Remember the good ol’ days of card trading, bustling to the store to get that signed Mickey Mantle, and filling boxes with your favorite rookies? Well, the baseball card business is back and booming, according to Rick Manzella of One Stop Comics, 111 S. Ridgeland Ave. Saturday, June 17 was National Trading Card Day, and the shop participated in the event.
Manzella estimated approximately 200 customers stopped by and received a free pack of cards, which contained a Ken Griffey Jr., Mark Teixeira, Miguel Cabrera, David Ortiz, Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols, Paul Konerko (of course), and four others. A few lucky patrons even found a limited edition Mickey Mantle in their packs.
Customers ranged from children to grandparents, from avid Sox fans to die-hard Cubs devotees. Mary Ann Leuthner and her husband, Timothy Duda, traveled from River Grove to get their free packs, as One Stop Comics was the closest store participating in the giveaway.
Manzella explained the card business fell out of vogue for a period because too many collectors were merely speculators?#34;they weren’t interested at all in the sport itself. Manzella urges all baseball card aficionados to enjoy the cards as a hobby, not as a possible form of income. Additionally, sales have improved due to the fact that there are now only three companies that produce cards: Upper Deck, Topps, and Flair.
There are still 100 free packs remaining at One Stop Comics, so interested customers can visit the store and ask Manzella for a pack. One Stop Comics is open Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. His best-selling products are action figures and comic books, but watch out?#34;baseball cards are rallying.
