Collecting 28 years of customer service

It’s easy to miss the treasure trove of collectibles hidden between a Chinese restaurant and a service market on University Avenue West.

It’s only about 10 feet wide and runs about 30 feet deep. Boxes collecting dust are stacked 10 feet high, filling up the room and making it a challenge to move around.

Helou’s Sportscards and Collectibles is a lifetime packed into 300 square feet of collectors’ edition cards, Pokemon and Yugi-Oh products, signed sports memorabilia, toploaders and jerseys.

Saadeh Helou is the proprietor and the same as his store — he wouldn’t stand out in a crowd. But the dedicated shop owner works 45 hours a week making dreams come true one card at a time.

Helou took over from his brother 28 years ago without any idea of what he was getting into.

“I was lost,” said Helou, who took over the card shop for his brother who was having a tough time handling the day to day operations as he was too busy. “I didn’t know what I was doing.”

Helou says there was a major learning curve when he took over the family business. He was buying Score 1990, a product he claims has no value at all because the 90s cards were mass produced. But through the years, he’s learned about the products and researched what sells and what doesn’t.

Despite knowing nothing about collectors’ cards, Helou knew one thing — customer service. 

“Just hard work,” says Helou, squished in a tight behind-the-counter spot. There’s so much product there’s no room to walk around.

“And that’s why I’ve been in business for 20 plus years, just going at it every day. And that’s it. You have to love it.”

Card collecting — baseball cards especially — really ought to be extinct. It’s a hard copy hobby in a digital world, an expression of fandom in a sport where attendance is in slow decline and no longer viewed as cool. 

What started off as a trading card hobby, filled with mass produced cards where the stick of gum was more valuable than the cards itself has quickly blossomed into a multi-million dollar industry. 

Helou’s is home to some rare product, which stays locked up in display cabinets. Sports fans and collectors are able to see any card they wish — all they have to do is ask. 

Through the years, Helou has seen many cards enter and exit his store. He recalls customers spending hours in his store, creating mountains of foil wrap, opening boxes upon boxes of packs — some even pulling a Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and even a Connor McDavid autographed rookie card, numbered 1 of 1 — meaning it’s the only one in the world. 

But as sports cards grow in popularity, so too do the prices. It’s not a cheap hobby and it’s led to a newer demographic walking into the store to buy the product.

The demographic that comes through Helou’s doors are typically parents buying hockey packs for their children, or people who can afford higher end products. The store owner says the industry needs younger blood, and a new generation collecting cards to stay alive. 

Aaaron and Justin Golab first discovered Helou’s card shop in February 2017. At 19 and 15 years old, the two brothers wanted to start buying packs in person to avoid shipping costs and waiting time that come when ordering from eBay. 

Little did they know, they’d find more than just a place to collect sports cards. 

“Helou is incredibly nice,” said Aaron, the younger brother.  “As I started going more and more, he became more of a friend than a salesman just trying to make money. You don’t just go there to buy packs and leave. The last time I went in there, he asked my brother how his test went and how his upcoming week was looking like. In general, it’s the friendliness and feeling you get when you’re in the shop. That’s why I keep coming back.” 

Aaaron’s older brother, Justin echoed the statement, adding Helou’s customer service and passion is what keeps him coming back. 

“I’ve had some of the best conversations of my life with Helou,” said Golab. “He truly cares what’s going on. He’s passionate about what he does and it’s that passion that drags me into the shop about twice a week. Every single time my brother and I enter the shop, he goes out of his way to make us feel welcomed. He’s one of the nicest guys I know.”

It’s a typical Saturday night and Aaron and Justin Golab sit at a table surrounded by boxes to open their packs of cards and chat about sports. The TV is playing the Toronto Maple Leafs game — Helou is a diehard fan and keeps close tabs on his favourite team. He collects cards, autographs and pennants of his beloved Leafs. And despite the game going on, and only minutes until the store closes, he still takes the time to interact with his customers.

There’s a culture built around sports and the conversations and debates that come with the territory. But according to Helou, it’s all part of the business. He claims making people feel comfortable is one of the main reasons for his shop’s success throughout the years.  

“I’m here to serve them and give great customer service,” said Helou. “That’s what’s important, you must treat everybody equally. And that’s what it’s all about. That’s the way it should be done.” 

Seeing younger collectors such as Justin and Aaron makes him smile, as it’s a symbol for a younger generation sharing a passion for the hobby he grew to love.  

And he’s a fan too — Helou often sits down at the table and opens his own packs of cards, talking about the latest sports news and giving his colorful analysis of his least favourite players. 

Despite offering a wide variety of different cards, including Yugi-Oh, Magic, Pokemon and other memorabilia, Helou says no matter how the industry changes, here in Canada, hockey will remain king.

“It’s getting bigger,” says Helou. “Its hockey kids playing hockey now. Hockey is our bread and butter in Canada. This is our tradition. And kids love to play hockey and collect hockey cards.”  

But due to the increase in prices, Helou says he’s seeing less and less kids coming in to buy hockey cards are packs can cost upwards of $5 and even up to $650 for higher end products. 

“Young kids, they can collect Pokemon and Yugi-Oh, but that’s about it,” said Helou. When it comes to hockey, mostly parents come buy for the kids.”

Saadeh Helou never imagined owning and operating a sports card shop, but now he plans on doing it for years to come. He enjoys the daily interactions and seeing familiar faces. He enjoys being a sports fan. He enjoys opening packs and seeing new players coming up in football, baseball, basketball and hockey. He enjoys following the career of the new players and learning about how good they are. He enjoys what he does, and he plans to keep the shop open until he decides to retire. 

“I mean, I have my health and I’d be able to come to work every single day and I’ll be doing it till I get older,” said Helou. 

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