In a monumental move likely to stir up quite the commotion among trading card enthusiasts, PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) and Burbank Sportscards are pioneering a unique venture that promises to dramatically alter the landscape of the card-collecting world. The two titans have joined forces to conceive what can be best described as a hybrid collector’s paradise: a retail store offering not just cards, but a full suite of services designed to redefine the collector’s experience.
May 30th marks the grand opening of PSA’s inaugural foray into the realm of physical retail locations, snuggled comfortably within Burbank Sportscards’ newly minted megastore in Southern California. This is not merely another card shop; it’s an expansive 14,000-square-foot emporium dedicated to all things collectible, crafted to provide short-quite-everything the AVID card enthusiast could possibly dream of. For PSA and Burbank Sportscards, this collaborative retail space represents not just a new chapter but a whole new book—filled with chapters on innovation and immersive collecting.
Ryan Hoge, PSA President, expressed enthusiasm about the new direction. “This is about being closer to the customer,” he noted. It’s an astute acknowledgment of the collector’s penchant for personal connection and tactile interaction—key elements often missed in the sterile, pixelated world of online transactions. Collectors will no longer have to wait months to talk to PSA representatives at fleeting collectible events; now they can engage directly with the expertise they need every single day.
For the uninitiated, PSA is revered within the hobby for playing the paramount role of arbiter in grading services—from standard trading cards and autographs to the more peculiar like unopened packs, Funko Pops, and memorabilia tickets. With their new brick-and-mortar venue, PSA expands its services to include Vault storage and eBay consignment right from the store floor. Imagine a tailor-fit suite of services designed to lift collectors to new heights of excitement and satisfaction.
On the complementary side of this dynamic duo, Rob Veres, the visionary owner of Burbank Sportscards, is equally as enthused—his dream for the store pushes the boundaries of conventional card shops, transforming what could easily be a mere retail experience into something akin to a live card show infused with retail elegance. “Collectors should be able to walk in and feel like they’re in the heart of the hobby,” Veres explained passionately.
And in this new world of collecting magic, Veres’ vision translates into practical reality. Burbank Sportscards will dazzle and delight visitors with access to over 40 million cards via a sophisticated kiosk system, allowing on-demand retrieval from a richly-populated digital catalog. As for the brick-and-mortar experience, there are over one million cards available on the floor for grab-and-go purchases at tantalizingly affordable prices—just 25 cents each. Shoppers can rifle through cards sorted by sport and year, channeling the nostalgia of childhood trading card hunts without breaking the bank.
To sweeten the ride, earlier this year, Burbank Sportscards made a bold decision to discontinue eBay sales, opting for an exclusive collaboration with Fanatics Collect. This decision, announced with much fanfare at the prestigious 2024 National Sports Collectors Convention, was met with a blend of curiosity and applause. Now, with this innovative retail partnership with PSA, Burbank is casting a long shadow, setting the pace for hobby shops everywhere.
For PSA, their first foray into retail may not be the last, but it’s certainly shaping into a landmark venture few will soon forget. Whether this heralds the dawning of many more PSA stores dotting the map or remains an exclusive yet singular triumph shared with their longtime ally in the industry is yet to be decided. What is palpably evident is the cry for in-person, high-level services is resonating with collectors and is met eagerly with this foray into the realm of physical retail.
In amalgamating PSA’s grading expertise and in-store handling with Burbank’s deep well of collector-oriented inventory and services, this new storefront transcends a simple brick-and-mortar launch. It reflects a tangible evolution in the collector’s hobby—a growing movement toward an experience that is enriched, interactive, and deeply community-oriented. It revamps the simple joy of collecting into a full-bodied adventure, reinforcing the notion that the heart of collecting beats as fervently today as it ever has, maybe more vibrantly.
