TREASURE TROVE

FIND COMMUNITY AND HARD-TO-FIND COLLECTIBLES AT THE COLLECTOR’S KID IN GENEVA

By Chris Walker | Photos provided by The Collector’s Kid

The Collector’s Kid is a store to come in and buy, sell and trade various collectibles, such as sports cards. But it’s more than that, too: It’s also a social destination for the collectors’ community. The new store, which opened this spring in Geneva, is a family-friendly shop that has already created a welcoming atmosphere, drawing visitors back for repeated visits. “Most sports collectibles shops are geared towards men and are not family-friendly,” says Liz Henderson, co-owner of The Collector’s Kid with her husband, Carl, a lifelong collector. “This was his dream. He wants those in the community to love collecting as much as he does.” There’s a lot of things to see at The Collector’s Kid — and with comfortable seating and a PlayStation 5, guests can make themselves at home between perusing the shelves or while waiting for the rest of their group to finish shopping. “We want people to feel comfortable here,” Liz Henderson says. “And with it being like two stores in one, we have a lot of toys and knickknacks and sports cards for people to see.” The new venture also includes Dan Pennington’s Me & Dad’s Toys and Collectibles store. Pennington morphed his shop into The Collector’s Kid, bringing his toys and sports memorabilia with him. “It’s gone even better than I could have hoped for,” Pennington says. “I’ve already met a lot of new customers. I’m happy to be here. It’s really nice to be a part of this community.” It’s a community that the three hope to see continue to grow, and it’s why they’re doing their part to make collecting affordable and a ton of fun. “Our inventory is very fluid and it moves quickly,” Henderson says. “I didn’t realize how many regular customers would visit on a daily or weekly basis." With the sports cards market at an all-time high, it is becoming more difficult to go into your local Walmart or Meijer these days due to resellers. With the "If you can't beat them, join them" mindset, The Collector's Kid has found a way to work with resellers to be able to offer these products for just over reseller cost, even partnering on a large scale to get those numbers down as far as possible for their fellow collectors. They’re also in constant contact with their distributors to ensure that they get full allocation on products that are available exclusively to hobby stores at the best pricing. So far, the feedback has been outstanding at The Collector’s Kid. Aurora’s Taylor McWilliams recently visited for the first time with his son and was left impressed. “They have a great selection of old and new toys and sports memorabilia,” he says. “The guys at the shop were super friendly and knowledgeable too. We’ll definitely be back.” DeKalb’s Geoffrey Wright’s first visit was also an enjoyable one. “I’ve known Dan for quite a few years now and his new partnership with co-owner Carl is great,” he says. “They have a combined selection of great sports cards and memorabilia as well as awesome toys and other collectibles for sale with great prices and friendly service. I will definitely be back soon.”

 THE COLLECTOR’S KID 1419 E. State St., Geneva 630-402-9967 Facebook: The Collector’s Kid