I'm feeling lazy again. Those who know me know that I'm a big baseball card collector. As a lover of the hobby, I frequent the message boards on
Beckett.com and leave posts every now and then. This morning, a question left by another member really motivated me to leave a response. Well, it was more like a mini-essay than a response. I'm going to C&P that essay here instead of writing something new.
Basically, the hobby is changing thanks to eBay and other online marketplaces. The neighborhood sports card shops are not around as much as they used to be. A question was posted: With Ebay providing an easy, cheap way to purchase cards, will hobby shops stay around? Here's my response:
"With eCommerce becoming more accessible and approachable to the growing internet-proficient masses, we'll see more and more online sellers and fewer and fewer small business owner card shops. In fact, it's already here (the diminishing number of shops), and it's sad. It's sad because small business owners have a hard time maintaining competitive prices against lower-overhead online competitors and behemoth, bulk-purchase-power corporations. However, with the right knowledge and appropriate actions, card shops will continue to do business, but both ends of the transaction must take the right steps.
To keep card shops alive, sellers AND buyers must act. Card shop operators have to diversify products and services. For example, brick-and-mortar establishments must consider an online business channel that supplements walk-in traffic revenue. To increase foot traffic, shop owners have to get creative with marketing, advertising, and promotions.
The first step for buyers is to diversify your buying. Continue to visit your local shop to buy hobby boxes and supplies, for example. Use eBay to hunt down those favorites singles. Keep in mind, however, that your local card shop can take care of your specific wants, too. If you make your shop owner aware of your needs and wants, she or he will make efforts to supply your demand. For example, drop off or email your checklists and remind her or him that your favorite team is X. The next time you visit, the owner may have a stack of wants and needs waiting for you. This type of personal service is the best part of supporting small businesses, and it can't be replicated online or by chains.
Another step for buyers is to minimize purchases at Big Box retail and corporate chains. As part of your diverse buying tendencies, you may keep it in your personal purchase plan (especially if your investment portfolio includes retail giants), but keep the percentage low. The K-Marts, Wal-Marts, and Targets out there crush the small business person--and unfairly, I might add. Big Box retail that attempts to offer everything under the sun can spread earnings across different retail functions within one store. Therefore, one can lose in some areas, but make big profits in others. This spread of "red" and "black" across different functions usually averages "black" for the entire corporate store. The small business person can't do this, and, thus, can't compete with "Always low prices. Always."
One more, but certainly not the final, step is for buyers to consider quality of purchase over the lowest price. The lowest price is not always the best scenario. True, it's tempting, but, for card shops to continue, a culture change has to happen. People must understand that buying at a higher price is NOT always throwing away money. If the whole picture is analyzed, one may determine that the overall purchase has more value when all factors are considered. For example, a travel website may offer two plane fares. The cheapest is, well, the cheapest. The second has a slightly higher price, but it's with an airline where the traveler has Frequent Flyer status. The flyer chooses fare #2 because the quality of purchase will be better (board first, more leg room, guaranteed overhead space, etc.). The same thing can be done with purchasing baseball cards. The value of goods purchased from a small local business owner may be greater than the simple sum of price, tax, and transportation from a purchase at Target.
In conclusion, we have the privilege and power to speak freely with our money. By using our money to purchase baseball cards at local card shops and by tempering impulse to take the easy way via online or corporate chains, we cast a vote of confidence for brick and mortar small business owners, and we supprt diverse business options and enable fair competition.
