BILLINGS — Saturdays are typically a busy day inside LuckBox Sportscards on the West End of Billings.
“One day my dad and I were going out and saw some football cards and started collecting them," Landon Downing told MTN Sports. "I just didn't really do it for a couple years then I got really big into it and going to shows and stuff. My dad I got really close doing it and it's a way we can spend time together, so it's more than just football cards."
Downing is a sophomore at Park City High School and claimed himself a Jahmyr Gibbs card before he left the LuckBox on Saturday. For Downing, it’s a constant world of wheeling and dealing.
“The ones that I like re-selling are around $400-$500. Then I've sold some around $40. It just all depends," Downing said.
LuckBox co-owner Dalton Heiliger has been collecting sports memorabilia for as long as he can remember, and he visits conventions all over the country to bring merchandise back to his store.
“California, we go to Denver pretty often. We host a couple shows per year here. All over the place," Heiliger said. "There's a national convention in Chicago. There's shows every weekend. There's one in Minnesota next weekend. It's all over the country."
The two patrons inside the LuckBox just after opening on Saturday were both young, which is something that resonates a bit with Heiliger.
“That's one of the big things we like to focus on, is keeping kids involved in this. It's gotten a lot more expensive than it was back in the '90s when I was starting to do it," Heiliger said. "Trying to keep the kids involved and keep the kids excited about it is really what we strive for."
Memorabilia stores like LuckBox Sportscards are a little slice of heaven for sports fans.
