Wouldn't Trade It For The World

by queenseyes

Sometimes the most unassuming shops yield the best surprises. Take 7th Inning Stretch for example. Owner, Paul Holbrook, opened his business in February of '85, after rediscovering his love for collecting trading cards. "I collected them when I was young," he told me. "Then I got out of it for a while. I rediscovered the hobby a while back and started my business because I felt that I should share what I had with others. I soon realized that I would have to put my own collecting on the backburner, because the customer comes first... I still collect here and there, but not like I used to.

One glance around Paul's shop is all it takes to realize just how extensive trading cards can be. The walls of 7th Inning are lined with rows and rows of cards, and boxes full of cards... all-in-all Paul has amassed hundreds of thousands of the cards dating back to the 1930s. "I have a great selection from the '50s and '60s. The young kids come in to pick up the inexpensive packs that they use for trading, and we have the serious collectors who drop off their lists that they are on the hunt for. I'll look through my singles to see if I have what they're looking for, and if I don't I'll suggest where they should be looking."

These days there are two major companies that produce trading cards - Tops and Upper Deck. Another biggie, Fleer, went bankrupt a while back and was picked up by Upper Deck. What many people may find interesting is just how controlled the industry is. There are different price ranges of packs that correspond to the number of cards produced. Some of the packs are sold for hundreds of dollars - you would think that these would be older cards, but they are not. Hard-to-find cards are introduced into the market all of the time.

Don't think that you have to pay a lot to amass a nice collection. Even the less expensive packs will yield an occasional surprise. There is always the odd rookie card that pops up to excite a thankful buyer. And though the industry does influence the cards that are produced, it has no influence over a player's future. Performance, injuries and scandal can escalate the price of a card overnight - a card that is relatively worthless can be highly sought after just like that.

I asked Paul what the key to his success was, other than his intrinsic knowledge of the industry, and he answered, "Honesty. I was once a collector. I know how important each card is to a young collector. I see what happens on e-bay and feel good that I am a 'mom and pop' shop. A lot of stores have come and gone over the years... I stay in business because I have good relations with my customers. I get to know them when they hang around browsing. That’s why I offer 50-cents for a can of pop. I want them to enjoy the experience, not worry about the price of a beverage. I operate a democratic store with a colorful cast of characters."

Before I left I asked Paul what ever happened to the bubble gum. He told me that Tops is now marketing retro-looking baseball cards with current players featured on them. These new cards have brought back the bubble gum to the business. It is a wonder that the gum was ever phased out at all.

7th Inning Stretch is located at 1455 Hertel Avenue in Buffalo. 716-832-4980