(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the first in a two-part series on the emergence of new card shops in the hobby.)
QR codes that show high-resolution images of the front and back and the population report of slabbed cards.
On-site breaking rooms. Vertical display cases. Specific rooms to rip product.
LED fixtures to illuminate the show floor. Flashy signage outside and inside the building. Interactive in-store activities.
Cutting-edge ideas.
The future for brick-and-mortar hobby shops is now.
In this cutthroat industry, it’s survival of the fittest. And these days, hobby shops are opening around the country with a state-of-the-art, 21st century look that showcases some of the latest and greatest technological advances.
Aaron Amarant and his dad, Mark, designed their AA Mint Cards shop to resemble an Apple Store with bright lights along with a modern, sleek appearance.
“I recognized that the world of cards was sort of an outdated world when it came to the retail front,” said Aaron Amarant, the AA Mint Cards owner. “|It seemed like everything was moving online and that level of technology in-store just wasn’t there.”
Amarant, who is 21 years old, is a self-proclaimed “sneakerhead” who picked up some ideas for his store from the shoe company Flight Club. Its store design concept has a clean look and features an open show floor where wall space is utilized to display product.
“Most card
