Canadian Local Card Shop of the Week: The Card Palace (Montreal, QC)
John Cucciniello started collecting hockey cards as a youngster in the late ’60s. After being in and out of the hobby during his formative years, he eventually came back for good in the mid ’80s. He is now a 28-year veteran in the card shop business. I recently caught up with John to discuss collecting in Montreal and get his thoughts on how far the hobby has come since he opened up.
Canadian Local Card Shop of the Week is brought to you by Universal Distribution, Canada’s premier distributor of CCG’s, sports cards and non-sports cards, trading card games, role-playing games, comics, toys, figurines and more.
JOEY SHIVER – Thanks for taking the time to talk with us John. Can you tell us a little about your collecting background and what led to your decision to open The Card Palace?
John Cucciniello – I collected mainly hockey cards when I was in elementary school in the late ’60s and when I entered high school in the early ’70s, I basically stopped collecting. Then, when I graduated from university in the early ’80s, I got into the work force and had some funds and decided to go to a card show in 1985. After visiting the card show, I purchased some hockey sets and got the collecting bug. In 1988, I approached a comic book shop about opening a card counter in the back to sell sports cards. They agreed and from there in March of 1991, I opened up “The Card Palace” and have been in business ever since.
JS – Can you tell us a little about your store; your setup and what type of inventory you carry? Also, what services do you provide?
JC – We offer sports cards, gaming cards, comic books, and action figures. The store has a 42 seat capacity to hold in store CCG space.
JS – You are located in Montreal so I would imagine you have a fair amount of Canadiens fans. When it comes to the “home team,” who would you say your collectors focus on?
JC – Most collectors who purchase sports cards are into the rookies. It is a plus when the rookie of the home team shines but in general ,all collectors are looking for the best rookies.
JS – I see that you have a pretty large gaming base. Can you talk about that aspect of the store?
JC – Over 50 percent of the store is devoted to in-store play. I am able to run different games (Magic, Yu-gi-oh, Vanguard) at the same time. I also offer both sealed and singles of each of the CCGs that we carry.
JS – Can you tell us about in-store events that you have at The Card Palace?
JC – We hold sneak peek for Yu-gi-oh and Vanguard and we hold pre-release events for Magic.
JS – Your shop Facebook page stays very up to date with new products, big hits, and general news. How important is social media when it comes to running a small business?
JC – At this point in time it is critical. Most of the customer base has cellphones and most of the customers are on Facebook. We use Facebook to advertise both our events and new product releases.
JS – What is one thing you think is really going well in the sports card hobby right now? On the contrary, what is one thing you would change, whether from an industry or local perspective?
JC – I think because of the high price of some brands the box breaks have really helped out the hobby collector in being able to both participate and acquire high-end items.
The one thing that I would change is the sports leagues have to allow more than one license in each of the sports.
JS – In closing, can you tell us about any sales or upcoming in-store events you have scheduled for the next couple of months?
JC – I usually have Black Friday sales and in Canada we do the usual December 26 Boxing Day sale.
The Card Palace
John Cucciniello
(514) 747-3986
932 St. Croix
Montreal, Quebex H4L 3Y6
Hours
Monday-Wednesday: 10AM-6PM
Thursday: 10AM-8PM
Friday: 10AM-9PM
Saturday: 10AM-5PM
Sunday: Closed
Facebook – The Card Palace
