Can I see a show of hands for those among us who do not have a collector in our lives? No hands will be raised on this one, am I right? I have to say that Old Town Auburn is a collector's paradise, and no place proves it better than Old Town Hobby. If you want to impress the heck out of someone who loves to collect trading cards, figures, games, and puzzles, this is the place to bring them! I found this great shop one day as I was showing my eight-year-old grandson the magic of Old Town Auburn. He happens to be an avid Pokémon fan and prides himself on his collection of Pokémon trading cards. Fortunate for him, Old Town Hobby is a Pokémon collector’s dream come true. Fortunately for me, Old Town Hobby's owner, Mike Walker, is a big-time fan and collector, so he was able to help me help my grandson focus his shopping in a way that only another Pokémon collector could do. But Old Town Hobby has a ton to offer those who collect more than just Pokémon.
Avid Collector with Tons of Experience
The first thing you’ll notice about Old Town Hobby is that it's a place where serious collectors hang out. Walker's inventory is displayed in a way that makes sense to those that know precisely what they want to add to their collection of trading cards, figurines, models, or games. The second thing you'll notice is that Walker knows his stuff. Although my grandson knows quite a bit about Pokemon, especially for a kid his age, anything he wanted to know, Walker could address and add about three other facts my grandson had yet to consider. Listening to collectors talk about what they’re passionate about is like observing a verbal tennis game. I love and appreciate that Walker treats every customer with the same respect. I’ll say more about that.
While we were shopping, two other customers who were obviously serious collectors came in. One has a question about a Star Wars figurine. The way Walker answered this seasoned veteran of a collector didn’t differ from how he responded to my grandson's questions. As we all know, each positive interaction children in their formative years have adds a positive card to their collection (wow, was that a massive reach for a pun or what?). Don’t answer. My point is that Walker is a genuine collector with a passion for talking to others without bias to age or topic.
Trading Cards to Wine
That’s not a typo. In addition to the main room containing the large variety of collector’s goods, there is a second room in Old Town Hobby that has all the fun things you might want if you’re a person who enjoys wine. Before opening Old Town Hobby as a physical location, Walker owned a local winery. When he decided to close down the winery, it left him with some merchandise he now sells in Old Town Hobby. Now remember that Walker is a collector by nature, and you see that on the winery merchandise side of the shop. He has many unique and fun things that are perfect for collectors of wine-based items. But I digress. Let’s get back to trading cards.
The first thing I learned when shopping with my grandson at Old Town Hobby is that there’s an acronym in the trading card collection world. It’s TCG/CCG, which is short for “collectible and trading card games.” So, if you’re looking for something to add to your TCG collection, this place has Pokémon (of course) Magic the Gathering, My Little Pony, Star Wars, and Yu-Gi-Oh.
Of course, trading card shops would only be complete with sports trading cards. Old Town Hobby has football, hockey, baseball, basketball, golf, wrestling, Nascar, UFC, and even cricket trading cards. But wait, there’s more; there are games. What’s really cool about taking young kids into a hobby store is an opportunity to find classic games that have held up to the test of time. Take UNO, for example. At Old Town Hobby, Walker stocks 15 versions of this classic game. Having Minecraft, Frozen 2, and other themes help draw the interest of kids who may not otherwise want to play UNO. That’s just one example, but the same is true for Monopoly and other classic games. At Old Town Hobby, the idea is to offer collectors items to support their passion. Old Town Hobby definitely does that. So, if you're a collector or know someone who is, head over to Old Town Hobby, and while there, browse through some of the other unique shops in Auburn Old Town. Enjoy!
Having a collection of trading cards, games, figurines, or models is often a lifelong hobby. As any serious collector will tell you, it’s something that takes patience and an eye on the long game. It’s important to protect your collectibles in a way that preserves them in excellent condition. Self-storage is the perfect solution to keep your treasured collections in perfect condition. Stanford Ranch Self Storage is a state-of-the-art facility with units of all sizes; our staff will help you choose a unit that’s perfect for all your collection needs.
Old Town Hobby
111 Sacramento St., Ste J
Auburn, CA 95603
(530) 878-8959 Hours of Operation: Wednesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.,
https://oldtownhobby.com/
