Show Greg Roper Covering All Kate Helknbrand The first thing you will notice when you walk into Greg’s Cards and Collectables on Fillmore’s Main Street is the age of the salesman behind the Counter If storeowner Greg Roper is taking care of business the shock isn't too great After all Greg is 14 years old However if Greg is out of town (like at Scout Camp) chances are you will be peering into the small round face of his old brother Weston The effect can be somewhat disconcerting "Can you help her?" asks Greg of one of his friends who's browsing through the bible of Baseball cards and soon there are two or three kids behind the counter with a combined age that is half of my own After talking with Greg for a few minutes however one begins to grasp that this young man has the savvy and smooth abilities of a seasoned salesman The surprise of age begins to melt away and serious business begins to take place “Got any Michael Jordon rookie cards?" I ask “Yup this one" says Greg pointing to a card in a glass case ‘Til sell it for $320" Another customer asks about a more affordable item "That will be a quarter” Greg tosses off handedly I decide to lake the plunge and ask Greg for his best business advice After buying a complete set of 1991 cards for $45 Greg takes my money and quietly calculates the tax and enters the sale into a legal notebook The money disappears into acigarbox cashbox It's all done with the utmost aplomb and Greg assures me that I've made a solid investment Like any man Greg has had humble beginnings And like many successful man Greg has had substantial family support Greg is the son of Alan and Lori Roper owners of Roper Lumber Company In January 1991 he convinced his dad to let him open up a baseball card retail operation out of the toolshed by the side of the family home "That was quite a pain" his father remarked "We had to find another place for all the lawnmowers and tools And it was winter so of course he had to have a heater" Greg made a sign in school and opened for business for several hours each day after school But business was slower than Greg would have liked and he decided to open a “branch office" out of his Fillmore Middle School locker taking his cards with him each day in a small suitcase He continued to work out of the shed "by appointment only" Greg knew he was on to something when he had his first $ 00 day And when summer came Greg began to look for a better location where he could “turn more cards” He focussed on the store front that he now occupies (The building is owned by his father and uncle) “They felt better about letting me move in after the bakery opened up next door” say s Greg On July 24th Greg opened the doors for his first customer "Business has picked up a lot” Greg pays rent though he didn't have to pay a deposit (“Dad was pretty generous that way”) and his father lent him the cases and shelving for display His father also helped Greg by providing some money for the initial inventory “First I borrowed $ 000 then later I had to bor- - The Bases The following items have been selected from the crime reports of the Millard County Sheriff s office from August 12th through the 20th 1991: Indians selling jewelry in the Dog Valley Rest Area Assist truck with camper and little kids Accident involving injury on Fire reported in Hinckley Accident with property damage at White Sage Park Shuttle to bum center at University Hospital Criminal mischief reported at Oak City Store Subject passed out at Fillmore restaurant Problem with truck in Border Inn sg Millard County Chronicle Police Blotter 3g(C rn¥ Greg Roper baseball card magnate at row another $500" says Greg “My dad showed me what I had to do and how to keep records” “I put all the money back into the business by buying more cards" said Greg denying that he is taking a profit from the company He expi esses concern about repaying his indebtedness to his father “He's good at business" says Alan “He's believable beyond his years and can figure things out I'd rather have him working at the store" It was at the Lumber store that Greg got his business acumen He's been working and hanging out since he was in the second grade "People have strengths and weaknesses" continues Alan “Business is just one of his strengths” “He’s always had ideas and once he starts something he follows it through" Greg has already tried watermelon farming and has submitted a photo book about professional football to a publisher (It was rejected) Greg had been collecting baseball cards since he was eight years old and had watched them appreciate “I thought it would be a good idea to open a card business" he says Alan states “When he asked me about this card business initially I was against it A kid is a kid and there’s plenty of time to be in business and have responsibility" But Alan finally relented under Greg's persuasive skills and helped to smooth the way for his enterprising son Greg seems to enjoy worrying about his responsibilities —about his indebtedness to his father about the business when he’s not there about making it from month to month “I just hope it doesn t go under” he says ease behind the counter Alan admits that he would be dated by what Greg has taken on “One night I came home and Greg was quite upset He had opened a checking account and was convinced that all of his checks had been bounced by the bank What he had was his statement with all of his checks after the month’s end" says Alan Greg continues to look ahead "I'm working on a deal to split orders with a card dealer in Cedar City to cut out the middle man and I'm in the process of buying from the companies themselves” “I hope to expand into comic books and sports memorabilia" Greg admits to following the newspapers discussing an article that recently stated that investing in baseball cards is better than investing in the stock market and Alan comments that Greg actually docs follow the stock market recently announcing one morning that due to the turmoil in Russia this would be a good time to purchase stock while the prices are low Once school starts Greg intends to keep abbreviated hours possibly 3 to 6 pm on weekdays and to 7 pm on Saturdays His grades have stayed about the same with both Alan and Greg stating that they may have improved some since Greg's been enjoying a degree of entrepreneurial achievement But Alan is worried Despite all the hoopla and accomplishments despite the fact that the store has been fun for the whole family despite all the support and encouragement Alan expresses his concern "One of the things I fear is that people will get envious and he will lose friendships over this" “He is still just a kid" intimi- Attempt to locate man Family emergency Return to Fillmore Gas skip of $21 00 in Ken’s Texaco Phone harassment in Fillmore Gas skip of $10 from Harts Accident with property damage in Meadow Water problem in Fillmore Pan handler out front of Delta store in circumstances Suspicious Fillmore Found property in Delta Truck passed cracking windshield m two places Fire on One car rollover in Scipio Patients refused treatment Panhandler reported in Delta 54 year old female passed out in Lynndyl mischief Criminal at Fillmore Middle School Person reported walking around reservoir Burglary in Della Suspicious person in Holden Subject walked into home looking badly beaten up in Fillmore Attempt to locate pipeline worker Has not been heard from for one week Found in Delta Suspect taken two children only has custody for one Out of Delta Female passed out in Fillmore 15 year old juvenile driver driving in Delta Fire reported at Kern River station Drunk driving dune buggy in Scipio Purse found at Fillmore food drive- in Information on possibly enroute to Delta from out of state Has guns and history of violence Gas skip at Delta's Harts Man reported fallen on porch Deceased in Fillmore with suspicious Attempted circumstances in Fillmore Ex employee problem in Kanosh Nightime extra patrol requested Internal strife at High Country Grain Farm in Delta Attempted break-iSuspicious Holden vehicle reported Progress Aucust Gas skip of $6 40 reported at Scipio stop Gas skip of $12 63 reported at Budget Stop Money stolen from wallet at bowling alley Civil dispute reported in Delu Man left on horseback and has not returned Been gone over 24 hours from Fillmore Transfer requested to Fillmore hospital Phone complaints from Vocational School Noise complaint in Delta Traffic complaint reported in Delta Shuttle to VA hospital from Hinckley Prank calls in Della Fire at grass fence Fence hit in East Canyon Road Unknown civil problem repealed in Delta Attempt to locale overdue party from Denver Auto burglary repealed in Oak City Lens of Suspicious circumstances loud noises from pipeyard in Flowed Request deputy to check it out Fight in progress in Della Bar from Fillmore Noise complaint north park Shuttle to vehicle in Scipio Family request to bring deceased into hospital Caller on phone trap in Delta repealed with gun on back scat repealed at Paradise Chevron Accident with personal injury in Fillmcae Dog problem in Abraham Shoplifter reported at Subject having trouble breathing m Scipio 22 1991 Window reported peepers Fillmore residence “Can smell rette smoke” pointment Rev Carder is serving as a ministerial alliance serving the communities’ 237 residents as pastor of the Presbyterian and Methodist churches and the Alder Grove Methodist Church south of town Ms Carder preached to her combined congregations on June 30 before being ordained one week later on July 7th the day her granddaughter Darcy Redo celebrated her fifth birthday Dawn has had a long history of serv she had worked ice to the community as a school counselor in Connecticut an elementary and junior high school teacher in New Jersey as well as working at the Chronicle newspaper as a reporter She finally decided that she could be of more service to people being a minister was a minister) (Dawn’s Dawn is very happy with her new calling for it gives her a chance to live in a place she uses quite the country actively Dawn runs hikes swims skiis and is a voracious bike rider Dawn has three grown children livparts of the country ing in California Nevada and Connecticut Dawn admitted that she never looks back And with multiple services to conduct including a joint service that will rotate between the three community churches Dawn will certainly stay busy in her new life's work serving others as she seems to love to do V Six or seven year old boy sitting on signal mask at Oasis Feed Building Fire reported Control bum in Elderly male heart attack at Holden store Suspicious person Male 6 foot tall cloth around head ringing dixwbell in Della Attempt to locale subject selling in Delta Accident between car and cow on sheep trail raod near Holden Bad checks reported in Delu Accident between Owl and semi windshield busted in Fillmore Various incidents of keys locked in the vehicles dog bites throughout County alarms going off and shuttles and motor assists occur on a frequent basis MILLARD COUNTY FARM BUREAU TALENT FIND Wed Aug 28 - 7:00 PM LDS Stake Bldg 72 N Center Delta Utah MUST BE MEMBER OF FB FAMILIES AND BE THERE BY 6:10 PARTICIPANTS Jrs yrs 6 Intermediate 17-30 Srs For more info call Gus Fowles 864-367- 4 in caught hy surprise! 9 9 9 9 9 9 Dawn Carder 9 " 9 9 9 9 BENEFIT DANCE 7 9 9 FOR KAMREN WESTERN 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 Friday August 23 9:00 - 12:00 Millard County Fair Building Admission $300 Additional Donations will be accepted to help with the costs of Kamren's open heart surgery FIRING THE WHOLE FAMILY Music for all ages by DJ Tony Wright A J v 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 in ciga- yon Don't get - County Chronicle Dawn Carder has Progess reporter accepted a position as a Presbyterian minister in Craig Nebraska Reverend Carder graduated recently from the Presbyterian Theological Seminary at Louisville Kentucky and her calling in Nebraska is her first ap- 3 Rifle shots reported m Lynndyl old child in Fillmore Lost Noise complaint at Fillmore north park Dog bite in Hinckley with damage in Kanosh Found registered in Alaska above the falls in Fillmore Can- Dawn Carder Gets New Calling Kate Hellenbrand Former Millard Paoe 9999999909999990990900909990999 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 |