Southern California LCS

[GrandTheftRondo]

Unbelievably I did a search and there was only one other thread on LCS's in LA, and the main reply was a card shop all the way near Torrance (a bit too far from where I am).

I'm looking for a LCS near the northern OC area, the Los Angeles area, or the Pasadena area. I've heard of Beverly Hills Baseball Cards, Santa Monica Sports Cards, and Frank & Sons. Are any of them good for basketball?

[LincecumPC]

I usually frequent FNS once every couple months and there are a few tables with decent to good bball, depending on what they've gotten. Unfortunately there are no quality LCS' in the Pasadena area where I live. The only ones I've heard of that are ok are the ones you mentioned.

There's also Burbank Sportscards, supposedly the largest warehouse of cards on the west coast, but customer service there is terrible.

[Diakonos]

Originally Posted by LincecumPC

There's also Burbank Sportscards, supposedly the largest warehouse of cards on the west coast, but customer service there is terrible.

their store front is the size of a shack and they charge you a processing fee for grabbing a couple of cards from their warehouse. it helps if you can speak german too. that place is a joke.

frank and sons is the only place where you might find a decent price, but its getting worse every year.

[KevJo]

Welcome to collecting cards in Southern California. The card shop is going the way of the card show. Frank and Sons is crap, if you play magic or collect toys or comics maybe its worth the drive. I have one shop by me and its ok but wax prices can get a little high. The owner only sells singles at full book price so dont expect to score a nice Blake Griffin NT RPA, he does not carry that high end and if he did it would be full BV. The National has all but black listed Anaheim and LA because of not being able to book far enough in advance.

Kevin

[joserobles]

Originally Posted by GrandTheftRondo

Unbelievably I did a search and there was only one other thread on LCS's in LA, and the main reply was a card shop all the way near Torrance (a bit too far from where I am).

I'm looking for a LCS near the northern OC area, the Los Angeles area, or the Pasadena area. I've heard of Beverly Hills Baseball Cards, Santa Monica Sports Cards, and Frank & Sons. Are any of them good for basketball?

There is one in Buena Park. Taylors Baseball Cards.
I found it not long ago, I've been there a few times with reasonable prices. If you google it you'll find it. Joe can talk about anything and everything regarding sports.

[LincecumPC]

Originally Posted by joserobles

There is one in Buena Park. Taylors Baseball Cards.
I found it not long ago, I've been there a few times with reasonable prices. If you google it you'll find it. Joe can talk about anything and everything regarding sports.

Awesome, I'll have to hit it up. It isn't too far from where I work. Do they pretty much have all the latest boxes?

[ttmtrader101]

Santa Monica Sports Cards -

5 Blocks from my house, pretty expensive prices, LOTS of singles and nice memorabilia...

[GrandTheftRondo]

Burbank Sportscards- A bit out of my area so considering the reviews, I probably won't go out of my way to visit that place.

FNS- Unfortunate to hear that the place is getting worse. I've actually never been and was looking forward to my first time, but my excitement is dampened with the news.

Taylors Baseball Cards- Sounds interesting with the reasonable prices and nice owner. I'll check it out. Thanks!

Santa Monica Sports Cards- I'll check it out for the sake of being near me, but expensive prices are a downer.

[Diakonos]

Originally Posted by GrandTheftRondo

Burbank Sportscards- A bit out of my area so considering the reviews, I probably won't go out of my way to visit that place.

FNS- Unfortunate to hear that the place is getting worse. I've actually never been and was looking forward to my first time, but my excitement is dampened with the news.

Taylors Baseball Cards- Sounds interesting with the reasonable prices and nice owner. I'll check it out. Thanks!

Santa Monica Sports Cards- I'll check it out for the sake of being near me, but expensive prices are a downer.

At FNS. know your prices. all those guys have computers w/ internet right next to them so they can look up ebay values and undercut you. they cry that this is their job and that you need to give a little extra. just say get a real job like the rest of us and make this your hobby.

Originally Posted by LincecumPC

Awesome, I'll have to hit it up. It isn't too far from where I work. Do they pretty much have all the latest boxes?

did you get anything?

[LincecumPC]

Originally Posted by Diakonos

At FNS. know your prices. all those guys have computers w/ internet right next to them so they can look up ebay values and undercut you. they cry that this is their job and that you need to give a little extra. just say get a real job like the rest of us and make this your hobby.




did you get anything?

yea, we're box breaking later tonight, foo.

[Nodie27]

I'm going to Frank N Sons Saturday to pick up supplies. I've been there a couple of times and aside from the Lincecum fans ( ) I like it. For wax I tried playing two vendors off one another and it worked. I wasn't desperate to buy so that helped. Smartphones are king here because you can quickly check values and see if they're trying to take advantage. Supplies are plentiful and the signed memorabilia, while high in price, is still great to look at.

There's also Jimmy's USA - Rob is great with prices

I think in Anaheim there was Tiple J's or JJJ Cardshop. Last time I visited them they had great prices just no singles.

[LincecumPC]

Originally Posted by Nodie27

I'm going to Frank N Sons Saturday to pick up supplies. I've been there a couple of times and aside from the Lincecum fans ( ) I like it. For wax I tried playing two vendors off one another and it worked. I wasn't desperate to buy so that helped. Smartphones are king here because you can quickly check values and see if they're trying to take advantage. Supplies are plentiful and the signed memorabilia, while high in price, is still great to look at.

There's also Jimmy's USA - Rob is great with prices

I think in Anaheim there was Tiple J's or JJJ Cardshop. Last time I visited them they had great prices just no singles.

If I trace back to when frank n sons started to get worse, it was when you first started going.

[Nodie27]

Originally Posted by LincecumPC

If I trace back to when frank n sons started to get worse, it was when you first started going.

I'll admit that my "No Pants" Saturdays idea didnt' go over well nor did my "No Pants" Wednesdays, but you can't blame me for the decline of Frank n sons....at least not entirely.

[LincecumPC]

Originally Posted by Nodie27

I'll admit that my "No Pants" Saturdays idea didnt' go over well nor did my "No Pants" Wednesdays, but you can't blame me for the decline of Frank n sons....at least not entirely.

what's worse- you with no pants or you wearing daisy dukes?

[ilovethelakings]

Originally Posted by joserobles

There is one in Buena Park. Taylors Baseball Cards.
I found it not long ago, I've been there a few times with reasonable prices. If you google it you'll find it. Joe can talk about anything and everything regarding sports.

I only went to Taylors once, and I really liked the place. The guy who was working there, perhaps it was Joe, was super nice and we talked about the Kings for a while. The guy had some great stories and didn't hold back on the language, but sometimes an F word here and there when talking about sports is necessary

[LincecumPC]

Originally Posted by ilovethelakings

I only went to Taylors once, and I really liked the place. The guy who was working there, perhaps it was Joe, was super nice and we talked about the Kings for a while. The guy had some great stories and didn't hold back on the language, but sometimes an F word here and there when talking about sports is necessary

Pretty sure that was Joe, even though I've only been there once. When I got there he was watching Kings games from this past playoffs with a couple that was hanging out there, and he mentioned his love for all things Kings and hockey.

He certainly doesn't have a shortage of things to say but a nice guy for sure.

[charnick]

i might be the only one on this thread to never go to frank & sons as i've only recently gotten back into collecting, but i live in pasadena too, so for "local" you really have to expand the radius a bit. i had heard bad things from a friend about Burbank Sportscards too, but they've always been real nice to me, and you can't beat their selection of supplies. they carry some stuff i haven't found in any other SoCal shop. their packs are a bit on high $ side, and the singles are limited mostly to kiosk sales, so if you like to browse, it's definitely not for you.

there's also Games & Cards in Eagle Rock, with a 50/50 split with sports cards and gaming cards, but the guy who runs the place is extremely nice, and took his time pulling a bunch of singles for me from their eBay listings. great experience, good selection of singles, packs and boxes. i like giving them my business.

santa monica sports cards i went to for the first time in years last week, and the place was a bit of a mess. $10+ relic singles in penny sleeves and piles on the counters, limited selection of supplies, and ton of over produced 90's product just strewn about. HUGE selection of singles, and great for browsing as their store is really big.

but if you can make the trip, south bay sports cards off the 101 in lomita is where it's at. i get down there on occasion since i have friends there, but don't get to go often. the owner is a friend of a friend, so when i made my first visit a couple months ago, i introduced myself and we chatted for a bit, and they're really nice guys. HUGE storefront, tons of everything you're looking for, modern & vintage. my first time there was so overwhelming, i only picked up a couple of singles, but they still cut me a break on their list prices, without even telling me. had to check the receipt after i left the store to see the 10% discount. they put box breaks and other stuff on youtube, and seem to be really customer friendly. not shilling for them, just had a really good experience there. it's far from the SGV, but if you're in the south bay, i'd check it out.

lastly, there's also Sports Source in Burbank, but i didn't like my experience there so much. i picked up a 2012 yu darvish archives auto there, and they acted like they were doing me a favor by coming down off a unbelieveably unreasonable list price. they're the ones who has the tier one pujols bat knob on eBay for 5K, don't know if it's still there.

there's also another one in Burbank near the airport, but i can't remember the name right now. only found out about them from a listing they had on eBay, but i haven't been over to visit their store yet.

[03supto]

Originally Posted by KevJo

The National has all but black listed Anaheim and LA because of not being able to book far enough in advance.

Kevin

ummm...hellooo????

San Diego anyone???

[KevJo]

Comic con and The National within a few weeks of each other. Why not !

Kevin

[efish44]

I'm going to have to check out these shops, the 3 I have been going to all in the valley

valley sports cards and framing: Nice prices; not a very good selection and okay owners

cardboard legends: Amazing owners, alright selection and reasonable prices (you can negotiate them down)

baseball card co: Amazing selection; horrible prices; and grumpy owners

I live in Simi Valley area, so these stores are pretty far away.

[Afton9444]

I am definitely leaning towards opening a shop. But California is so bad for business I don't think I could justify it. I travel to much at the moment but if that changed I would really like to do it. Its hard to say what kind of following I could have and what area would be most effective. But I think it all comes down to the election on opening a new business or not. To much uncertainty. efish I know I would see you

[CMpunk13]

Originally Posted by GrandTheftRondo

Unbelievably I did a search and there was only one other thread on LCS's in LA, and the main reply was a card shop all the way near Torrance (a bit too far from where I am).

I'm looking for a LCS near the northern OC area, the Los Angeles area, or the Pasadena area. I've heard of Beverly Hills Baseball Cards, Santa Monica Sports Cards, and Frank & Sons. Are any of them good for basketball?

I used to go to Frank and Son's since I was a little kid to get boxes. I went 7 years later and there is only 2 rows of sports. Everything else is magic, yu-gi-oh and similar items. The singles are so over priced, A few have packs, I wouldn't buy any. One guy's packs look like they have been searched. Boxes are somewhat close to blowouts but considering gas I live 40 miles away Id stick to b.o!

[Angeljustin36]

theres this place called the oc dugout that has tons of singles and good deals on boxes and packs
heres there website

Orange County Sports Cards

[KingTaco77]

Hall of Fame in Arcadia is an awesome place. Great owner, OK prices, but the owner is always good for a conversation. Lots of memorabilia, and right next to Pasadena.

Games and Cards in Eagle Rock is ok, too...owner is a bit "business-oriented" and wax prices are hit-or-miss. Good if you want a no hassle, in-and-out wax shop.

[nbalinks]

Originally Posted by charnick

but if you can make the trip, south bay sports cards off the 101 in lomita is where it's at. i get down there on occasion since i have friends there, but don't get to go often. the owner is a friend of a friend, so when i made my first visit a couple months ago, i introduced myself and we chatted for a bit, and they're really nice guys. HUGE storefront, tons of everything you're looking for, modern & vintage. my first time there was so overwhelming, i only picked up a couple of singles, but they still cut me a break on their list prices, without even telling me. had to check the receipt after i left the store to see the 10% discount. they put box breaks and other stuff on youtube, and seem to be really customer friendly. not shilling for them, just had a really good experience there. it's far from the SGV, but if you're in the south bay, i'd check it out.

Just a correction. It is the 110 freeway, not the 101. (Exit PCH West I believe) Don't want anyone to get lost.