[EXCLUSIVE] Popular Shoe and Collectibles Stores Split, Secure Separate Storefronts Nearby

The owners of Premium Kicks and The Card Shop are moving their sibling businesses.  After holding court at 2280 Cheshire Bridge Road for several years (The Card Shop since last September), the two stores will soon reopen at two well known centers nearby.  Premium Kicks will open in a 1,300 square foot space in the Lidl-anchored Brighten Park shopping center (2470 Briarcliff Road) near the corner of Briarcliff and North Druid Hills Road in what is technically Brookhaven.  A short distance away, the newly renamed Kaboom! Collectibles Store will open in a 2,000 square foot space in the Publix-anchored Toco Hills Promenade shopping center along North Druid Hills Road.  

The new Premium Kicks store, which on the surface seems a bit smaller than its prior location, is slated to open July 1 soon and is located between GNC and Unique Threading & Body Wax in a space most recently occupied by Verizon.  Despite the apparent size difference, the store is expected to feature the same amount of product.  Premium Kicks buys, sells, trades and consigns popular, rare and other in demand shoes.  

"The main wall will display 176 sneakers. The rear walls will display 90 sneakers. The showcases will display another 40 sneakers. The apparel wall will have 7 outriggers just like we have currently on Cheshire Bridge.  That’s over 300 sneakers on display and the apparel to match."

Kaboom! Collectibles Store is slated to open July 1 soon at the Publix-anchored Toco Hills Promenade at 2969 North Druid Hills Road.  In Toco Hills, Kaboom! will occupy a 2,000 square foot space between GameStop and Pure Barre that has sat vacant since the early 2017 closure of prior occupant Learning Express.

Kaboom! earlier this month became an authorized NECA retailer and carries several of the company's pop culture products including those from various Batman films.  Pokemon, a product line the store's owners originally indicated they would not carry, is now featured in the store alongside other sports cards and memorabilia.  

The market for trading cards is red hot and retailers are struggling to satisfy the demand with some like Target temporarily pausing stocking their shelves with the popular product.  As of May 14, Target temporarily discontinued sales of MLB, NFL, NBA and Pokemon trading cards.  The retailer did not publicly provide a reason for the move but many speculate it's due to the tremendous interest in the cards that at times leads to fighting, bribing or other nefarious activities.  

Are you excited for the upcoming openings of Premium Kicks and Kaboom!?  If you are a collector, what is your most prized shoe or card?  Are you shocked to see the prices that certain cards and shoes command?

Please share your thoughts below.