In the world of trading cards, where every corner turned can lead to a surprise gem or a little piece of nostalgia, two giants have decided to double down on their partnership, delivering not just cards but a full-fledged experiential dive into the heart of the hobby. PSA, the revered name in card grading, is taking a leap into the brick-and-mortar world with its inaugural retail location stationed right within the new Burbank Sportscards megastore in Southern California. This budding alliance opens its doors on May 30, marking a significant stride not only for these industry titans but also for the collecting community at large.
Nestled within Burbank Sportscards’ sprawling 14,000-square-foot outlet, the new PSA store promises to be a collectors’ dream—a haven for those eager to witness grading magic firsthand. Staffed entirely by PSA personnel, the store aims to bring grading closer to the passionate fingers that shuffle through stacks of cards day in and day out. “This is about being closer to the customer,” PSA President Ryan Hoge elucidates. “Collectors love being able to talk to our team at events. Now we’re giving them a place to do that every day.”
The PSA space within Burbank Sportscards will be an all-encompassing playground for card enthusiasts. From standard trading cards to autographs, unopened packs, Funko Pops, and even tickets, collectors will find the opportunity to submit their prized possessions for direct grading. In addition, PSA plans to roll out Vault storage and eBay consignment services at the site, offering an array of solutions for collectors looking to expand their collections responsibly.
For Robin Hood of cards, Burbank Sportscards’ owner Rob Veres, this new collaboration doesn’t merely signify an upgrade—it’s a radical re-imagining of the trading card store concept. Veres envisions the store as a hybrid of a live card show, yet with the assurance and structure that a high-caliber retail environment demands. “We wanted to create something immersive,” Veres enthuses. “Collectors should be able to walk in and feel like they’re in the heart of the hobby—not just flipping through cards, but fully engaged.”
This vision transforms into reality as the store boasts access to a mind-boggling cache of over 40 million cards via a cutting-edge kiosk system. It’s an abracadabra kind of world where specific card requests are met with a flourish by employees pulling from this digital treasure trove. Meanwhile, delight for dirt-cheap seekers arrives with over 1 million cards available on the premises for just a quarter each, meticulously sorted by sport and year—proving once and for all that awesome finds aren’t necessarily expensive.
Burbank Sportscards aims to be an inclusive haven, a place that welcomes every kind of collector—a promise punctuated by its earlier industry-shaking move this year. They announced pulling their entire inventory from eBay, choosing to align exclusively with the Fanatics Collect marketplace, sending ripples across the collecting community at the 2024 National Sports Collectors Convention. Now, this innovative retail venture only amplifies the excitement and intrigue surrounding Burbank.
The partnership breeds anticipation over the potential of PSA perhaps expanding its physical footprint, raising questions about further ventures beyond this joint endeavor. While the secrecy surrounding future plans remains, what unfurls before us is undeniable: the in-person, expert-level service demand echoes louder than ever, and this new setup answers the call with precision and panache.
Between PSA’s in-store graded services and Burbank’s vast collector-centric setup, this venture is spearheading a new chapter in the ever-evolving hobby sphere. It’s not merely about offering a new place to browse through cards; it’s a testament to the changes sweeping through the realm of collectibles—prompting a paradigm shift towards more accessibility, interactivity, and transformation into a deeply community-driven utility.
Thus, as the pages of summer unfold and the doors of this unique collaborator open, a new adventure lies in wait for card enthusiasts and collectors eager to engage with their hobby in a fresh, reinvigorated space. This exciting partnership is poised to redefine what the trading card industry can be, bridging physical presence with the ever-growing digital expanse—one graded card at a time.