Collection of Pokemon Cards

We hear a lot about Boulder’s outdoor scene, but some of Boulder’s most interesting hobbies are happening behind closed doors. Silent, solitary activities that demand boxes over bike trail maps.

I’m talking about collecting, where fandom meets nostalgia.

Inside Crossroads East Shopping Center (30^th Street) lies one of Boulder’s best hobby shops: CollecTons. While the shop’s design is austere, it’s shelves are fully stocked with collecting items and supplies. Collectors will want to know that they sell:

• Collectable Coins
• Stamps
• Trading Cards
• Comic Books
• Photo and Archiving Supplies
• Jewelry

Of course, with the influx of options and prices online retailers offer, it’s fair to wonder if there’s a benefit to shopping at a brick-and-mortar hobby shop. What sets CollecTons apart from eBay and Amazon is their staff’s outstanding customer service and knowledge of products. For many collectors, their collectibles, be it Pokémon cards or world coins, are as much an investment as they are a passion. Prime example: a booster box of Base Set Pokémon cards from 1999 is now valued at $8,000. A collector needs an expert opinion on the proper care and storage of their items to prevent wear-and-tear.

CollecTons has been serving the Boulder collecting community for over thirteen years. Their staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and offer lots of solutions to your collecting problems. I experienced this first-hand last weekend when my partner and I were searching for sleeves and binders for our card collection. A staff member walked us through the entire store, all the while reciting the pros and cons of various products. In the end, we found the perfect product. And when we returned to CollecTons a few days later? That same employee greeted us by name and asked about our collection. I’d like to see Amazon do that.

Katy Caballeros

Katy Caballeros moved to Boulder from Grand Rapids, MI. She studied English and writing at Aquinas College and pursued a liberal arts career path gone crooked, occupying jobs ranging from telemarketer to kindergarten phonics tutor. Passionate about local advocacy, Katy admires Boulder’s proclivity towards progress, scholarship, and environmentalism. When she isn’t writing or listening to KUNC, Katy likes to explore local cafes and bookstores with her partner, Em. Passionate about motivating young people, Katy is an assistant coach for the Boulder High School cheerleading team (Go Panthers!). Grateful to be welcomed into the Boulder community, Katy wants to give back by informing Boulderites about the best places to play and visit in their community.