In Houlton, Maine, a small shop on Market Street has emerged as the top seller of one of the nation's leading brands of sports trading cards. Shiretown Coins, founded by Galen Wilde 40 years ago, has come a long way since its early days. In 1983, Wilde negotiated with Topps to sell the trading cards, initially requiring a $10,000 upfront payment with a 30-day waiting period. Despite not having that much cash initially, he was determined to make it happen, and his business has been growing ever since.

From Chewing Gum to Trading Cards

Topps actually started as a chewing gum company in 1938 in New York City. In 1951, it added a baseball card series as a marketing ploy to get kids to chew more bubble gum. The cards took off, and the gum was removed from the packs in 1992. Fanatics purchased Topps in 2022. This year, as of early November, Shiretown Coins had purchased over 300 cases of cards from Topps for about $450,000, making it the largest Maine hobby shop account in terms of volume. Hobby shop sales do not include large retailers like Walmart.

The Growth of Shiretown Coins

Shiretown Coins has been at the forefront of a trend that started as a marketing gimmick and evolved into a collectors' and investment haven. Today, it is among the top 200 Topps sellers nationally. There are eight authorized hobby shops that sell Topps cards in Maine. Topps reports about 700 hobby shops nationally. The sports trading card business is currently a $8 billion industry.Tim Wilde, Galen's son, has been working with his dad since he was a kid. Galen was a collector of pennies and stamps from a young age. He started Shiretown Coins when he was 40 years old by putting his collections together. Tim followed in his father's footsteps and started collecting baseball cards before the store opened. Back then, he was looking for Boston Red Sox players like Carl Yastrzemski at the Monticello general store.

The Evolution of Trading Cards

Cards have changed significantly over the years. Back then, a pack of cards cost 10 cents, then it went up to 15 cents and 25 cents. Now, a box of cards can range from $10 to several thousands per box. There is a whole collecting and investing aspect to cards. The lottery-like excitement of not knowing what's in the pack remains. Sometimes packs will have guaranteed autographs or parallel cards, which are different versions of the base card produced in lower quantities and often worth more money.This season, the popular Topps Chrome Update Baseball cards and Topps Major League Baseball Rookie Debut Patch Autographs are hot. It's like looking for the Willie Wonka Golden Ticket hidden in a candy bar. For example, the Topps Chrome baseball card releases are available at Shiretown Coins. There is a one-of-one Paul Skenes card located in only one of the debut patch packs, which is expected to be worth a lot of money. The Pittsburgh Pirates are offering to have the owner of the card sell it to the team in exchange for season tickets for two behind home plate for the next 30 years.

The Family Connection

Both Galen and Tim have been collectors since they were kids. Teadora Wilde, Galen's granddaughter and Tim's daughter, also works in the store. She isn't a collector like her father and grandfather but enjoys helping at the store and spending time with her grandfather. When she was little, they would open up boxes of cards and take a break, having fun.