Stores that sell the old and older - AZ Daily Star

Quaint shops burst at the hinges with antiques and vintagecollectibles.

Antique shop owners and managers may be ready to buy yourantique, collectible or entire estate - and they are always willingto sell you a thing or two.

Some offer consignment - they'll sell your items and pay youafter they're sold. Others lease areas of their stores to dealers.

The smaller places that aren't part of a cluster of similarstores might be passed over by unseasoned shoppers.

So we've gathered a list of some antique stores, several of whichare off the beaten path. It's not comprehensive, but it's a goodstart to a day of antiquing.

1. The Antique Presidio Inc., 3024 E. Grant Road, 323-1844

Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; noon-5 p.m. Sundays

Price range: $1-$1,000

Personality: This consignment store screams vintage - right downto the building itself: chipped green linoleum flooring, peelingwater-stained ceilings. Country music plays in the background. Youmay even find yourself chatting with other patrons about theeclectic inventory while shopping.

What's in store: Set aside extra time to delve into the array ofrare and unusual items: a gramophone with a velvet turntable, an oldpinball machine, antique pie tins or Mammy cookie jars.

2. American Antique Mall, 3130 E. Grant Road, 326-3070

Hours: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m.Sundays

Price range: $2-$2,000

Personality: When neatness and cleanliness count, this is whereyou want to be.

What's in store: On a hot summer day, the air-conditioned comfortof this tidy, bright and neat haunt will be a refuge. Almost 100dealers occupy 7,300 square feet, selling rare books, coincollections, old promotional movie posters and postcards. This mallwas voted a Tucson Favorite by Caliente readers in 2001.

3. Annabell's Attic Inc., 1010 S. Wilmot Road, 571-8400; 3525 N.Campbell Ave. 469-9600

Hours: 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundaysat the Wilmot Road location. And 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays;11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays at the Campbell Avenue store.

Price range: $5-$10,000

Personality: 'Used' just doesn't cut it - 'pre-owned' is moreapt. Well-cared-for pieces are the hallmark of these classy stores.

What's in store: Many of the items are in such exceptionalcondition that you might wonder if they're really pre-owned. Browsethrough the wall-to-wall furniture, much of which could pass fornew; accent pieces; place settings; and patio sets. Our favorite: astorage cabinet that looks like a vintage gasoline pump.

4. Christine's Curiosity Shop and Doll Museum, 4940 E. Speedway,323-0018

Hours: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; closed Sundays

Price range: $2-$5,000

Personality: When asked her age, Christine Olson, the store'sowner, firmly says, '87.' It's the way she answers everything:precise and to the point. Olson has a story about almost everythingin her store and takes pride in her inventory, especially her dollcollection. Her father was a collector, too.

What's in store: A heaping inventory that includes hand-blown andhandmade glass, Waterford crystal, furniture, clocks from the 1700sand 1800s, Hummel figurines and a hefty collection of sterling andplated flatware.

If you're shopping with the kiddos, be careful. There are lots offragile items.

5. Elegant Junque Shop, 4932 E. Speedway, 881-8181

Hours: 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; closed Sundays

Price range: 10 cents-$7,500

Personality: With the exception of the walking areas, almost allof the floor space is crammed with merchandise, yet it's well-organized and accessible.

Wayne and Tina Olson own and operate the shop, and there's plentyof history behind the 30-year-old store. Christine Olson, ofChristine's Curiosity Shop and Doll Museum next door, is Wayne'smom. Perhaps that's why there are painted footprints leading fromChristine's storefront to his.

What's in store: This family-owned business isn't a consignmentshop and it doesn't rent out space - the owners are ready to deal.The store specializes in antique and collectible toys, big andsmall, such as the 61/2-foot Ronald McDonald.

Not everything is antique. In true mom-and-pop fashion, some ofthe items are marked with 'not old' tags.

6. Firehouse Antique Center, 6522 E. 22nd. St., 571-1775

Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; noon-4 p.m. Sundays

Price range: $1-$1,500

Personality: Pink lace curtains frame the open storefront window;pink, white and mauve paint covers the walls. The shop has an old-fashioned, with-a-woman's-touch feel.

What's in store: Plenty of sports memorabilia, chandeliers,flatware and vintage salt and pepper shakers. If you'd like to pickup where you left off umpteen years ago on 'War and Peace,' wespotted a copy here. Stacks of dishes and ceramics line sectionsleased to dealers.

7. Granny's Antique Mall Inc., 5302 E. 22nd St., No. 140, 748-1383

Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; noon-5 p.m. Sundays

Price range: $1-$4,000

Personality: You might think you're at Granny's attic when youenter the maze, loaded with memorabilia, collectibles, vintagekitchen tools and even casino gambling tables. With 26,000 squarefeet of space, Granny's is stroller-friendly for browsing moms.

What's in store: If variety is what you seek, this is the place.Granny's doesn't specialize in anything in particular; it offersbreadth. We found Avon cosmetics displayed with oil lamps andcollectible glass containers.

Plan on staying awhile. Each booth, leased by collectors, mayhave something to catch your eye.

8. Price's Thrift Shop, 505 W. Ajo Way, 295-4465

Hours: Noon-5 p.m.

Mondays-Saturdays

Price range: $1-$1,500

Personality: The 21-year-old Tucson mainstay started on South12th Avenue and has been at its present location 10 years. It looksas if owner Marilyn Melendez set up shop in what used to be a house.

What's in store: The store's specialty is antique wood-burningstoves ($200-$1,500). From the looks of the 'sold' signs stuck onmost of them, they are a hot commodity.

The mix of thrift and antique items includes furniture and toys.Don't be surprised if you spot some of the items later at the GrantRoad antique stores. The owner's daughter, Andriana Melendez, saidthose dealers often buy from the South Side store.

9. Razzle Dazzle, 4247 N. Campbell Ave.

Hours: 323-4544

Price range: $1-$3,500

Personality: When you see the vintage dresses, perfume bottlesand ample selection of jewelry (the owner is a jeweler), you mightthink it's a girly boutique.

You'd be half-right.

This little store is full of antique furnishings, accessories andknickknacks. The floor presentation has a homey feel, with themerchandise arranged to spark ideas on putting items together.

What's in store: Jewelry, including lapis, silver, turquoise,jade and garnet. Vintage dining chairs, bar stools, dishes, dressesand stereos. Owner Cindy Ferris likes to stock items from the '50sand earlier. She says she chose to deal with antiques because 'youdon't see multiples around town. It's more unique.'

You'll find some of her merchandise up for auction on eBay, too.

10. ABC Collectibles, 4034 E. Grant Road, 318-1056

Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; closed Sundays

Price range: $1-$2,000

Personality: It's all about antiques, Beanie Babies andcollectibles, hence the name - ABC.

There's one consignment area (jewelry) at the mom-and-pop shop,in which half of the floor space is dedicated to furniture.

The husband-and-wife owners, Karl and Karen Miller, were bothearning master's degrees when they decided to ditch their studiesfor the antiques and collectibles business. 'It keeps us young,'says Karen, 65.

COUPLE CREATES STORE EVEN A MAN CAN LOVE - The Herald News - Joliet (IL)

Attention wives: there's a new store in town that's filled with crafts, collectibles, Beanie babies and stained glass.Best of all, you can take your husband, and odds are he won't fall asleep.

No, there aren't Lazy Boy recliners planted in front of wide-screened televisions that only show sports channels.

But make no mistake: Ye Olde Trading Post in Lockport isn't just a place for chicks.

'My husband's idea was to have a store that guys can go to,' said Donna Bartosek, who owns the shop on Illinois 171 with her husband, Joe.

'He wanted a gift store for guys.

Men can come in here and be absolutely fascinated.'

He succeeded -- and then some.

The store is filled with antiques and hard-to-come-by items.

'He's been collecting this stuff for 20 years.

It's his dream; he's always wanted to do this,' she said.

'He's just always been able to find stuff no one else has.'

That includes a section devoted to Route 66, to Al Capone, to Ertle brand John Deere tractors with fully workable parts and -- Joe Bartosek's treasure -- some of the Jim Beam railroad car collection that began in 1950. Some cars even have the actual whiskey still inside them.

Next to an antique scale that reads 'Toledo: No Springs -- Honest Scale' is a display case filled with sports memorabilia, including a reproduction of an autographed photo of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig together, as well as a photo of Ty Cobb and Christy Matthews.

There's even an antique rubber football helmet.

If that isn't enough, a room upstairs is devoted solely to baseball memorabilia.

Ye Olde Trading Post, a 9,000-square foot, three-level store set against a woodsy creek,was once a Baptist church.

When the Homer Township couple first planned the store, after years of collecting antiques and storing them in warehouses, Joe Bartosek took stock of his inventory and wondered if he should open a museum.

'He kept saying, `That's not for sale, that's not for sale,' and I said, `This is crazy; you can't have everything not for sale,'' she said.

They compromised.

Most everything is for sale, and if it's not, they'll tell you.

But one thing is for certain -- since they do a lot of buy-outs, things tend to only pass through the store once and quickly.

'There's nothing in here anyone else has, and if they do, we have it for less money,' Donna Bartosek said.

When you walk in, the front parlor is filled with Hummel and Anri collectibles.

Door County coffee sits on the counter, and Door County jams and jellies are next to the Beanie Babies on the opposite wall.

For the obligatory candle line, Donna Bartosek chose St. Johnsbury of Philadelphia. They burn longer, she says.

Some of her favorite items in the store are the hand-crafted carousel horses of all sizes.

Her collection of genuine Tiffany lamps, including two brass ones too heavy for her to even lift, are among her other gems.

There's even Hollywood karma in the place.

Signs used in the movie The Untouchables adorn the first-floor walls, including Shirley's Dance Club, 41st District Police Station, The New Atlantic Nite Club and Hilmer Haus Diner.

To say everything you could imagine is in the story isn't an understatement.

If brass is your thing, it's there.

If you like refinished antique wood cabinets and chests, they've got 'em. Remember Chicago's Riverview Park? Nostalgia buffs will love this display.

There are antique picture frames, farm implements, church pews, lots of home accents and Coca-Cola merchandise galore.

An upstairs room is filled with work from local painters and another is filled with kids' stuff.

'There isn't (anyone) from a baby to a grandparent you couldn't find something for,' Donna Bartosek said.

Ye Olde Trading Shop is at 14929 S. Archer Road. Hours are 10 a.m.-5:30 a.m. Thursday through Saturday and 12 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday (815) 834-4101.

LIZ WILKINSON ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Gurnee Mills welcomes Home Co. Upscale retailer takin place of old Waccamaw store.(Business) - Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL)

Byline: Kim Mikus Daily Herald Business Writer

There's no place like home is a phrase more and more shoppers seem to have on their minds there days.

A new store under construction at Gurnee Mills supports the trend that people are spending more time and money on their homes.

The Home Co. is under construction in the former Waccamaw store at the Lake County mall.

The Home Co. is an upscale retailer that combines manufacturers' galleries with a lifestyle theme featuring 10 to 14 'stores-within- a-store.'

The Gurnee location, expected to open in the spring, will be the first of its kind in Illinois.

More bargains: Woodfield Shopping Center in Schaumburg is holding its annual winter clearance sale through Monday. Shoppers can expect to find all types of savings as retailers think spring.

It's a hit: Collectors of sports memorabilia can find thousands of collectibles at the annual Sports Card and Memorabilia Show at Charlestowne Mall in St. Charles.

It begins Friday and runs through next Sunday. Many items will be available at competitive prices, said Mike Di lacova, event organizer and owner of Triple Play Productions.

Dealers from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Texas and Wisconsin will participate.

Antiques galore: Randhurst Shopping Center in Mount Prospect is hosting a winter antique and collectible show next week.

The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

The sale will feature a variety of porcelains, pottery, china, jewelry, toys, collector plates, movie memorabilia, Life magazines, coins and more.

Let's get physical: If getting in shape and feeling better was one of your plans beginning in January, you may want to walk to Woodfield. Alexian Brothers Hospital Network is sponsoring the Woodfield Mall Walkers program.

The next meeting takes place at 8 a.m. Friday.

Young shopping fan? Maybe my 2-year-son, Brian, knows what his 1-year-old sister is thinking.

I ventured out last week with the double stroller to return some Christmas gifts. Brian enjoys shopping as long as we stop at his favorite store, Bass Pro Shops at Gurnee Mills. His little blue eyes light up when he sees all the fish swimming in the huge tank.

We were driving home when my daughter, Megan, became tired. She cried for a few minutes before dozing off.

That evening, Brian reminded me that Megan cried. 'Maybe Megan wanted to do more shopping,' he said so innocently.

Who knows? Maybe she did want that cute outfit at Baby Gap.

Number of Baseball Card Stores in Waterbury, Conn., Area Is Shrinking. - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

By Marc Silvestrini, Waterbury Republican-American, Conn. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Aug. 7--There are plenty of things Richard Daponti misses about owning his own baseball card store, but mostly it's the conversation.

Like all those great 'Who was better?' arguments. Mays or Mantle? DiMaggio or Williams?

Or the burning baseball questions of the day: Have they messed up the strike zone enough? Who's the best of the Joneses? Chipper Jones? Andruw Jones? Catherine Zeta-Jones?

'Guys used to come in and just talk baseball. How can you beat that? Just sitting around the store with a couple of buddies talking baseball all day,' says Daponti, who closed Sports Cards & Memorabilia, his Frost Road store in Waterbury, about a year ago. At the time, he'd been in the business for 12 years at various locations in Waterbury and Naugatuck.

Despite the warm, fuzzy memories, Daponti was forced to close his store because of a hard, cold reality: Business, he says, was just too slow and he could no longer meet his overhead.

'There's just too much competition -- the Internet, Kmart, Toys 'R Us, the supermarkets,' he says. 'Too many new products to buy, too many other places for the collector to go and spend his money.'

Like the designated hitter rule, the demise of the friendly neighborhood baseball card store is a pervasive national phenomenon that appears to be here to stay, local store owners say. Increased competition from the Internet and giant retailers, a shrinking number of card collectors and a market that has become glutted with mass-produced yet expensive products have combined to make the stand-alone baseball card store as rare as championship banners at Fenway Park.

Dave Rock of Rock's Sports Cards in Bristol recalls a period in the early '90s when there were at least 15 other baseball card stores within a 20-minute drive of his own, including five apiece in both Bristol and Torrington. Now his is the only one left.

Daponti says there were nine stores operating in Waterbury in 1991. Bob Rzewuski, who owns The Dugout on Main Street in Oakville, says there were at least eight card stores in Greater Waterbury when he first opened his shop in 1992. Right now you would be hard-pressed to find a handful of stores devoted exclusively to baseball cards in the area.

It is difficult to create a definitive list of how many baseball card stores are operating in any given community because stores come and go virtually overnight, and routinely change owners and locations. Many are not listed in phone books or on chamber of commerce rosters and some are better known for a different line of products, like comic books, coins or toys.

'It's kind of a dying business, I guess,' says Ernie Russelli of Ernie's Baseball Cards & Stuff on Main Street in Southbury. 'It's getting harder and harder just to meet your expenses, never mind trying to make a decent living.'

Russelli opened a second store in Naugatuck last fall, but has since sold it. He will soon be closing his Southbury store and moving to Fort Mohave, Ariz., where he plans to open a yet another one. He says two factors have combined to drive most store owners out of business.

'Basically, the guys in this business have lost a ton of customers to the Internet while our expenses have gone through the roof,' he says. 'When you have fewer customers but you're paying five times as much for product as you were when you first opened up, you're definitely going to feel the pinch.'

Rock agrees the rapid growth of the Internet over the past 10 years has been the single biggest factor in the demise of both baseball card stores and the once-ubiquitous baseball card shows. It gives collectors the ability to purchase cards at online auction sites like Ebay and Yahoo -- often for a mere fraction of what they would have paid for the same item in a card store.

'A few years ago there were three or four card shows to choose from within an hour's drive of your home on just about any weekend,' says Rock, who has been in the business for 11 years. 'Nowadays, it's hard to find one.'

Rock says that approximately 40 percent of his business is conducted over the Internet now while Russelli notes that many of the card stores that have gone out of business were operated by a generation of shop owners that had neither the skills nor inclination to surf the Net.

'Most of the guys who were doing this were unable to adjust when the business changed and went high-tech on them,' Russelli says.

Another problem, Rock and Rzewuski say, is the rapidly disappearing baseball card collector.

'I think the card manufacturers have turned a lot of people off over the years by producing too many sets and too many cards and making things way too expensive for the average card collector,' Rzewuski says.

Back in the late '70s and early '80s, huge numbers of male Baby Boomers discovered that the hobby of their youth had suddenly become respectable enough to pursue as an adult. At that time, there were only three card manufacturers producing one annual set of cards apiece, Russelli explains. Then the number of manufacturers ballooned to six or seven, and each one of them started producing four or five different sets a year.

'Pretty soon it got ridiculous,' he says. 'All of a sudden there was something like a hundred sets being produced every year. And that's not even counting the other sports, like football and basketball.'

And it didn't help matters that while producing more cards than the market could absorb, manufacturers also began producing cards that were far too pricy for even adult collectors.

'Let's face it,' Rock asks, 'how many people can afford to pay $10 for a single pack of four or five baseball cards? Or $50 or $60 for a baseball card that just came out last week?'

Rising prices hit store owners just as hard. Russelli says at least one, and possibly two or three new baseball card sets are released every week from Christmas through early November.

'When I opened my first store (in 1978 in Chicago), I was spending maybe $1,000 to $1,500 for product every week,' says Russelli. 'Now, in order to assure yourself of getting a good cross-section of product, you're going to have to spend maybe four to five times as much.'

One last factor that has driven many collectors out of the hobby is the common perception that today's professional baseball player is an arrogant and greedy mercenary without the bandoleer. The feeling intensified during the infamous baseball strike of 1994 when the franchise owners, who many believe are equally arrogant and greedy, canceled the playoffs and World Series.

'Let's face it, that strike in '94 really killed us,' Rzewuski says. 'I think a lot of people got turned off back then and just never came back to the hobby.'

To see more of the Waterbury Republican-American, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.rep-am.com

(c) 2001, Waterbury Republican-American, Conn. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

Von Maur to give Charlestown Mall a new look Officials hoping anchor store will open by holidays.(Business) - Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL)

Byline: Kim Mikus Daily Herald Business Writer

Charlestowne Mall officials are hoping the center will have a new look for next year's holiday season.

For now, the folks at the mall have only sketches of how the newest anchor, Von Maur, will look when it takes over the J.C. Penney space at the St. Charles center.

The 102,500-square-foot anchor store is expected to open by the spring of 2002, but community and mall officials are hoping it could open in time for the holidays later this year.

Officials also hope the upscale anchor will continue to bring in additional upscale shops, such as Abercrombie & Fitch and other names.

Eddie Bauer opened a store in the mall this year. That deal was negotiated after officials announced they were in negotiation with Davenport, Iowa-based Von Maur.

More on Von Maur: Here are a few facts about upscale retailer Von Maur:

- Von Maur Inc. is a fourth-generation, family owned company.

- The retailer has annual sales of more than $300 million.

- It's the largest privately held department store in Iowa.

- In 1994, the retailer expanded outside Iowa when it opened a store at Yorktown Center in Lombard.

- In the near future, the retailer plans to open stores in Minnesota and Kansas.

Bargain hunting: Now that the holidays are over, many Spring Hill Mall stores are beginning to thin their winter and seasonal merchandise.

An annual five-day sidewalk sale begins Thursday.

Participating stores will have special values on a wide variety of merchandise. Shoppers can expect to see up to 75 percent off on favorite seasonal merchandise such as sportswear, shoes and outdoor gear.

Wiggle it: Children should have fun at Barnes & Noble in Deer Park on Jan. 13.

Children's entertainer Michelle Hunter will perform 'Wiggle, Jiggle & Sing' with young children at 11 a.m. at the store on Rand Road in Deer Park.

Hunter plans to introduce the joy of music to the very young during the event.

Rubies are red: Mark Valentine's Day as the next big spending holiday.

For the shopper working ahead, Tiffany & Co. has something new this year. Elsa Peretti, exclusive designer for Tiffany, has incorporated rubies onto one of her most celebrated designs, Diamonds By the Yard.

The motif gives rubies a fashionable edge, according to company officials. The set includes a necklace with rubies and diamonds, bracelet with rubies set in 18-karat gold and earrings in 18-karat gold and platinum.

If you're looking for the gift for your sweetheart, Tiffany stores are located at Oakbrook Center and Old Orchard Center in Skokie.

Quite a collection: Collectors of baseball cards and memorabilia can find thousands of collectibles at the 21st annual Sports Card and Memorabilia Show that starts Friday at Charlestowne Mall.

More than 100 vendor tables will hold treasures ranging from game-used and team approved baseball jerseys to autographed bats, hats, ticket stubs and pins of favorite long ago players.

Baseball cards dating from 1900 to the present will allow hobbyists to add new and unusual pieces to their collections.

In addition to sports, other hot items at the show include Pokeman trading cards and Coca-Cola and McDonald's memorabilia.

Ghost town: Lakehurst Mall in Waukegan is looking pretty deserted.

Things should get worse by the end of the month.

Carson Pirie Scott & Co. will be the sole business at the long- struggling mall by then.

About six remaining businesses including a hair salon and optical shop received certified letters stating they must vacate the property. City officials are looking for other uses for the property.

COLLECTIBLE STORE OWNER TURNS HOBBY INTO BUSINESS - The Herald News - Joliet (IL)

If you're in the market for an old Superman comic or a first-season Michael Jordan action figure, there's a store in downtown Joliet for you.Galaxy Cards, Comics and Collectibles recently opened at 151 N. Ottawa St. under owner Dan Pfeifer.

He runs a Galaxy shop in Naperville near the Fox Valley Mall, and decided to expand when he noticed he had customers coming in from Will and Grundy counties.

'Downtown Joliet's a pretty cool place,' he said.

'I'm originally from Aurora, so I can relate to the older cities.

When I started looking, this place attracted my attention immediately.'

The corner-shop, brick-front exterior attracted him, as did a local grant program for new businesses.

He decided to start looking in May, by June he had the property, and on July 10 he opened for business.

A former manager of a multi-million dollar retail store and collector since age 5, he realized he was either going to have to start a business or buy a new house.

'It's something I love doing,' he said.

'I've got a basement, a garage and an attic full of stuff I've collected over the years.

My theme is, `Relive your childhood.' When you walk in, I want people to go, `Wow, this is stuff I had as a kid.' I pride myself on having things for the young and for the young at heart.'

His personal collection of comic books, superhero figurines and sports memorabilia spurred him to leave the corporate life in favor of making his hobby his livelihood.

Galaxy offers a little of everything to collectors: supplies for collecting, displays of sports cards -- single player cards and packs; a wall of comic books, new and old with back issues available; various sizes of action figures; and 'all the gaming stuff.'

'Magic: The Gathering is the fasting-growing card game in North America,' he said.

'We have a big tournament at the Naperville store; we'll get 20 to 30 people in on Friday and Saturday nights.

It's got a big following.'

His plan is to turn Galaxy's back room, with its high ceilings and wood floors, into a full-time gaming room.

Now, it's used for Saturday afternoon Pokemon tournaments.

Joliet has a big sports following, and sports memorabilia sells well, as do the comics, he said.

Anything that has to do with Pokemon or WWF Wrestling flies off the shelves, he said.

Although he's only been open a month, Pfeifer said he's been amazed at the number of customers his store is attracting.

'Business has been incredible so far,' he said.

'You've got to anticipate that for the first five to eight months you won't see a profit, but we've far exceeded my expectations.

There's been a lot of repeat business and a lot of word of mouth.'

Galaxy has free parking in the back, so there's no need to worry about feeding the meters.

Pfeifer has discovered that being downtown, away from the commercial west side, is a bonus for him.

'The most common thing I hear is, `I'm glad you're down here,'' he said. 'I've been telling people this is the time for Mom-and-Pop stores to come alive.

If you have a unique business and you're not competing with anyone, this is your kind of downtown.'

His only wish is that more downtown businesses would stay open later.

With dockside gambling available and a hotel opening soon, he pointed out that businesses would benefit from longer hours, when boat-goers would need a change of scenery.

'I'm pretty confident there's gambling after 3:30 in the afternoon,' he said.

Galaxy Cards, Comics and Collectibles, (815) 726-8783, is on the Internet at www.glaxaycards.com. The store is at 151 N. Ottawa St. and store hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.

NikeTown: miracle on 57th Street.(NikeTown store, New York, NY) - Footwear News

This is not just retailing. This is Hollywood, Broadway and the Silicon Valley all meshed together in a breathtaking, five-floor, 66,500-square-foot selling space. It is merchandising for the new millennium. While the rest of us still are toiling away in the dusk of the 20th century, Nike has jumped ahead to the 23rd or 24th.

Landlord Donald Trump said, 'I think they've built the greatest retail establishment I've ever seen!'

The newly opened NikeTown is a monument to what footwear retailing can and should be: With touches of computerization, virtual reality and sports memorabilia, as well as heavy doses of excitement and drama, it's the antithesis of the dull, everyday shopping experience.

For example, since when is getting your foot sized supposed to be fun? With Nike's revolutionary new 'NGAGE' digital sizing system, the time-worn Brannock devices have been tossed away with yesterday's newspapers.

Need to know your shoe size? Step on up to one of the cutting-edge, interactive computer measuring systems that gauge all aspects of your feet and project their outline electronically on a display screen before you. It's foot measuring, but it's also entertainment.

It makes you want to buy a new pair of shoes just to be sized again. And all the data collected daily on each consumer is fed directly into Nike's advanced research facility in Beaverton, Ore., leading to further knowledge of sizing and widths.

And when you want to take a break from shopping shoes, activewear, hats, etc., roam around the display of sports memorabilia. How about checking out the Stanley Cup, Super Bowl trophies, the array of legendary player awards and plaques? This isn't just a shoe store; this is as good as Cooperstown! And then there's Michael Jordan's uniform displayed under a protective shield and Yankee hero Derek Jeter's bat fresh from the World Series. If you want to watch video bios of some of the world's greatest athletes, just push a button.

When it comes to visual display, Nike is leading the pack. A few weeks ago in ThinkPiece, I advocated that retailers consider experimenting with CD-ROMS to graphically display pertinent information about footwear materials and components. I didn't realize Nike already was way ahead of me.

The new NikeTown features animated visual displays extolling the virtues of the various waterproof or airproof fibers and textiles featured in Nike apparel and footwear. It makes their message easy to understand and enticing as well.

And when you need personal assistance, there's a sales associate on the scene in moments. (Since when do sales clerks smile profusely and eagerly ask how you are and if you need help?)

But maybe most impressive is that the 450-person staff, gathered from across the world, gives global marketing a new meaning. Speak Italian? Chinese? German? You'll have no problem here. This is the true global village. Except its economy is based on footwear, not gold.

In fact, when I went back the morning of the New York Marathon, announcements over the public address system were in Japanese.

Want a little diversion and entertainment? Every 20 minutes the store's atrium 'morphs,' or architecturally metamorphosizes, into a colossal entertainment center. The lights dim, an enormous 36-by-22-foot screen gracefully glides down, and shoppers are treated to a pulsating, computer-generated sports and action video fed by six projectors. 'Amazing, isn't it?' whispered former British royal Princess Sarah Ferguson, after witnessing the show opening night.

For three minutes, the audience is bonded by the thrill of sports. This is retailing from a TV dream sequence -- except this time it's for real.

NikeTown also offers sports nuts the ultimate virtual-reality experience. By peering through a dual-eyed scope, the kind used at the top of the Empire State Building, one suddenly is rollerblading through traffic on the streets of Manhattan, or motor biking through ruts and hills. With the video clips of famous runners, shoppers can experience the thrill of the New York Marathon. With the array of sports memorabilia, they can smack a home run in the sixth game of the World Series.... It's the essence of sports and the ultimate American fantasy, capturing the thrill of competition and victory.

Now some competitors may critically say it's all fluff; that the hype takes away the momentum of the merchandise. But what is retailing's true obligation today? Just to sell merchandise?

Well, when I need stuff, I can buy it at home through a pile of catalogs or electronically through the Internet or TV. Retailing in the '90s is supposed to make me smile, bring me into a store, make me feel good about myself and look forward to making a purchase. And most important, make me want to come back to the store again soon. NikeTown makes you want to come back the moment you walk in the front door.

It's a visual catalog, a massive department store for the sports fanatic. Need fun kids merchandise? Take the giant escalators up to the fourth floor and turn right. Want fashion and lifestyle apparel? Head straight. Looking for hats, bags and shirts? Third floor, near the front. The store is a temple of sports merchandise and items: jackets, shirts, socks -- and shoes, shoes everywhere.

And boy, do they know how to display those shoes. The average footwear store slaps products on plain shelves or slat boards. At NikeTown, the shoes are stars in their own mini-theaters. They're exhibited in see-through, circular tubes, angled to show the sole, heel and toe. And they spin continuously, showing every detail in 360 degrees of exposure.

Stroll into NikeTown off 57th Street and you're not just a consumer -- you are suddenly a sports fan, a tourist, a participant. You see, you feel, you touch. When you view memories of the late Steve Prefontaine, one of the world's great runners who was cut down in his prime, you may even shed a tear.

What Gordon Thompson, Nike vice president of design, and John Hoke, image design creative director, have pieced together could be studied in university design and architecture classes. It's the spirits of George Jetson, Cecil DeMille and Frank Lloyd Wright all mixed together.

At NikeTown, buying footwear isn't a chore like at some stores. It's an experience -- a marriage of science, athletics and show biz.

On a personal level, NikeTown's opening was a true pleasure for me. I got to shake hands with Olympic great Carl Lewis and footwear legend Phil Knight, two of my heros, in the same evening.

The store's inscribed mission states: 'Teamwork, honor, courage, victory.' Not a bad philosophy to live by.

COUCH SLOUCH: ; Daly sells memorabilia; Couch Slouch gives away cash - The Charleston Gazette (Charleston, WV)

It was the tale of our times that America could not turn awayfrom: The disgraced golf champion - plagued by marital difficultiesand a brush with the law - coming off a long professional layoff andseeking personal redemption on hallowed ground.

John Daly was at Augusta National over the weekend - actually,across the street - hawking T-shirts and other John Dalyparaphernalia from the side of his 45-foot RV. The huge sign on hismobile sign read, 'JOHN DALY MERCHANDISE SOLD HERE,' and not too farfrom the club's players entrance, Daly played the Masters from thegreen tees - cash only - offering his array of items.

Yes, the man who had gambled away millions of dollars neededmoney. Don't we all? In fact, this being tax week in a tougheconomy, I am reminded that all Americans could use an extra jinglein their pockets. So, as is customary this time of year, we nowoffer an expanded $1.25 Ask The Slouch Cash Giveaway to spread 10bits of joy to as many households as possible:

Q. It's tough rooting for the Washington Nationals, and now wemust sit and wait while the team sends pitching phenom StephenStrasburg down to the minors. What gives? (Brian King; St. Andrews,S.C.)

A. The Nationals don't want to rush Strasburg onto the big stage.Similarly, back in the early 1970s, the Metropolitan Opera, Ibelieve, shipped Luciano Pavarotti to the Ramada Inn cocktail loungein Morgantown, W.Va., for six weeks of seasoning before he made hisNew York debut in 'La Boheme.'

Q. Every time I can't fall asleep, I flick on the TV and you'retalking about somebody check-raising somebody. Doesn't poker have anoffseason? (Scott Greenberg; Carmel, Ind.)

A. Hey, pal, there is no off-season anymore. I used to mockESPN's Ron Jaworski for holing up at the NFL Films vault in MountLaurel, N.J., six days a week, 51 weeks a year, analyzing Cover 2.But nowadays, there I am - online at all hours of the night, tryingto turn 9-6 off-suit into a pot of gold.

Q. I found the Tiger Woods Nike ad cynical and my wife found itcreepy. If it's cynical and creepy, what's it selling? (ThomasLeeds; Milwaukee)

A. I'm not sure, but I'm already worried about this newtechnology that's going to allow my father to keep talking to meafter he's dead.

Q. Where were you when Barcelona's Lionel Messi scored four goalsagainst Arsenal last week in the European Champions Leaguequarterfinals? (David Peck; Charleston, W.Va.)

A. I believe I was watching Arena Football. It's back, baby!

Q. Brett Favre just became a grandfather. Being that he's areasonable guy, does this increase the chances he'll finally retire?(Matt Harvey; Beaumont, Tex.)

A. No. It increases the chances the NFL one day will see itsfirst grandfather-grandson combo playing for the same team.

Q. Since every ball that goes into the dirt gets tossed out of amajor league game, what happens when your wife drops a PBR whilehanding it to you? (Lou Berardinelli; Pittsurgh)

A. We flip a coin to see who picks it up and then I drink it.

Q. Why is baseball the only sport where managers/coaches don'tshake hands at the end of a contest? (Ken Beal; Urbana, Md.)

A. You've obviously never seen the lines for the postgameclubhouse buffet.

Q. OK, I give up - what exactly can I buy for $1.25 in cash thatis even remotely worthwhile? (Bill Sumrall; Dallas)

A. One 12-ounce bottle of Orange or Strawberry Crush (whereavailable). On second thought, they usually charge at least twobucks for that. You're right.

Q. Why aren't you up on your soapbox about the Twins' newtaxpayer-funded stadium? (Michael Lacey; Chagrin Falls, Ohio)

A. 1. The soapbox is tired of carrying my weight. 2. It's cold inMinnesota; if this warms 'em up, so be it.

Q. What's your take on a woman I saw this morning wearing aYankees cap and a Red Sox T-shirt? (Ralph Keyes; Stevensville, Md.)

A. Undateable and unmateable.

Q. Is it true that ESPN Classic is thinking about producing 'TopFive Reasons You Can't Blame The Slouch For His Previous Marriages'?(Bob Osborne; Glenshaw, Pa.)

A. I endure the pain and, as always, the readers enjoy the gain.

Q. You love PBR, the PBA and probably PB&Js, too. Come clean -any others? (Mark Cohen; Gibsonia, Pa.)

A. Peabo Bryson.

Q. Bottom of the ninth inning: tie game, bases loaded. If thebatter gets hit in the leg by a pitch, do they call it a 'limp-offHBP'? (William Ortenberg; Benicia, Calif.)

A. Pay the man, Shirley.

Q. Does your conscience ever bother you when authorizing buck-and-a-quarter checks to your loyal readers while driving yourBugattiVeyronPur Sang from your penthouse pied-a-terre to yourseaside villa? (Lowell Ressler; Asotin, Wash.)

A. You have quite an imagination, sir - in truth, I drive a mopedfrom my basement apartment to the 99 Cent Only store.

Sosa, McGwire memorabilia to score at fund-raising auction.(Neighbor) - Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL)

Byline: Kathryn Grondin

The major league baseball home run chase will hit home during a Geneva fund-raiser.

The Geneva Academic Foundation's upcoming auction fund-raiser will include items for auction from this year's two record-breaking home run hitters - Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire.

Superintendent John Murphy has donated a baseball autographed a few years ago by McGwire for the Sept. 25 event. It is not a home run ball from this historic season, but it is his signature.

Auction items also include other sports paraphernalia - a Sammy Sosa picture autographed by the Cubs favorite, a sleep-over at the fire department, dinner for eight served by the school board and more.

The money raised is later funneled into the schools through donations by the foundation.

For more information, call (630) 208-9199.

* * *

Moms with a purpose: Western Avenue School's first ever Grandparents Day event was a grand success, younger and older participants said.

The success of the event, held earlier this week, was in large part due to the work of five Western Avenue School mothers.

Grandparents Day committee members included Alice Duever, Cass Koenig, Cindy Lorenzo, Elaine Modene and Cinthia VanBerkum.

'It was a team effort,' Modene said. 'It was great.'

The turnout was so good, the group had to rent 32 extra tables the morning of the event.

* * *

More wild about other interests: Steve and Jeri Powles will be closing their Geneva shop, In the Wild Nature Emporium, Sept. 26.

The couple has so many interests they want to pursue that they just do not have the time to run the shop at 223 W. State St. anymore.

After operating the store for four years, Steve now will spend more time collecting fossils in South Dakota.

* * *

And the winners are: St. Charles residents Tom and Naomi Bosko won the $100 dinner raffled at the Festival of the Vine last weekend.

Hundreds of people filled out entry forms at the fest's Flavor Fare for a chance to eat at one of Geneva's restaurants.

'Oh my gosh, I'm so excited that I can hardly believe it,' Naomi said, upon learning about winning. 'I had almost forgotten to fill out the entry form so I ran back to pick one up to fill out.'

* * *

Music buff's letter spawns magazine article Beatles' fan's memorabilia now in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. - Standard-Speaker (Hazleton, PA)

Byline: Jill Whalen By Jill Whalen

Sep. 2--A British music magazine published a five-page spread based on a letter written by former Freeland resident Bill Oberrender.

Oberrender's colorful missive to Classic Rock Magazine proclaimed 1973 as the best year ever for music.

The magazine took excerpts from the letter and points from pages of research Oberrender compiled, and bordered it with photos of Black Sabbath, The Who and Pink Floyd.

'I was proud of it,' said Oberrender, who lives in Land O' Lakes, Fla. 'I thought, 'Somebody else agrees with me. I'm not nuts.''

The July article spawned by the letter is called '1973 The Greatest Year in Rock? ... And if So, Where Does This Leave Us 35 Years On?' Penned by Jeff Barton, it sets the stage for readers to either agree or disagree with the magazine and Oberrender in upcoming issues.

'1973 has always had a vociferous support as The Greatest Year In Rock among a strong Classic Rock (magazine) contingent,' Barton wrote. 'Then, just the other day, we received a reader's letter from Bill, who lives in the romantic-sounding location of Land O' Lakes, Florida, that really piqued our interest.'

The article then quotes Oberrender's letter:

'With all the music and information available today, I am surprised no one has acknowledged 1973 as the best ever year in music. Now that's a mighty bold statement and one that would cause fists to fly and tempers to rage out of control. But, before you burn an effigy that resembles you-know-who, hear me out. Then you can light your matches.'

Oberrender's letter -- as quoted in the article -- talks about the songs of '73, the bands that released albums that year and the music acts that debuted. He attached a list with 156 of what he believed where the best album releases from bands ranging from Aerosmith to ZZ Top, as well as a list of the year's 118 best songs. Portions of each list were included in the article.

'This was the era of 8-track tape and leisure suits, paisley shirts and sideburns, platform shoes, wide ties and Skylab,' Barton quotes Oberrender as writing. 'We had acid rock, baroque rock, country rock, dance, glam rock, hard rock, heavy metal, head music, hot rod music, reggae, jazz, bubblegum, funk and southern rock.'

Barton weaved his arguments around points made in Oberrender's letter -- and asked readers to give their opinion on 1973 as the best year in rock.

Oberrender said it was the first time that he ever penned a letter to a magazine. And he didn't set out to write one -- it just happened.

He recalled that his son, Ian, 18, of Drums, was learning a song on his guitar. Knowing that many modern guitarists cite their influences as classic rock bands, Oberrender began to look through his music collection for the right songs -- those with guitar by greats like Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton or Jimmy Paige.

'A lot of them were from 1973,' he said. 'I started to look a little closer and it blossomed to the point where I couldn't think of another year where there were so many influential bands.'

The discovery prompted him to research album and song release dates. He spent months surfing the Internet and combing through his 3,000-plus albums looking for those released in '73. And by his accounts, he determined that 1973 was the best year in rock.

'Obviously, there was something in the water,' he said, noting that both southern rock and punk rock started that year. 'You don't have the influence now that these other bands had.'

Oberrender sent his information to Classic Rock Magazine, but didn't hear anything until a friend in Scotland telephoned to tell him the news.

Seeing the letter in print meant a lot to Oberrender, who said music has been a major part of his life since he was in middle school.

He recalled riding the bus with his Freeland friends, Bill Bytsura, Mark Sheaman and Kevin Wilkinson, to Gaylord's or Greco's in Hazleton. With no music stores, the former department stores were the only places to buy records.

That was years ago, but Oberrender still keeps up with the music scene -- and still goes record hunting with those friends and his wife, Rosemary.

'I really don't do much of anything else,' he said. 'I'm not a sports person. I'm not an outdoors person.'

In fact, he and Rosemary recently returned from a vacation to Aruba where they tracked down a Dutch music store.

'We've searched London, Rome, Venice, Liverpool, Milan, Munich, Denver, New Orleans and too many other places to mention,' he said. 'All for the ultimate album, which doesn't exist.'

And although he likes music from the 1960s to the current decade, 1973 holds a special place for him.

'As a whole, 1973 was a creative period for a lot of people and I don't know what was in the water, but I definitely had my cup in that well,' he said.

As for the magazine, it promises to follow up with a story that looks at the future of rock music.

jwhalen@standardspeaker.comBill Oberrender can remember the first album he ever purchased when he was a pre-teen.

'It was 'Magical Mystery Tour' by the Beatles,' the Freeland native recalled.

The British rock act became one of his favorites -- and Oberrender continued to collect their musical offerings.

And, almost three decades after he first spun songs like 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'Penny Lane' on his record player, he decided to donate some of his Fab Four collection to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.

Oberrender decided to turn items over to the Hall of Fame after viewing its Beatles exhibit a few years ago.

'They had suits from the Sgt. Pepper era, a guitar and other things -- but no memorabilia,' he said.

Oberrender had magazines, an original 'Yellow Submarine' hardback book, picture sleeves from albums and dozens of 45 rpm records -- and he was willing to part with all of it.

'I contacted the curator, and told him I have all this stuff,' said Oberrender, who made three trips to the Beatles hometown of Liverpool, England. 'I asked if he could use it, and he jumped on it. He said, 'yes.''

Oberrender received a letter of thanks from James Henke, the museum's vice president of Exhibitions and Cultural Affairs.

'Your donation will help us to further develop the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum's permanent collection,' the letter of thanks read.

The items were shipped to the museum and are included with the existing display.

'They've been there four years now,' he said. 'They're a permanent part of the exhibit now.'

A placard with Oberrender's name is alongside the memorabilia, he noted.

While the museum has a large chunk of his collection, Oberrender said he didn't part with all of it. He still has dolls from the Yellow Submarine, articles, badges and books. His favorite piece, he said, is an original mono edition release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. At one point, he owned what is known as the Beatles 'Butcher Cover,' a controversial photo that was subsequently pulled from the album 'Yesterday and Today.'

While Oberrender and his wife, Rosemary, frequently take trips to look for rare records, they haven't been back to see his collection on display.

'We haven't made it there,' he said.

Oberrender, a 1976 Freeland High School graduate, moved from Hazleton in 2000. He has family in the area, including sons, Billy, 20, and Ian, 18, both of Drums.

jwhalen@standardspeaker.com

To see more of the Standard-Speaker or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.standardspeaker.com.

Copyright (c) 2008, Standard-Speaker, Hazleton, Pa.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

Lenexa, Kan.-Based Apparel Company Is a Hit with Baseball Memorabilia. - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Oct. 13 -- Gear for Sports, the Lenexa-based sports apparel company, has scored with its latest effort -- an exclusive on apparel and collectibles focusing on former Kansas City Royal George Brett and his induction this summer into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Gear produced several items highlighting Brett's career, including sportswear such as shirts, caps and jackets, and baseball cards.

'We sold a plaque of his perfect swing along with miniature bats and a limited-edition baseball card featuring John Martin's famous portrait of George,' said Frank Pikus, vice president of sales and marketing for Gear's resort and golf division. 'Then, on the back of the card, was a list of some of the highlights of his career.'

The apparel has a variety of motifs and colors featuring Brett, with royal blue being the most popular color. Some of the designs also have the words 'Fighting ALS,' calling attention to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Brett's work to raise funds to fight ALS, which is also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. A portion of the proceeds from the apparel sales goes to ALS research.

'We were monitored totally by the Brett organization, and they approved everything,' said Sharon Liggett, Gear's retail store manager. The products, priced from $7, have been sold at Kauffman Stadium, the Gear store, Ferrel's Hallmark stores and other retail outlets.

'We also sold it at all of the George Brett celebrations, including the parade,' Pikus said.

And Gear says it has hit a home run with the project.

'The apparel met all of our expectations and our sales goals,' Pikus said, not giving exact figures.

Scott Henry, an independent sales representative for Gear in the Kansas City area, said sales of the Brett items 'were double what we projected.' Henry said about 80 percent of the sales were at Kauffman Stadium.

'This was the hottest product I've seen in my four years representing Gear,' Henry said. 'It ranks right up there with when Kansas makes the Final Four.'

The apparel deal grew from the association Brett, who is being mentioned as a candidate to be manager of the Colorado Rockies, has had with Gear for the last few years, Pikus said.

'We wanted to be a part of the celebration of George's induction into the Hall of Fame, and we served as a sponsor of the gala. So we approached him with the idea,' he said.

A lunch with Gear founder Bob Wolff got Brett involved with the company and led to its art department designing a logo for Brett.

'The next thing you know, we're down in the art department working up a logo with my sloppy B,' Brett said. 'So, from that, the next year they had me and my son, Jackson, playing baseball on the cover of their fall catalog.'

When Brett walked into Kauffman Stadium for the news conference about his selection to the Hall of Fame, the room was filled with people wearing Gear for Sports hats with 'Hall of Fame' on them.

'Gear made the hats up, and it was great,' Brett said. 'The next thing you know, we decided to do this, with a portion of the proceeds going to ALS.'

While Brett doesn't wear any of the Hall of Fame apparel Gear designed to recognize him, he has given some away to friends and associates. Brett has gotten a kick out of the whole thing.

'It's really weird to see someone walking down the street or on a golf course with your hat on,' Brett said.

While some of the apparel and other items remain on sale at the stadium and at the Gear store at 9550 Lackman Road, the company is not producing any more. Gear, however, is taking a swing at another Brett collector's item.

'We have an exclusive on a commemorative baseball bat and ball series that are exact replicas of George's Louisville slugger bat and Rawlings ball,' Pikus said. 'These come in a case and are signed.'

Customers may select the bat and ball that correspond to one of Brett's 3,154 career hits or by a particular date in his career.

'For example, if you buy hit No. 1, we include the story of that hit. We are also selling a collection for his postseason hits,' Pikus said.

The bat and ball set is priced at $500. A limited number of sets for hits with special significance cost between $750 and $10,000. The limited sets come with a handwritten letter from Brett. The Tandem Marketing Division of Gear is handling the sales of the bats through a special phone number -- 877-KCBRETT (877-522-7388). Pikus said about 50 units had been sold and would be shipped soon. Plans are in the works to team with area nonprofit organizations to help sell the bat and ball sets.

'We are trying to do something with organizations for them to sell the product, and then there would be a donation made to their organization,' Pikus said.

Brett said that the bat and ball set was Gear's idea and that he had been happy to be partners with the company on it and other projects.

'This has all kind of grown, and it's been a great relationship,' he said. 'I have a lot of respect for the company.'

Gear's Brett products appear to be another sign of continued growth for the 25-year-old company that today employs 850 persons. When Wolff founded the company in 1974 as Winning Ways, sales were $2.6 million. The company now has five divisions, and 1998 sales were reported to be more than $200 million. Wolff is chairman of the board and oversees long-term growth of the company. John Menghini serves as president.

The Brett signature bats and cards marked Gear's entrance into the collectibles market. Based on the brisk sales of all the Brett items, Pikus said, Gear could offer other collectibles.

'I think we might,' he said. 'Certainly on the apparel side, we might do more events. We'll see what we learn, and if there's an opportunity.'

Ohio State to build a museum for Nicklaus memorabilia.(Sports)(Extra Points)(People In Sports) - The Washington Times (Washington, DC)

Ohio Fats at Ohio State - for the second time? Why not?

A museum honoring and displaying the immense golfing achievements of Jack Nicklaus will be built at his alma mater after neighbors of his Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, complained that it would bring too much traffic.

Officials of the Jack Nicklaus Private Operating Foundation say the museum will house Nicklaus memorabilia, including trophies and photographs from his 20 major championships and 100 worldwide tournament victories.

'I can't think of any place which better encompasses my life than the site they have set aside for us,' Nicklaus said.

One question: Will it have an Arnold Palmer wing?

MUSTER BUFFS HIS IMAGE

Austrian tennis star Thomas Muster gave the shirt off his back - and then some - to aid needy children the other night after an exhibition match in Poertschach, Austria.

After playing Yannick Noah, Muster auctioned off a racket and all his clothes. That left the world's No. 2-ranked player standing there in his, uh, supporter.

Was it worth it? The naked truth was that the auction raised about $5,600 and presumably Muster found some new clothes.

A DIFFERENT GAME

If Trenidad Brooks of the Colorado Rockies fails to make it as a major league outfielder, he has a most unusual alternative. He's a co-owner of Game Face Sports International Inc., a small but growing Belleville, Mo., sportswear maker.

From Hubbard's initial design, the Face line has extended to 20 designs for everything from baseball caps to warmup suits to denim shirts. But the young brand has yet to make an appearance on the shelves of major U.S. retailers and department stores.

Baltimore Orioles second baseman Roberto Alomar, New York Mets outfielder Lance Johnson, Cincinnati Reds outfielder Eric Davis and shortstop Barry Larkin and several NFL players have posed in and autographed the Game Face catalog with no compensation to help promote the brand.

And you gotta admit the company has a natural, built-in slogan: 'Hey, dude, get on your Game Face!

EMINENTLY QUOTABLE

Brady Anderson of the Orioles, on the best thing about having 30 home runs at the break: 'A lot of your old girlfriends call you up.'

* Brady Anderson on the worst thing about having 30 home runs at the break: 'A lot of your old girlfriends call you up.'

* Oakland A's general manager Sandy Alderson, on the California Angels' corporate ownership: 'You'll know Disney's completely taken over the Angels when they draft a hunchback.'

* David Letterman, on the Wimbledon streaker: 'The TV viewers didn't get to see the naked woman, but you could hear Dick Enberg say, `Great set!' '

* Former Boston Celtics superstar Larry Bird, on younger players entering the NBA Draft: 'We have the opportunity to get a great player next year, but he might be in eighth grade.'

Memorabilia under hammer for school.(News) - Coventry Evening Telegraph (England)

IT will be a case of going, going, gone at a charity auction in Nuneaton next weekend.

There are more than 70 lots from sponsors up for grabs at Attleborough Sports Club, in Marston Lane, on Saturday at 7.30pm.

All the money raised will go to the Leyland School Association.

A number of items come from well-known celebrities and will go under the hammer from 8pm.

They include tickets for local and national attractions, as well as for football and rugby matches, an autographed football and other signed memorabilia.

Admission is pounds 2 per person and viewing will start at 7.30pm.

The association will use the proceeds to purchase new outdoor play equipment, directly benefiting the children of Leyland School.

FUN HOUSE VINTAGE MEMORABILIA TAKES YOU BACK TO THE '50S IN FANTASY-FILLED FRANKLIN HOME.(HOME & GARDEN) - The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk, VA)

Byline: SHIRLEY BRINKLEY, STAFF WRITER

A PAIR OF VIVID teal-colored columns make it hard to miss the entrance to Burdette and Joann Gatten's Franklin home. But they only hint at the fun and whimsy inside.

The Gattens found the columns, once part a department store display, in a shop that resells office furniture and added them to their collection of vintage memorabilia from auctions, junk shops and antique stores.

Burdette Gatten put wooden pillars inside the fiberglass columns for added weight and painted them his favorite shade of blue/green, which dominates the living room, kitchen and master bedroom.

Other eclectic, quirky items such as a mythical Pegasus, a Seeburg jukebox and a pulsing Sealtest sign give each room a distinctive personality. And they've become an integral part of the Gattens' daily family life.

The public will be invited to see the Gatten home at 704 Hunterdale Road in Franklin when it opens for tours Saturday as part of Historic Garden Week in Virginia. The Franklin Tour, sponsored bythe Franklin Garden Club, also includes three homes and gardens on Clay Street.

Burdette Gatten began collecting as a boy, everything from seashells to unusually shaped rocks and stones. His wife was a later convert.

``I'd never been a collector,'' she said, ``but I've learned a lot, and I've enjoyed most of this, particularly the neon and bright colors. We never take a trip without stopping at every junk shop and flea market along the way. It takes us a long time to get where we're going.''

While attending the Southern College of Ophthalmology in Memphis, Tenn., Burdette bought an old red gas pump, which has found its niche in the couple's living room.

Accented by white woodwork, the room's teal walls and carpet set off the soft, cream-colored leather sofas. The shiny tin ceiling was hand-nailed by the Gattens and reflects light from original school house lamps. A 72-drawer restaurant back bar topped by open shelves covers an entire wall and serves as a display for several sculptures.

The Gattens searched extensively to find a mythical Pegasus, the red-winged horse that now soars above their white brick fireplace. They first heard through an Atlanta acquaintance that someone near Concord, N.C., owned a Pegasus.

``We called city hall and talked to a lady who had gone to school with the person who had it,'' Burdette said. ``We found it in Mount Olive, N.C., out in the middle of nowhere . . . in a barn.''

Other decorative pieces in the living room are an antique, round wall clock framed in glowing red and green neon and a 1940s Watling scale that still tells your weight and fortune for a penny.

A distressed shop table salvaged from the former Hayden High School in Franklin serves as a cocktail table.

``We like the personality of it,'' Burdette said. ``You can glue, hammer or dance on it.''

When the Gattens bought their '50s ranch-style home seven years ago, they removed interior walls, changed the front entrance and made other major renovations.

A kitchen was built in an open, 13-foot-wide area between the house and former garage, which was turned into a recreation area.

The 53-foot-long kitchen with its aqua and white checker-block floor is a step back in time to the days of saddle shoes and soda shops.

The painted frame of an antique barber shop mirror matches the teal and hot pink bar stools and an immense bar of '50s boomerang formica. A Sealtest sign with pulsing lights spotlights a bottle that appears to be pouring milk.

There is space at one end of the kitchen for a family ``fun center,'' which includes a bubble-gum machine, barber-shop pole, life-size sign of a Coca-Cola policeman and a theater popcorn machine. The Gattens drop nickels into the 1954 Seeburg jukebox and play an old pinball machine.

``We like nostalgic things from simpler times or something modern that attracts our eye,'' Burdette said. ``One of our favorites is a Coppertone sign and clock. We waited until the last day of a three-day auction in Atlanta for it. If something is not the right thing or the right price, we're good about waiting.''

The Gattens also are tennis buffs and have a lighted tennis court. A collection of antique sports equipment is displayed in the sports room, and the wall of an adjoining fitness room is decorated with vintage tennis rackets.

The spacious bedrooms and baths reflect Joann's handiwork. The room of their 4-year-old daughter, Gabby, is a lemon yellow accentuated by a splashy flowered bedspread in primary colors. For the blue room of their 1-year-old daughter, Barclay, Joann cut, painted and glued small wooden figures to a bright blue mirror frame.

``I've always liked `little people' things,'' she said.

To decorate the walls of the black and white tile guest bathroom, Joann sponged yellow, teal and black paint over a white background and added a wallpaper border of dancing figures. A decorative wrought iron woman affectionately named ``Gladys'' stands by the door, holding guest towels.

The focal point of the turquoise master bedroom is a verdigris wrought iron sleigh bed, and a tropical print hangs on the wall.

``These cheerful Caribbean or Miami colors are what we like,'' Burdette said. ``We know our home is not so conventional, but we enjoy the electricity of the mood. There have been a lot of years of looking and finding, stripping, sanding and polishing. But it's exciting to see how things have gone together.''

CAPTION(S):

Color photos by Moyoya Nakamura

E. Burdette Gatten III with his wife, Joann, and their daughters, Gabby, 4, and Barclay, 1, enjoy their 53-foot long kitchen and family 'fun center,' which has the look of a '50s soda shop.

RIGHT: Gabby Burdette dances to music from a 1954 Seeburg jukebox.

FYI; Music memorabilia business.(VARIETY) - Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN)

This summer's slow concert season means shrinkage for some folks selling rock T-shirts.

But at Brooklyn Park's Nice Man Merchandising, which sells T-shirts and memorabilia at live events and in stores worldwide, business is going XXL. Nice Man recently acquired the assets of the rival Brockum Group when Brockum's parent company left the music business.

Nice Man doubled its roster, adding pop stars Bruce Hornsby, Love and Rockets, Peter Frampton, West Side Story, the Moody Blues, Ministry, the Dead Kennedys, Violent Femmes, Live, Bon Jovi and Faith Hill. They join Nice Man clients REM, Alice in Chains, Van Halen, Amy Grant, the Black Crowes, Pearl Jam and Bette Midler.

To hedge against further music industry downturns, Nice Man also is acquiring apparel licensing rights to films ('Twister,' 'The Frighteners,' 'The Cable Guy'), TV shows ('Space, Above and Beyond'), card games (Magic, the Gathering) and even computer software ('Myst'). It added Harley Davidson to its motor sports roster, which includes Ford, Ferrari, Chevrolet, NASCAR and IndyCar.

Larry Johnson, Nice Man's chief executive officer, expects the company to pull in more than $70 million next year. Not bad in a down market, but Johnson has even bigger goals. Through the firm's Australian offices, he's set his sights on the apparel and memorabilia concessions at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

- Colin Covert

1/3 Today and Sunday Lots of art and elbow room

Like art, hate crowds? Two Minneapolis weekend art fairs offer alternatives to the nearby Uptown Art Fair.

At the Powderhorn Festival of the Arts, more than 170 artists - selected from 400 applicants - display paintings, drawings, sculpture, ceramics, pottery and jewelry. Look for shows by the Scott Price Project, a Guatemalan band and a rope walker. Storybook characters will greet kids from 1 to 3 p.m. both days.

When: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Where: Powderhorn Park, 3400 15th Av. S., Minneapolis.

Admission: Free.

Call: 823-1141.

1/3

At the Lyndale Farmstead Art Festival, more than 50 artists display their wares. And folk musicians, harpists and fiddlers perform.

1/3

When: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Where: 39th St. and Bryant Av. S., Minneapolis.

Admission: Free.

Call: 823-9224.

1/3 Country fun

To taste antique country living, try the Scott-Carver Threshers festival.

If you're not a farmer, don't be steered away by the slow tractor races and a daily 1 p.m. parade of antique steam engines and farm equipment. There's more to this 33rd Thresher Steam and Gas Engine Festival.

Grab your partner for 11 a.m. square-dancing or watch a 4:30 p.m. fiddling contest Saturday. Experts demonstrate quilting, spinning and winding wool; blacksmiths craft horseshoes and broom makers sell brooms. See a shingle mill, lath mill and straw baler.

Or you can compete at horseshoes with old-time champs throughout the weekend. On Sunday, 8 a.m. gospel singers at breakfast are followed by a 10 a.m. performance by the Roadies, a country rock band.

1/3

When: Today and Sunday, 8 a.m. to sundown.

Where: Scott-Carver Threshers show ground, 19375 Fairview Lane, Jordan, northwest of Hwy. 169.

Admission: Adults, $5 per day or $8 for the weekend, no charge for children under 12.

Refreshing your memorabilia. Baseball trying again to play its cards right. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, PA)

Byline: Don Steinberg

Apr. 5--The billboard that appeared Saturday outside AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, said 'Trade Barry.' It looked like one of those message ads paid for by concerned citizens, in this case by fans wanting the Giants to dump embattled slugger Barry Bonds.

If it wasn't immediately apparent that the big sign was the launch of a commercial campaign -- to promote collecting and trading baseball cards -- that may be because few people really think about baseball cards these days.

The Bonds billboard is part of an intense and perhaps desperate effort to save the baseball card from irrelevance. Yesterday, a second billboard went up with the punch line: 'Trade Barry's Cards with Topps!'

Baseball card sales have been declining by about 15 percent annually for nearly a decade, and Major League Baseball says its licensing revenue from cards today is about one-third of what it was in 1991. The slide has come during a period when nearly everything about baseball's finances -- TV revenues, jersey sales, team values -- has exploded.

The baseball card 'business has gone from being a $1 billion business in the U.S. 10 years ago to about $120 million now,' said Robert Routh, an industry analyst at Jefferies & Co.

In February, the Topps Co. announced layoffs (it also will move its Bazooka gum manufacturing to Mexico), and the company's chief executive officer stated a new imperative to try winning back the customers it allowed to wander away.

'There is no question about it,' Topps chief executive officer Arthur Shorin told stock analysts. 'We've got to bring kids back.'

The long decline can be at least partly blamed on the rise in other forms of entertainment available to children, such as Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh cards, video games, and computers. But Major League Baseball itself has had a hand in losing its youngest fans, and card companies have methodically watered down their own product.

There was a time when baseball cards mattered. Every spring brought the thrill of tearing open that first, pristine wax wrapper, releasing a plume of sugary gum-powder and a whiff of fresh-cut cardboard, and there they were inside: Mickey Mantle, Willie Mays, Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton, AL RBI Leaders, Andy Etchebarren, Vic Davalillo, Manny Mota.

There were a few hundred cards per year, and when you got the Pete Rose card, you had the Pete Rose card.

Then, like most pure and good things, the world of baseball cards was spoiled.

Collect 'em all today? No flipping chance. Last year, there were 200,000 different baseball cards issued, in nearly 100 different sets, most of them aimed at adult collectors and investors.

'Take a guess how many different Alex Rodriguez cards there were in 2004,' said Colin Hagen, vice president of licensing at Major League Baseball. His unfathomable answer: There were 1,900 unique A-Rod cards in 2004.

The statistics get more incredible. Sixty percent of all baseball cards ever issued were released from 1999 to 2005. That's counting the entire history of baseball cards, which date from 1867.

'In the late '80s, people started realizing that the old cards were valuable, and adults became involved in collecting,' said Warren Friss, Topps' vice president of sports. Prices of vintage cards for Mickey Mantle and other stars skyrocketed. New cards got pricey, too -- some as high as $10 or $100 per pack.

Cards were produced with foil stamping and UV coating, some bearing player autographs. Some had tiny pieces of memorabilia -- swatches of uniforms or slivers of bats -- embedded in them like holy relics. Cards became investments to be protected in Lucite casing, not to flip and play with.

'Adults wanted all sorts of different cards, so we produced some of that,' Topps' Friss said. 'The leagues licensed more people to make cards. We were getting fewer kids buying, but the market was still growing.'

Actually, the market was flooding.

'Which leaves you with no shelf life for the product, no inherent value as a collectible, and just too much for anybody to get,' MLB's Hagen said. 'A fan would try to collect a set, come back into a store three weeks later, and there would be 15 new items -- but the set they started collecting wouldn't even be there anymore.'

So a lot of traditional customers decided not to be there anymore, either.

'We've been telling them for 10 years' that the hobby was losing young collectors, said Bill McAvoy, 58, a retired podiatrist from Omaha, Neb., who travels to one memorabilia show per month selling vintage cards. Last month, he was at the Philadelphia Sports Card and Memorabilia Show in Fort Washington, Montgomery County, where the aisles were crowded with 50-ish men.

McAvoy sat behind his museum-quality display of early- and mid-20th century cards. He said he still owns some of the cards he collected as a boy, and knows which ones they are.

'I wrote my initials on the back,' he said.

Rich Budnick, a dealer of vintage cards from Fair Lawn, N.J., laid some of the blame for the loss of young collectors on Major League Baseball.

'The problem is kids can't watch the most important games because they're on too late,' he said. 'It would go a long way if they would just make the playoffs and World Series games a little earlier.'

That isn't planned. But this spring, Major League Baseball has launched an ambitious effort to rescue baseball cards. The league has licensed only two companies, Topps and Upper Deck, to produce 2006 cards. (When Mount Laurel-based Fleer went out of business last spring, it actually helped the industry.) The move will reduce the number of baseball card sets from 90 in 2004 to, gulp, 40.

'You're going to see more marketing dollars spent on baseball cards in 2006 than in the last 25 years combined,' MLB's Hagen said.

Card companies this month will begin to advertise on Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, and Topps has launched a Card Club with Sports Illustrated For Kids magazine. The companies have promotional deals with Little League and Cal Ripken Baseball. They will have giveaways and retail kiosks in nearly every major-league ballpark. Cards in some 2006 Topps packs contain video game tips, and points accumulated for buying Upper Deck cards can be used toward buying music on iTunes.

The challenge is to make baseball cards 'more meaningful and relevant' to kids, Friss said. 'It's not like the 2.5-by-3.5-inch card is foreign to them. They've been buying them, it's just been Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon.'

Jack Meehan, a fifth grader at Quarry Hill Elementary in Yardley, Bucks County, agrees.

'Probably even 75 percent of our school likes Yu-Gi-Oh better than sports cards,' he said.

Still, there is hope. He used to be 'obsessed' with Yu-Gi-Oh. Now, the 10-year-old, who loves the Phillies and Sammy Sosa, has a collection of more than 500 baseball cards.

'If you go to a store and get the cards, then you go in the car, you're so excited when you open up the cards,' he said. 'If you get this really good card, you call up all your friends and say, 'I can't believe it.' '

That's exactly what baseball card companies want to hear.

Contact staff writer Don Steinberg at 215-854-4981 or dsteinberg@phillynews.com.

Copyright (c) 2006, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.),

(213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com.

New museum is the place to park on Memory Lane: ; W.Va. mans affection for antique autos leads to collection of vehicles, related memorabilia - Charleston Daily Mail

HARRISVILLE - A large part of Cliff Weeses life rests within thewalls of an old 13,000-square-foot building that used to house a cardealership here. Weese, who turns 60 this month, recently openedCliffs Museum of Car Memorabilia in what he refers to as TheBuilding at 305 East Main St. in this Ritchie County town. Thebuilding, which Weese renovated himself, holds his impressivecollection of car-related memorabilia, with items such asregistration cards, license plates, chauffeurs badges and WestVirginia travel guides on display. He owns everything in the museumexcept one tractor and four antique cars. During an open house inmid-May, Weese said he and his wife, Sue, expected 40 to 50 peopleto show up. More than 200 visitors from eight states stopped in tosee Weeses collection. Nobody in Harrisville knew I had it, he said.Weese said most people who visit the museum are from out of state,with some coming from as far as Colorado. The majority of the itemsin his collection are from West Virginia. I like things that aremade in West Virginia, he said. Im interested in preserving thehistory of automobiles in West Virginia. Weese, who works as amechanic for a chemical plant, has had a love for antique cars for43 years. His first antique car was a 1930 Model A Ford, which hesold when he joined the Army. Since then, Weese has raided fleamarkets, yard sales, antique stores and online auctions looking forcar memorabilia. He has attended several license plate collectorsconventions, and says 75 percent of the 1,000-plus West Virginiaplates he owns were bought out of state. They say usually there isone nut in every state that collects license plates like I do, hesaid. Weese owns license plates from every year except 2005 and2006. He even has a 1917 one-horse wagon plate from Wheeling. Thewalls of the museum are adorned with license plates from movies,prototype plates and rejected license plate decals. The clock fromhis fathers auto shop in Buckhannon hangs on one wall, and one roomin the building has been turned into a library full of literature onautomobiles and legislative acts dealing with driving. Cars featuredin the museum include a 1927 and a 1936 Chevrolet, a 1924 Model Ttouring car, a 1967 Chevelle and Harrisvilles first official firetruck, a 1949 Dodge. Also on display are relics from the SterlingOil Refinery, Elk Oil, Esso, AAA and Coca-Cola, which he says hecollects because every car dealership had a Coke machine and someCoke stuff in it. Along with what is already stored in the museum,Weese has two buildings full of car memorabilia and a few moreantique vehicles at home. He said he does not know the value of hiscollection, and doesnt plan on finding out anytime soon. Even if Iknew, I wouldnt tell you, he said. He isnt looking to make a quickbuck off his museum. If people want to make a donation, thats great.If not, thats still great, he said. This is not for everybody, andits nothing you could make money at. Weeses wife of just a year anda half, Sue, said she is still trying to learn about her husbandsextensive collection. I figured I could fight for time with himevery day or I could join in on the fun, she said. She still followsher husband as he gives tours to visitors, trying to absorb enoughso she can eventually give tours, too. Repetition is going to helpme learn, she said. He definitely knows what hes talking about. Themuseum has no regular hours. Visitors can call and make anappointment, or just catch us when were in, said Weese. To Weese,the most valuable aspect of his memorabilia is sharing it withothers. Stuff isnt any good unless you can share it with people, hesaid. This stuff doesnt do any good boxed up in your attic. For moreinformation on Cliffs Museum of Car Memorabilia, visitwww.cliffwvathe building.com or call 304-643-4227.

BOB WOJCIESZAK/DAILY MAIL Cliff Weese has put a lifetimecollection into a museum in Ritchie County that everyone can enjoy.Cliffs Museum of Car Memorabilia in Harrisville holds a collectionthat includes everything from cars to oil cans. His wife, Sue, saidshe tags along on tours so shell be able to describe everything tovisitors, too.

A Chevrolet coupe is one of the largest exhibits in the museum,which also is packed with photos, signs and other memorabilia.

Elk Motor Oil is a brand formerly made in Charleston.

Clockwise from left: An old-time sign features a State Policeofficer warning to slow down in a school zone. Other vintagecommercial signage includes an old Pennzoil logo. This radiatorgrill sports the classic blue Chevrolet 'bow tie.'

One whole display is devoted to Quaker State products andautomobile racing memorabilia.

It's just like the old days; Muskego Tire owner's love of hot rods, vintage memorabilia has new home.(News) - Tire Business

Byline: Vera Linsalata

Tire dealer Keith Hammitt is living his dream: playing with hot rods, working with cars and getting paid for it.

Mr. Hammitt, owner of Muskego Tire & Auto, recently relocated his business into a 9,350-sq.-ft. store that reflects his love for America's automotive heritage and the charm of vintage hot rods. He has scheduled a ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening celebration for June 24.

'This is not your typical-looking tire store, he told Tire Business. 'When I tried to lay it out and design it, that's what my biggest goal was, to not have any type of duplication of any other tire store or auto center.

Unlike many tire and auto service centers, Muskego Tire's facility is designed to suggest the architecture of automobile-related structures from the early 1920s through the 1950s. It has eight bays, a corner tower, lighted exterior canopies, gooseneck bell lamps and period streetlights.

In the showroom sits a 1933 Chevy Coupe hot rodowned by a Muskego Tire customersurrounded by Mr. Hammitt's collection of period-correct gas pumps, signage and automotive memorabilia. The showroom is meant for street rod displays, and Mr. Hammitt said he already has a list covering late September through next March of customers who'd like to display their classic hot rods in his store.

In the waiting lounge are photographs and trophies of local community sports teams Mr. Hammitt has sponsored, as well as a lighted cabinet containing his collection of model cars and trucks.

A Firestone-affiliated dealership, Muskego Tire opened its doors in 2000 when Mr. Hammitt purchased a former body shop two blocks away from the new facility and converted it into a five-bay tire store. Prior to that, Mr. Hammitt had worked as an ASE-certified master technician.

When the city of Muskego announced about six years ago that it intended to widen the road at the store's location, Mr. Hammitt saw an opportunity to expand his dealership and build the vintage facility he had always dreamed of, so he went to work on the layout and design and sold the former location.

'My wife's going to be grateful it's up and done now because for the last five years or so, every time we go on vacation or go places, I'd always get lost for a day going places that looked relatively new and try to talk to the owners, he said, adding that he asked fellow tire dealers what they would have done differently about their facilities.

In collaboration with construction firm Briohn Building Corp. of Brookfield, Wis., Mr. Hammitt not only thought of the design and layout but also came up with some energy-efficient features:

* A hydronic system that heats and circulates water used to warm the shop floor;

* Insulated windows and bricks;

* A retention pond; and

* Landscaping that maximizes green space and includes an in-ground watering system.

Service baysat 67 feet wideare larger to accommodate oversized vehicles for service.

'This is probably the first building they've ever built like this, he said of Briohn Building. 'Quite frankly, they're proud of it.

The June 24 grand opening event will include Muskego community leaders, all 15 of the sports teams Mr. Hammitt sponsors and a special flag dedication for a former employee who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

'He brought a flag back that was flown over his base for me and gave it to me, Mr. Hammitt said. 'So we're going to do a flag dedication and let him raise that on our flagpole.

Mr. Hammitt said after the ceremony is done, he plans to have his former employee take the flag down and fold it up to be put in a cherry case Mr. Hammitt bought on a recent trip to Mount Vernon, Va.

The case, along with a photo of the veteran, will be mounted on one of the dealership's walls near the door, along with biographical information on the soldier and his unit, Mr. Hammitt said.

Muskego Tire employs 12 and last year posted sales of $1.48 million. Seventy percent of the store's sales are in auto service and the rest in tire sales. The dealership carries all major tire brands.

Mr. Hammitt's goal is to build a 3,500-sq.-ft. warehouse with two bays on the north side of his property and eventually, if business does well, to build another store with similar design and memorabilia in another community.

Man charged in case of stolen Sox memorabilia - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

Weymouth resident Jamie Pritchard-Holland allegedly called a NewYork auction service last September and said he had a son dying ofcancer and mounting medical bills. He needed money fast, he said,and was willing to auction off his vast collection of Boston RedSox memorabilia given to him by none other than Theo Epstein, theteam's general manager.

But yesterday the tale was unraveled at a press conference inHauppauge, N.Y.

'There was no sick child, there were no hospital bills, therewere no doctors bills,' said Thomas Spota, district attorney forSuffolk County, N.Y. 'There was nothing but pure greed on Holland'spart.'

Pritchard-Holland, 32, was arrested in New York May 4 andcharged with third-degree criminal possession of stolen property -a treasure trove of Red Sox items worth an estimated $25,000. Itincluded a home plate, a pair of Dustin Pedroia's cleats, KevinYoukilis's first-base glove, and four black duffel bags containinguniforms, caps, warm-up jackets, and other items.

Pritchard-Holland also had a center field marker signed by RedSox great Johnny Pesky, whose family had also apparently been dupedby the tale, authorities said. Authorities say the goods were stolenin a burglary of Fenway Park about a year ago, although Pritchard-Holland has not been charged with that crime. If convicted on thecharges, he faces a maximum of seven years in prison. He was alsocharged in Boston Municipal Court March 31 with two counts ofreceiving stolen property and faces a maximum of five years inprison on each count.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges and remains free on personalrecognizance, due in court in New York June 7 and in Boston June30.

Pritchard-Holland 'got as far as he did with his lies because hewas very convincing, believable, and smart,' said Joshua LelandEvans, founder of Lelands, the Bohemia, N.Y auction service thattook the collection on consignment and had planned to include it ina $2 million sports memorabilia auction in December.

But Major League Baseball officials spotted the stolen goods forsale on Leland's website and contacted Spota's office, whichlaunched a criminal investigation. Detectives in Spota's officeconducted an undercover operation and registered with the site asinterested bidders.

Authorities were allowed to view and inspect the stolenmerchandise at the auction service's warehouse in Bohemia. Theinvestigators then obtained a search warrant, seized the items, andarrested Pritchard-Holland in New York.

'I've been doing this for a long time, and it's hard to fool me,'Evans said. 'But as smart as he [Pritchard-Holland] was, he wasstupid for coming to us, because we give copies of our books to theMLB, the Red Sox, law enforcement, to everybody. It's the worst-kept secret in the world.'

The sports memorabilia industry is a billion-dollar business, specialists say.

'It just shows how utterly ridiculous the whole memorabilia issuehas become,' said Joe Bick, president of Pro Star Management inCincinnati. The agency represents Youkilis and other professionalbaseball players. 'It's obviously gone from being a nice hobbyenjoyed mostly by kids to something that has become twisted into amoney-making endeavor.'

Phil Castinetti,, owner of Sportsworld Inc. in Saugus, whichsays it is the largest sports memorabilia store in New England,estimated the home plate alone could fetch as much as $10,000.

'It depends on who's looking at it, but with those things inyour possession, you could probably name your price,' he said. 'Thehome plate after the '04 World Series sold for $40,000.

According to Boston police reports, Fenway Park was burglarizedApril 15, 2010.

The center field marker was cut off the bullpen wall, and thehome plate was stolen from the visitor's bullpen. A stocky male wasobserved entering the clubhouse garage on Van Ness Street andwalking off with four black duffel bags containing Red Sox equipmentvalued between $8,000 and $10,000, according to the reports.

Jake Wark, spokesman for the Suffolk County, district attorney'soffice, said investigators are working to determine how Pritchard-Holland obtained the items.

'It's the subject of an ongoing investigation, and we can'tcomment at this point on that matter,' Wark said.

The Red Sox declined to comment on the case, citing the ongoinginvestigation.

Pritchard-Holland's latest address was in Weymouth, but he alsorecently lived on Fox Hill Road in Nahant, authorities said. Hecould not be reached at either address yesterday.

Last month, Pritchard-Holland was found guilty in PlymouthDistrict Court of stealing a 15-inch television from a CVS Pharmacyin Marshfield and ordered to pay a $200 fine, officials said.

Evans, the Long Island auctioneer, said he even gave Pritchard-Holland a $2,000 loan as a gesture of compassion, after taking theitems for auction.

'I totally blame myself for this,' Evans said. 'You want to dodue diligence and make that phone call. You want to contact TheoEpstein but don't have the time. Once in a great while, things likethis happen, and it's a pity. But thankfully, there is a system ofchecks and balances.'

Brian R. Ballou can be reached at bballou@globe.com

TOBACCO MEMORABILIA IS HOT.(MONEYWISE) - The Cincinnati Post (Cincinnati, OH)

Byline: Wendy Bounds The Wall Street Journal

Joe Camel and the Marlboro Man may soon be the hottest collectibles in the memorabilia market.

If Congress approves the proposed tobacco settlement, cigarette vending machines, advertisements featuring cartoon and human characters and brand-name promotional merchandise would be outlawed. All those items - including fishhooks, flashlights, hats, pocket knives and shot glasses featuring the big-snouted beast and other tobacco trademarks - could be ripe for hoarding and trading.

Prices of some memorabilia are already climbing in anticipation. Chris Cooper, a Texas collector, says he recently sold a cardboard Joe Camel figure for $150 to a man from Oklahoma. Cooper got it free from a grocery store.

''It's just like the stock market - as soon as collectors even sniff something won't be available or is in the news, they jump,'' says Bob Strong, owner of Rescued Estates, an antique and contemporary collectibles store in New York.

Strong estimates that classic cigarette vending machines, which currently sell for around $300 to $700, will likely jump to about $1,200 to $2,000 as collectors become aware of the proposed settlement. Old Joe Camel magazine ads that now sell for $5 to $10, ''will probably be worth a small fortune as soon as all this sinks in,'' says Strong. He estimates they could jump to $250.

''I've heard of a lot of collectors who have been actively accumulating these items over the last few years in anticipation of this,'' says Dale Coats, site manager of the Duke Homestead State Historic Site in Durham, N.C., which maintains a tobacco museum. The site is named after Washington Duke, the founder of American Tobacco Co., a predecessor to R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. Coats says he hopes the museum will add to its collection in the next few months. ''I think the proposed settlement makes these things more valuable,'' he says.

Why would anyone want to accumulate paraphernalia associated with a deadly habit? Strong says that some collectors have fond memories associated with cigarettes.

''Maybe you were a kid, and it was a happy time,'' he says. ''You were in a store, and your father let you play with a vending machine.''

For investment purposes, experts say that vintage items, like antique vending machines, are a safer bet than contemporary memorabilia, which is still fairly plentiful. There are some 400,000 modern cigarette vending machines in the U.S., and Joe Camel ads still blanket magazines every week. ''This is a market you have to create,'' says Dana Hawkes, director of the collectibles department for Sotheby's auction house. ''It could take 25 years before people say, 'I remember those machines,' and start responding.''

Ms. Hawkes says that Sotheby's has not yet auctioned an antique cigarette machine, but she notes that a 1994 sale of coin-operated vending machines from the early 1900s drew bids from $500 to $25,000. The machines, which included chewing gum dispensers and test-your-strength games, reminded collectors of ''the old Coney Island days,'' she says.

Cooper keeps about 30,000 different pieces of tobacco history in two rooms built adjacent to his Pittsburg, Texas, home. Included is a roomful of tobacco magazine advertising and trade cards, postcard-size cigarette ads with a scenic picture or a sports figure on the front, which were popular between 1870 and 1900. People saved and collected the cards in scrapbooks, says Cooper, who estimates that they are worth between $10 and $300 today.

He also has nearly 6,000 ''tags,'' the little pieces of metal that were stamped into plugs of chewing tobacco from about 1875 until 1939. These tags, which bore the tobacco companies' names or emblems, were redeemable for gifts like baseball mitts and pianos - much the same way Camel Cash is now. Cooper says the tags sell for between five cents and more than $1,000 today, depending on their age and rarity. ''All that for a tiny piece of metal,'' he says.

Cooper estimates that prices on ''all tobacco collectibles'' have already tripled in the last several years, as talks of banning cigarette items proliferated. An old chewing-tobacco tin featuring baseball great Ty Cobb can command as much as $25,000, he notes. And with a much-publicized settlement pending, he expects prices to jump again on everything smoking-related.

At George Gallagher's Pittsburgh antique store, Now & Then, sales of tobacco paraphernalia also have picked up during the last month or two. ''All my cigar advertising is gone,'' he notes. ''I've got a Camel cigarette neon sign, and I think the price for it could go sky-high.'' He adds that anything tobacco-related ''is like money in the bank.''

CAPTION(S):

Photo