Business focus: Collectibles, memorabilia found at Spokane Valley Sportscards

It was all in the cards for sports fan Alan Bisson.

The longtime sports card collector opened Spokane Valley Sportscards in June after another similar shop in the same location closed.

“I just didn’t want to let it go,” said Bisson, a freelance photographer who also owns Photographic Designs Inc. “It’s just too much fun.”

For more than a decade, Bisson was a consignee at the previous shop with stacks of his own collections for sale. The previous shop, Gaylord’s Sportcard Superstore, closed when owner Chuck Gaylord retired.

Now, Bisson has put his own signature on the store with a fresh coat of paint and a new layout. He’s filled the shop with his collection of cards and memorabilia for sale along with boxes of new, unopened card packages.

New card packages, which range from $2 to $600, include selections for baseball, basketball, football, hockey, NASCAR, bowling, some game cards and even celebrity cards that are gaining popularity across the nation. Bisson has a signed Henry Winkler card for sale from his batch.

“It’s like any other addiction,” he admits of his hobby. “If it comes in a pack, I’m going to open it … It’s exciting to open a new (card) package and see what you’ve got. I’ve even got golfing cards.”

Among his memorabilia are several signed baseballs, including those from Mickey Mantle and Ken Griffey Jr. He also has several autographed photographs and collectible miniature football helmets. He has a 2006 autographed Gonzaga University team basketball for $200.

Bisson says he enjoys the social element of collecting sports cards, and hopes his shop will encourage others to start a collection. He says it can be a fun hobby that parents can enjoy with their children, and he has priced a large selection of cards for less than a dollar each.

He hopes to have card shows and trading events at his shop to help continue the momentum of card collecting. He’s scheduled a Trader Night from 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 23, and says those typically don’t involve money – just trading.

“EBay has changed the marketplace of how people buy and trade,” he says. “But thankfully, there are a lot of people who want to look at and touch what they are buying.”