Yesterday morning, I went down to Tom’s River, NJ to visit mom and dad chemgod. I had traded emails with Chris over at stalegum and he told me that if I was on the Jersey Shore, I had to visit the Backstop. I usually don’t have kind words for the world of hobby stores. In fact several times I have written on this site how much I can’t stand going into hobby shops where the owner wants nothing less than book value. So it was with great trepidation that I went over to the store with Chemgod Sr. We pulled into the lot and looked at the building, it was the front part of an antique store, I didn’t feel good about it at all, but I had to see the Wax Battle Studios so I pressed on. We walked through the door and saw the myriad of all the cards/ sets / figurines / wax / memorabilia and of course Dr. Wax himself, I introduced myself and that I was author of the blog Badwax.net. My dad and I proceeded to pepper him with every question we could think of and fully expecting him to give us the cold shoulder I was surprised how much he wanted to talk shop with us. I have to say I never had an hour fly by so quickly. I walked in needing only one thing, a hockey price guide. I left with a pack (couldn’t help myself) and a Topps Kaz Uzuki gimmick card,as well as the price guide. I also left with a new outlook on the world of the hobby shop owner. I left thinking, here is a guy who gets it. He understands the big picture of the hobby, he serves as the hobby’s video box break go to guy. So Dr. Wax Battle if you are reading this, you have a customer for life. You also get the Badwax.net seal of approval on running a great hobby shop and one I hope gets more business because of this post. So if you are in the area of the Jersey Shore, maybe on the way down to Atlantic City, get off on the Garden State Parkway exit 82B and visit the Backstop, spend some time chatting with a guy who knows the hobby cold, maybe even take in a live taping of the Wax Battle show (see example below). The jewel of the Jersey Shore . . . The Backstop!
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I LOVE THE DOC!!!
He should start a franchise of hobby stores – I wish that all hobby store owners were more like him.
Yeah the Doc is cool, I just you would have waited to tell him you had a blog, hobby shop owners think differently when they know you can promote them, or bring in business. I have nothing against the Doc, but did you not think that he knew you were going to blog him on your site.
Actually, I didn’t tell him, my dad did and not after we were there for about 20 mins.
Man… if only Pete and I knew of this place when we stayed in Tom’s River this past summer.