selling just packs at card shows? how well do you think that would work

[superpieman]

I really want to get into doing some local card shows and flea markets this summer to make some money on the side. One idea I saw on another site was using card flipping profits to buy unopened boxes from past years and selling the packs for 3-4 bucks each.

My question is how well do you think that would do at a show if i set up a table doing just that and nothing else?

and how well do you think it would do as another thing on the table along with cards?

How many boxes and what variety do you think would be needed to make that work?

I was thinking of buying boxes like 08 ud heroes and not overly expensive stuff like that. box is 69 bucks and at 4 bucks a pack thats 27 dollars profit a box. thats not much but sell 5-6 boxes like that during a show(which i dont think is unreasonable) and after the 20 dollar table fee im up 100 bucks.

or even buying things like 08 ud masterpeices retail at 25 bucks a box and selling the packs for 2 bucks each. which do you think would work better hobby boxes at 3-4 bucks a pack or retail boxes at 2-3 bucks a pack?


what do you guys think or what would you change about the idea? any feedback is appreciated.

 

[Dilferules]

You might want to go around to some local shows and see what the wax dealers have and what is actually selling. I know when I go to a show the only packs I pick up are new stuff, I only go for the older stuff if it's a really great deal.

I know when I sold at shows (granted this was 15+ years ago) I had singles and some wax that was a year or two old at "normal" prices, and the wax did not sell at all. When I did some other shows 6 or 7 years back I stuck with singles and did a little better.
Richard

 

[valediction]

I really want to get into doing some local card shows and flea markets this summer to make some money on the side. One idea I saw on another site was using card flipping profits to buy unopened boxes from past years and selling the packs for 3-4 bucks each.

My question is how well do you think that would do at a show if i set up a table doing just that and nothing else?

and how well do you think it would do as another thing on the table along with cards?

How many boxes and what variety do you think would be needed to make that work?

I was thinking of buying boxes like 08 ud heroes and not overly expensive stuff like that. box is 69 bucks and at 4 bucks a pack thats 27 dollars profit a box. thats not much but sell 5-6 boxes like that during a show(which i dont think is unreasonable) and after the 20 dollar table fee im up 100 bucks.

or even buying things like 08 ud masterpeices retail at 25 bucks a box and selling the packs for 2 bucks each. which do you think would work better hobby boxes at 3-4 bucks a pack or retail boxes at 2-3 bucks a pack?


what do you guys think or what would you change about the idea? any feedback is appreciated.

Your expectations are the first thing I would change. Packs can sell, and you CAN make a profit, but the 5-6 boxes is probably a pretty big stretch for any kind of local show. I know a guy who does this for some of his table space. He has 3 tables at a show, one table is singles in binders for set collectors, about 1 and 1/2 tables are display cases of GU, Auto, vintage, inserts, etc, and the last 1/2 table is various open boxes from the last two maybe 3 years. Some of them he hasn't moved in months/a year plus, some he sells a box worth a show, some he'll sell 2-3 packs a show, some in between. For most anything not current, he's about the only one packing them out. ( some other dealers pack out new releases, or have a stray box of an older issue here and there) The only things at the show I consistently see turning over multiple boxes a show pack by pack is new releases. Plus you get the inevitable "what's come out so far"? What do you say when the hits come out early? If you don't answer, some could think you're being evasive just to keep selling a mostly dead box. If you tell the truth, a lot of people will pass it by, and even if you saw one hit come out and 4 packs walked away earlier not opened, if anything came out there and someone bought the rest of the box, they might think you were less than honest and duped them into buying a bad box.

I might consider it as part of your table space, but I wouldn't suggest doing it exclusively. And realistically I'd avoid retail packs unless they were a heavy set builder issue like Topps Heritage. Odds for hits are usually way too low in retail for the price difference

 

[Bob Kuchta]

my thoughts

I wouldn't buy individual packs b/c:
1. the big box hit/s might already be gone (randomly) or worse...
2. the person selling might know how to find the packs with hits (I know some people who do this) and kept them for themselves

 

[superpieman]

thanks for the input so far guys. the guy i talked to said he did them at flee markets in a small town not much bigger then mine and generally clears around 200 dollars a day so i was wondering how well that could transition the card shows.

another thing to keep in mind that i forgot to mention is i would buy the boxes with my profits from card flipping so it would be low risk if it doesnt work out since i would essentially be using free money.

 

[brewerfan34]

Clearing $200 a day is quite a bit. I do not doubt your friend does do this. I would guess the market you are in makes a difference. If you are a part of a large flea market with heavy traffic that would help. Also, has he been at this market for a long time, with the same spot? He could possibly have "regulars" that look for him.

I don't want to discourage you but when starting something like this, no matter what you are selling, takes time to just break even much less make decent money. If it were as easy as setting up a table and making product, more people would be doing it.

Again I do not want to discourage you. I like your business spirit, all you can do is try.

 

[superpieman]

Clearing $200 a day is quite a bit. I do not doubt your friend does do this. I would guess the market you are in makes a difference. If you are a part of a large flea market with heavy traffic that would help. Also, has he been at this market for a long time, with the same spot? He could possibly have "regulars" that look for him.

I don't want to discourage you but when starting something like this, no matter what you are selling, takes time to just break even much less make decent money. If it were as easy as setting up a table and making product, more people would be doing it.

Again I do not want to discourage you. I like your business spirit, all you can do is try.

im not discouraged no worries. its all going to come out of profit money ive made selling cards so its not as big of a deal if i dont hit a home run.

 

[anglinomics]

If your making money selling cards, you don't need my advice. For the 5 shows that I did several years ago, no one bought the high ticket vintage cards that I had. A few people bought packs at a good discount. I realized that most people that do this are doing it for the fun of it.

The big thing about buying a pack of cards at a card show is that I would suspect the box has been searched.

 

[superpieman]

The big thing about buying a pack of cards at a card show is that I would suspect the box has been searched.

thats my biggest worry and its unfortunate that we have to assume that now. Im honest and wouldnt dream of searching a box but people ruin it for everyone.

 

[diseal]

i thank selling packs are good for the people that cant aford the boxes. im the guy that buys the packs. i uselly buy the bowman and topps chrome. if you dont get a auto at least you get some nice rc cards. i wish you the best keep the hobby roling

 

[superpieman]

i thank selling packs are good for the people that cant aford the boxes. im the guy that buys the packs. i uselly buy the bowman and topps chrome. if you dont get a auto at least you get some nice rc cards. i wish you the best keep the hobby roling

thank you.

there is a local flee market every saturday and sunday a town over from mine that im going to try that out i think. the ad says there are over 50 people that sell there so the traffic is probably pretty decent(for a county of 5000 people at least).

 

[potvin48]

I wouldn't buy individual packs b/c:
1. the big box hit/s might already be gone (randomly) or worse...
2. the person selling might know how to find the packs with hits (I know some people who do this) and kept them for themselves

I wouldn't buy loose packs from a stranger for reason #2 above. Unless I saw them open the box in front of me...