As the old Dairy Queen slogan used to go.....

"We Treat You Right!"  I've mentioned how I still have a soft spot for the brick-and-mortar card shops.  By best estimates, there are only about 500 of them across the country.  There's a common thread in the articles I've posted beyond the fact that they are associated with the same product.  Notice that each one still practices what has become a lost art.........above and beyond, world class customer service.  They know every customer by name.  They know some well enough to have given them nicknames.  They probably remember most of their birthdays and other monumental life events, and above all, they know what and who they like to collect like the back of their hand.  They also know that when their computer dies or their car malfunctions or a leak is sprung in the bathroom, they normally see and experience the worst in customer service.  There's still room for the mom and pop shops in the card industry, and that's a refreshing reminder of everything that has ever been good in this country.......and can be again.  The ones that are still with us where many others aren't remind us that they were never really in it for the money.  They were in it for the cameraderie, the relationships, and the love of the game(s).  There are a million "marketing experts" in the world today, especially with the boom in social media, and if they needed textbook examples on teaching their students the value of customer service, they could use card shops as a very valuable and practical example.  In fact, one person has done the work for them........

Card collecting: The house of cards

Card Connection in Newhall survives while other shops have come and gone