, while collecting cards costs money.
"When I was growing up, you'd buy packs for 50 cents or a dollar, maybe $1.50," said Dan Beck of Grey Flannel Gallery. "Now you won't find packs for less than 3 or $4."
In an effort to attract more kids to card collecting, some companies are refocusing their marketing and advertising on kid-friendly channels like Nickelodeon and creating free web sites specifically for kids
The baseball card industry, which did $1.2 billion in sales in 1991, shrunk to $270 million last year.
As for an explanation, those at the Grey Flannel Gallery in Lakewood Ranch point to the overproduction of baseball cards, making certain cards no longer sacred or unique.
"Card collectors did become annoyed with all the cards that were available," said Howard Rosencranz of Grey Flannel Gallery.
Rosencranz says there are also fewer superstar players and fewer card companies. In fact, Topps, a major card distributor, is up for sale.
"The numbers are down because the Major League Players Association, and the MLB have begun to limit the number of companies now that do trading cards," said Rosencranz.
Others blame the business slowdown on the skyrocketing popularity of football, which many say is the new American past time.
In fact, 13-year-old Jack Bechtold only trades football cards.
"Less players to collect and so if you collect all of them, it wouldn't take as long as baseball would," said Bechtold.
Some say the Internet also is to blame, as kids can spend time on it mostly for free, while collecting cards costs money.
"When I was growing up, you'd buy packs for 50 cents or a dollar, maybe $1.50," said Dan Beck of Grey Flannel Gallery. "Now you won't find packs for less than 3 or $4."
In an effort to attract more kids to card collecting, some companies are refocusing their marketing and advertising on kid-friendly channels like Nickelodeon and creating free web sites specifically for kids
They still have a couple around the Inland Empire, but they are known more for the Swap Meets they host every weekend and special weekdays.
I used to take my girlfriend in high school to the Drive-In so we could get our fuck on in the back seat of the car, but we stopped that because the battery kept dying on us and we would have to ask some random person to give us a jump-start. That was embarrassing because you don't know if those people are in their car also getting their fuck on.
I used to take my girlfriend in high school to the Drive-In so we could get our fuck on in the back seat of the car, but we stopped that because the battery kept dying on us and we would have to ask some random person to give us a jump-start. That was embarrassing because you don't know if those people are in their car also getting their fuck on.
Who remembers when fry electronics was Fry's a grocery store or when good guys were around before best buy came in and smashed on them. Or Dunkin' Donuts there isn't one anywhere that i know of in the east bay. Or Straw Hat Pizza I know there is one in hayward and san leandro but not sure how many are still around.
