Wollongong's strong band of collectors of trading cards and collectables can now get their fix close to home.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Trading Cards and Collectables (TCAC) has opened a store in Coniston.
The move comes 25 years after owner Sunil Sen first started collecting cards and memorabilia.
"Today's the sneak peek. We've decided to open up the store after 25 years of being a collector and we've also been a seller since 2004," Mr Sen said. "Now it is time to open up to the public, do some deals, sell the stuff and buy some stuff back."
The Balgownie resident said his love affair with collecting started when he was a teenager some 25 years ago.
"We used to watch the basketball as a group and go watch games in Sydney as well as the NBA on TV," Mr Sen said.
"Michael Jordan was in his prime then and he started it all in terms of collecting cards. We used to buy cards and it just snowballed from there."
Mr Sen said the trading card industry "died" around the year 2000, which prompted him to start selling on eBay.
"I was the only one selling cards and one of the first 10 people in Australia to be selling anything on eBay," he said.
"The people started asking can you get me this, can you get me that and it sort of started picking up in 2004, which is when we started as a professional seller I guess, and I have been doing it ever since."
Before TCAC opened on Monday, people would visit the business website or attend their many shows around Australia.
"Now obviously COVID hit so that all stopped and we were just selling on our website," he said.
"Wollongong used to have the best shows and shops in the early 1990s. Our new store is for our dedicated local collectors."
TCAC is open Monday to Thursday by appointment and 10am to 5pm Friday to Sunday. Details on the website or by calling 0484 368 038.
We depend on subscription revenue to support our journalism. If you are able, please subscribe here. If you are already a subscriber, thank you for your support.