Byline: Schmitt & Culloton
Mark and Kim Pertile went shopping for some sports cards at their favorite shop about a month ago and found opportunity instead.
They learned that day that the longtime owner of Safe Hit Sports Cards and Comics in Downers Grove, Vince Ippolipo, was looking for buyer for his business.
Like most avid sports card and memorabilia collectors, the Pertiles had always dreamed of running a store. They often hosted sales and swap meets in of the garage of their Westmont home.
They made some inquiries, which turned into talks, which turned into negotiations, which turned the Pertiles into the new owners of the shop at 6238 Main St. in downtown Downers Grove.
'It all happened very fast,' said Mark Pertile, who took control of the store with his wife last week.
They have kept the staff, but changed the name and the strategy of the 1,800 square foot shop since taking over.
It's now called Safe Hit Collectibles. The Pertiles are trying to sell off its inventory of comic books and have expanded Safe Hit's selection of collectibles, adding Coca-Cola mementos, die-cast products like Matchbox, and Beanie Babies.
The Pertiles now have two businesses. Mark has run Great Lakes Spa Suites, which sells and rents hot tubs and saunas, for 13 years in Chicago.
They are excited to own the store where they used to spend $300 to $500 per month. 'This is like a dream,' Mark Pertile said.
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The grammar of money: A new booklet offered by the National Endowment for Financial Education hopes to not only advise Hispanics on how to secure jobs, but also how to manage the money they earn.
The endowment has published 'One Step Closer to Your Dreams: Making Your Paychecks Work for You' with the National Council of La Raza. It contains chapters on preparing for work, what to expect on a new job, what to do with the paycheck and how to keep a job.
For details call (202) 776-1713.
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Be a cable guy: Ameritech New Media is expanding its customer care center in Itasca and is looking for 50 people to perform telemarketing work on the second shift for its cable television venture, Americast. Call (888) 804-1688 for details.
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10-year celebration: Copies Overnight of Wheaton will celebrate its 10th anniversary in October.
DuPage Business appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Send items to Chrystal Caruthers and Dan Culloton, Daily Herald, P.O. Box 2497, Naperville, IL 60567; or call (630) 955-3542 or (630) 955-3538.
