How a Local Card Shop in Shelbyville, IL Grew With Online and Local Marketing and Sales
How Sayers Brothers Cards in Shelbyville, IL grew with eBay, Facebook, and local marketing. Lessons for small businesses across Central Illinois.
Introduction:
Every small town has a business that started with nothing but passion and a cell phone. In downtown Shelbyville, IL, that business is Sayers Brothers Cards.
On the first episode of the 217 Hustle Podcast, powered by Protege Sales and Marketing, I sat down with Trey Sayers, who runs the shop with his brother Aiden. We talked about how a basement hobby became a thriving sports card shop with a busy eBay store and a loyal following across Central Illinois.
If you own a small business in Shelbyville, Mattoon, Effingham, Decatur, or anywhere in Central IL, Trey's story is full of lessons about local marketing, online sales, and building a brand people remember.
From a Basement Folding Table to Downtown Shelbyville, IL
Sayers Brothers Cards officially launched in March 2020, right as COVID shut everything down. With time on their hands, the brothers started selling cards from their own collections on Instagram. Aiden had built a page to connect with other collectors, saw that many of them were selling, and figured the brothers could do the same.
Their first office was a folding card table in the basement and a phone to snap pictures. That small start grew into an eBay store and then a storefront. This November marks four years for their brick and mortar shop at 124 North Morgan Street in Shelbyville, IL, where they carry football, baseball, and basketball cards, pop culture items, supplies, singles, and sealed product.
The shop is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.
Marketing lesson: You don't need a perfect setup to start. You need to show up where your customers already are.
Selling Online and In Store: Two Channels, One Brand
Sayers Brothers Cards lists thousands of items on eBay, and much of that inventory isn't on the shelves in Shelbyville. That gives collectors two ways to shop, but it also doubles the work.
Trey was honest about the hurdles. Running an eBay store is a full time job on its own. There are buyer messages about shipping, only so many hours to create listings, and a fee of roughly 15% on every sale. That means margins matter, and the right products matter even more.
Their biggest win online was the "choose your card" listing. One eBay listing can hold up to 250 variations, so Trey can post an entire 1995 Fleer Marvel set with quantities. A collector hunting for a favorite superhero can find several cards for 99 cents each, then choose shipping or pickup at the Shelbyville store. That one change turned a scattered inventory into something easy to search, and it connects online shoppers to real foot traffic.
Marketing lesson: Make it easy for customers to find exactly what they want. The same rule applies to your website and your Google Business Profile. Clear service pages and the right categories help customers in Central Illinois find you fast.
Sourcing Inventory Across Central Illinois
The brothers buy at local card shows in Mattoon, Champaign, Decatur, and Effingham. They also buy from customers who walk into the shop, which is one of their top sources. Their message is simple: they are always buying, so it's always worth bringing your cards in.
Sealed product is a different story. Topps and Panini don't work through traditional distributors, and they have been cutting dealers. So the brothers hunt for boxes on their own and often pay more just to keep shelves stocked for their customers.
That local reputation paid off in December 2025. A Shelbyville area family called about a relative's collection. The brothers expected low-value cards from the 1980s and 1990s, but they found table after table of St. Louis Cardinals treasures, including Molina and Pujols rookies, autographs, and numbered cards. They closed the deal on New Year's Day.
Marketing lesson: When people in your town know exactly what you do, opportunities come to you. That is the power of local visibility.
The Marketing Boom: Simple, Consistent Facebook Posts
When I asked Trey about his biggest marketing win, he didn't name a fancy campaign. He named plain organic Facebook posts. Some take off and some don't, but the brothers keep posting.
The key is what they measure. They watch views, not likes. Customers at card shows often mention seeing a post about a big new collection, even though they never liked it. Those quiet viewers still remember the brand and show up ready to buy.
Marketing lesson: Visibility beats vanity metrics. Consistent local content keeps your name in front of buyers long before they need you.
The Marketing Bust: Paid Ads Without Clear Tracking
Early on, the brothers paid for Facebook and Google ads and got very little back. Worse, they couldn't tell what the return was.
We hear this from small business owners all over Central Illinois. Usually the ads themselves aren't the problem. The problem is running ads with no tracking, no clear offer, and no strong website or Google Business Profile to land on.
Marketing lesson: Build the foundation first. A complete Google Business Profile, a fast website, and solid local SEO in Shelbyville, IL and nearby towns make every ad dollar work harder.
What Trey Would Do Differently
Looking back six years, Trey named two changes. First, he would have started a dedicated Sayers Brothers Cards social page sooner instead of building audiences on the brothers' personal accounts. Second, he would have pushed harder on eBay earlier instead of waiting until about two years ago.
Marketing lesson: Build your audience on channels your business owns from day one. Your website and Google Business Profile collect reviews, rankings, and trust that keep paying off year after year.
Supporting Local Businesses in Shelbyville and Central IL
Trey wants to see more love for experience businesses, the places you visit to do something with other people. He pointed to the Wheat Penny in Effingham, where he recently attended an art show. Since COVID, many of these businesses are still working to win back foot traffic. The good crowd at Scarecrow Days in downtown Shelbyville shows what happens when the community gets out and shops local.
How to Find Sayers Brothers Cards
Search Sayers Brothers Cards on Facebook, Instagram, eBay, or Google. Or stop by the shop at 124 North Morgan Street, Shelbyville, IL. Tell them you heard about them on the 217 Hustle Podcast.
Ready to Grow Your Local Business in Central Illinois?
Sayers Brothers Cards proves that a small business in a small town can compete online and win locally. The difference is being easy to find, staying visible, and knowing which marketing actually works.
That is what we do at Protege Sales and Marketing. We help local businesses in Shelbyville, Mattoon, Effingham, Decatur, Charleston, and across Central IL with website design, local SEO, and Google Business Profile management that brings in real customers, not just likes.
Book your free marketing consultation with Protege Sales and Marketing today. We'll show you where you stand on Google, where your competitors are beating you, and the simplest path to more calls and more customers.
