Kernersville residents no longer need to leave town to get their fix of trading cards, sneakers, toys, and other collectibles.
Jennifer Welch and Brad Iddings, the owners of Gate City Geeks, recently spoke to Scope News about the origins of their eclectic new shop at 251 North Main Street.
Iddings explained that the initial inventory consisted of items from their personal collections.
“It’s childhood, right?” he added. “Like, you grow up and you try to live out all your childhood dreams, right?”
After challenging formative years during which he “owned one pair of Reebok Pumps,” he said he became interested in collecting shoes as an adult. His stockpile evolved from there and eventually merged with Welch’s collection.
“So I sold my shoe collection and I started collecting Funko Pops, because they were hot,” Iddings added. “And we were traveling, and we’d go to a concert in Boston or we’d go on a trip and we’d just buy Funko Pops and ship them home.”
A few months ago, Welch and Iddings started collecting trading cards. Soon thereafter, they decided to transform their shared hobbies into a business — and when they were unable to find a suitable spot in Greensboro, they discovered an ideal location in the former home of The Station on Main.
The name “Gate City Geeks” is a nod to Greensboro’s nickname as well as the type of customers Welch and Iddings hope to attract.
“The logo was the Ninja Turtle colors and the Bat symbols shooting out where it says ‘Cards, Kicks & Collectibles,’” Iddings added. “So the whole logo is behind, you know, geek stuff, right?”
Although he acknowledged that his “hustle” mentality was a motivating factor behind launching this business venture, the shop was designed to be more than just a retail space. For example, Gate City Geeks offers consignment services to collectors interested in selling some of their valuable items.
“I’m willing to invest in the person,” Iddings said. “That’s what I have to offer. And that’s what I know a lot of people aren’t willing to offer, right? A lot of people, if you’re not bringing in a Hank Aaron [autographed card] or a … Nolan Ryan rookie or if they can’t make a quick flip off of it, they really don’t want anything to do with it.”
In the end, he said it all comes down to one factor: “If I can make a dollar off of it and I can make you a dollar off of it, I’m willing to entertain it.”
After settling into the new space for several weeks, Welch and Iddings are preparing for a grand opening event on Saturday. Gate City Geeks is currently open Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from noon to 6:00 p.m.
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