North Bay sports cards store sees major success throughout pandemic

NORTH BAY -

For more than 20 years, Robert Collins has owned Ultimate Sports Cards on Cassells Street in North Bay, and recently the store has undergone a massive three-month makeover. 

“For years we’ve wanted to expand the store it just took time. We needed more room, definitely needed more room for the inventory and collections we purchase from customers, so now we have the bigger store, said Collins. 

 

“We are literally the only ones in the north so to have a central hub, it’s a good thing.”

 

Collins told CTV News he consistently has customers who come from as far north as Timmins and from down south as well. 

 

While many businesses have struggled to get through the pandemic, Collins said for him, fortunately it’s been the opposite. 

 

“Everybody was ordering stuff, it was great. We were shipping tons of items, thousands of items during covid, so that really helped us. People wanted to finish their sets and that’s what we have here,” said Collins. 

 

It isn’t just sports card collector stores that have taken off in the pandemic, Collins said it’s any store that offers hobbies. 

 

“Everybody was bored at home, first thing they did was started a hobby and this was one of them that really worked out.”

 

“Everything from puzzles, to buggies, any kind of things for hobbies took off, didn’t matter what is was.”