| Welcome to Next Level Gamez. We are Rutherford County's only Comics Gaming and Sports Card Store. We are constantly running events for various collectible games, like Magic the Gathering CCG, World of WarCraft CCG, Dungeons and Dragons Miniatures, Star Wars Miniatures and more. We receive new comic book every Wednesday. To be sure that you get all of the comics that you would like, be sure to ask us to set you up a Comics Pull Box. Besides New releases we also have a large selection of back issues for only $1.00 Next Level Gamez is your #1 source for board games of all types from your traditional games like Chess/Monopoly, to other great games like Settlers of Catan and Apples to Apples. It is our goal to meet the needs of every gamer by providing you with a variety of board games, trading card games, collectible games, role playing games, much more. We provide a comfortable atmosphere for all gamers, with plenty of tables and chairs to provide you and your friends a great area to get together and have fun. Be sure to come by and visit us and see why Next Level Gamez is your Headquarters for Games, Comics, Sports Cards and More! |
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| Here is a video of all of the Costumes from our contest! Congratulations to all the winners, Click here to see the winners! |
It’s all in the cards, man
By SCOTT BAUGHMAN
Daily Courier Staff Writer
FOREST CITY — Cracking open a pack of baseball cards was once a time-honored tradition for youngsters across America. Sports cards
are making somewhat of a comeback, but for one Forest City man the passion never waned over 50 years.
“I started in the 1950s when I was a little boy,” said Steve Roberson. “I was 11 or 12, I guess. My mother would go to town only once a week,
like most mothers back then, to get groceries and she’d bring me back one of those old packs with the gum in it. She bought them for a
nickel a pack back then.”
The gum is long gone, but even today Roberson gets a thrill out of opening packages of ball cards.
Foil wrappers long ago replaced the wax
packages that used to contain his childhood heroes, but he still gets just as excited when he opens a highly coveted player.
“I didn’t do it as much when I got to high school and grew up some,” Roberson said. “A lot of guys my age will tell you about how they had
some great cards that got thrown out by their parents, but mine were never thrown away. However, most of the great stuff from when I was
young — Mickey Mantle cards and things like that — were just left in a smokehouse for years and by the time I decided to go look for them
the elements had ruined them.”
Today, Roberson has expanded his collecting beyond just the diamond to include the gridiron and the hardwood courts of the NFL and the
NBA. “Baseball was my beginning but I have football and basketball cards now,” Roberson said. “I still come to Forest City to buy most of my
cards, but sometimes I go to trade shows in Charlotte or Asheville to meet with other people who love it like I do and do some buying.”
Roberson can usually be found at Next Level Gamez in Forest City, often hitting up owner Sammy Dale for a certain special order card or
package.
“He loves to come in here and open cards,” Dale said.
“ Sometimes he’s like a kid in a candy store and he has all these little rituals he does to try and get good cards.”
Roberson confesses that he has bought entire display boxes before and took them home without opening them.
“I’ll
usually wait until I get home, have a few cold beverages and then open them all right before I go to sleep in hopes of getting something
special,” Roberson said.
“ When I first started there weren’t very many gimmicks for the cards.
Then they introduced rookie cards, then it was autographs and now the big thing is to have a piece of someone’s jersey or a piece of the
ball in the card.”
But even the autographs and collectibles have become specialized.
“ What you really want to do now is get an autograph card or jersey card that is sequentially numbered,” Roberson said. “ That shows the
limited availability, but the real money is in getting one of those numbered cards that has the player’s number.
For instance, I have a Bret Favre autograph that is something like two of 12. It would be worth a lot more if it were four of 12 since four is
the number Favre wore while playing for the Green Bay Packers.”
Roberson lists several cards as his treasures, including autographs from LeBron James and Nolan Ryan. But his real treasure is what might
be in that next pack.
By SCOTT BAUGHMAN
Daily Courier Staff Writer
FOREST CITY — Cracking open a pack of baseball cards was once a time-honored tradition for youngsters across America. Sports cards
are making somewhat of a comeback, but for one Forest City man the passion never waned over 50 years.
“I started in the 1950s when I was a little boy,” said Steve Roberson. “I was 11 or 12, I guess. My mother would go to town only once a week,
like most mothers back then, to get groceries and she’d bring me back one of those old packs with the gum in it. She bought them for a
nickel a pack back then.”
The gum is long gone, but even today Roberson gets a thrill out of opening packages of ball cards.
Foil wrappers long ago replaced the wax
packages that used to contain his childhood heroes, but he still gets just as excited when he opens a highly coveted player.
“I didn’t do it as much when I got to high school and grew up some,” Roberson said. “A lot of guys my age will tell you about how they had
some great cards that got thrown out by their parents, but mine were never thrown away. However, most of the great stuff from when I was
young — Mickey Mantle cards and things like that — were just left in a smokehouse for years and by the time I decided to go look for them
the elements had ruined them.”
Today, Roberson has expanded his collecting beyond just the diamond to include the gridiron and the hardwood courts of the NFL and the
NBA. “Baseball was my beginning but I have football and basketball cards now,” Roberson said. “I still come to Forest City to buy most of my
cards, but sometimes I go to trade shows in Charlotte or Asheville to meet with other people who love it like I do and do some buying.”
Roberson can usually be found at Next Level Gamez in Forest City, often hitting up owner Sammy Dale for a certain special order card or
package.
“He loves to come in here and open cards,” Dale said.
“ Sometimes he’s like a kid in a candy store and he has all these little rituals he does to try and get good cards.”
Roberson confesses that he has bought entire display boxes before and took them home without opening them.
“I’ll
usually wait until I get home, have a few cold beverages and then open them all right before I go to sleep in hopes of getting something
special,” Roberson said.
“ When I first started there weren’t very many gimmicks for the cards.
Then they introduced rookie cards, then it was autographs and now the big thing is to have a piece of someone’s jersey or a piece of the
ball in the card.”
But even the autographs and collectibles have become specialized.
“ What you really want to do now is get an autograph card or jersey card that is sequentially numbered,” Roberson said. “ That shows the
limited availability, but the real money is in getting one of those numbered cards that has the player’s number.
For instance, I have a Bret Favre autograph that is something like two of 12. It would be worth a lot more if it were four of 12 since four is
the number Favre wore while playing for the Green Bay Packers.”
Roberson lists several cards as his treasures, including autographs from LeBron James and Nolan Ryan. But his real treasure is what might
be in that next pack.
| In The News! |
| Weekly Events in November! Tuesdays = Magic the Gathering League (4-6pm) Wednesdays = Star Wars Miniatures (4-6pm) Thursdays = Sports Card Trade Night (5-7pm) Thursdays = World of Warcraft Tournaments (5pm-Until) Fridays= Friday Night Magic Tournament (4:30-Until) Saturdays = D&D Miniatures (12pml) Saturdays = Magic the Gathering Booster Draft (12pm) |
November Releases
Gaming
11/13 - World of Warcraft Miniatures
11/20 - D&D Miniatures Demonweb
Expansion
Sports Cards
11/13 - UD SPX Basketball, Leaf Rookies &
Stars Football
11/20 - Donruss Elite Extra Edition Baseball,
Bowman Chrome Football
11/28 - UD SP Rookie Edition Football
Gaming
11/13 - World of Warcraft Miniatures
11/20 - D&D Miniatures Demonweb
Expansion
Sports Cards
11/13 - UD SPX Basketball, Leaf Rookies &
Stars Football
11/20 - Donruss Elite Extra Edition Baseball,
Bowman Chrome Football
11/28 - UD SP Rookie Edition Football