Brothers and business partners Bryan and Scott Balcarcel have recently relocated their business, TAG Sports Cards, from North Atlantic Street to 509A North Jackson Street. The move to Tullahoma’s main drag increases the nine year old company’s visibility considerably.

The brothers, born and raised on Long Island, New York, each started careers in different professional backgrounds but now work side by side daily in their sports card business. Bryan worked 20 years as a high school teacher and college professor and has bought and sold cards and collectibles for forty years. Scott spent 18 years in aerospace manufacturing and 30 years in the awards and engraving business.

How did the brothers get in the sports card and collectible business? “I always collected cards. My father was a police officer and his partner used to do sports card shows and sell cards. When I was about 14, he took me along a few times and I took some of my cards and came home with a pocket of cash. I was hooked and realized I could do this. Shortly after, I had my first store. At 16, I opened store number two which Scott ran,” said Bryan.

The brothers decided in 2017 to escape New York because of the high cost of living and ‘landed’ on middle Tennessee due to a “spin a bottle on a map” situation. They had narrowed their move to ten states and literally spun a bottle on a map and it pointed to Murfreesboro. Scott knew about Tullahoma because he is an avid Jack Daniel’s collector and routinely stayed in Tullahoma during Jack Daniel events.

Their original Tullahoma location was in Northgate Mall as Tullahoma Awards and Gifts, where they provided trophies and engraving, then on Atlantic Street and now North Jackson Street, where they specialize in sports cards.

TAG Sports Cards buys cards from wholesalers and distributors and then resells to their customers. They also buy individual cards and full collections from people who visit their store. In addition, the brothers carry all supplies needed to safely protect cards. They can send out customer cards for grading and authentication and can also appraise collections.

TAG Sports Cards has approximately 750,000 to 1,000,000 cards in stock at any one time. Their most unique card: 1950 Bowman Jackie Robinson. The card they wished they owned: an autographed Kobe Bryant card.

Although most assume the sports card business is a fun business, a lot of behind- the-scenes work is required. The brothers report an incredible amount of work goes into sorting, sleeving, pricing and hunting for products to sell.

TAG Sports Cards is open Tuesday thru Saturday 10am to 5pm and Sunday noon to 5pm.

Lane Curlee can be reached at lcurlee@lighttube.
net or 581-0360.