Another example of cost-effectiveness, or lack thereof.

Just had a customer in who was asking for several odd sizes of sport card supplies. Since American Sports went out of business, I'm the only specialty store still carrying supplies. For a couple of months, I sold out of the Beckett Price Guides, because I had a sudden surge of interest, and I was ordering a minimum of one. I was under the impression that to get them direct I would have to order a minimum of five.

Turns out, I can get 3, and still get shipping. So, I've been doing that for a month. So far, I've eaten most of the new ones. If they don't start selling by Christmas, it's back to ordering one or two through my comic distributer.

At any rate, I was explaining to this customer (who buys all his cards online, by the way) that I had cut my supplies down to basics; regular top loads, 9-pocket pages, 400, 660, 800 ct boxes, shoe-boxes, 3200 ct boxes, and soft sleeves. But lately, I'd brought back albums (all sports) and larger top-loads, along with the increased Becketts.

His comment: "Yeah, it must be hard to keep track."

"No, I can keep track," I said. "But the stuff has to sell once in a while, if I'm going to carry it."

In other words, in true sport card customer fashion, he was just assuming I was too lazy or incompetent to carry odd sizes. From my perspective, he was too flaky and demanding for me to carry odd sizes. I went ahead an worked with him for almost an hour trying to track down the odd sizes he wanted, and my total profit is going to be, oh, maybe 10.00. Because he demanded a discount.

I'm really starting to rethink whether I want to deal with either the product (or the customers who want that product). I might be better off just saying, "Sorry, I don't carry that..."

Because it ain't worth it, not because I'm lazy or incompetent. Give me a profit motive, you know? Or should I just go out of business like the rest of the card shops?

Sometimes, in other words, the sale is not worth the sale.