When I was growing up, I loved sports and enjoyed collecting Sports memorabilia. But at that time,…read moreit was not easy to find them. And when I did, it was a moment of great joy. Today, as I was walking up East Main Street, I happened to notice a store that when I was younger would have been like finding the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
After being awarded the Yelp NC Triad Squad Yelper of the Year 2024 Award at the Yelpies Award Ceremony last year, an event that honored the highest-performing Yelp Elites, celebrating their contributions and accomplishments throughout the year, I decided that this year, as an All-Star Yelp Elite, I not only wanted to be the first to discover new restaurants and businesses, and bring them to the attention of the public, but also to uncover those found in hidden paths that for one reason or another have not reached the public in its totality. And Sports Haven / Collectibles & Memorabilia, in Salem, Virginia, is a perfect example.
I remember when I was a teenager and Saltwater Sport Fishing with my father in his Concord 27 small yacht on December 31st, 1972, off the coast of Isla Verde, Puerto Rico. At a young age, I had won several fishing tournaments catching a 403 pound Blue Marlin on one occasion, and a 97 pound Male Fish Dolphin, also known as Mahi Mahi on another. But this day was very memorable to me, because the plane where Roberto Clemente was traveling in on a humanitarian mission to deliver emergency relief supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua, crashed in this same area. He was killed instantly in the crash and his body was never recovered. We participated in the recovery. Since that day on, Robero Clemente's rookie card value increased immensely. Not only because he played his entire 18-year Major League Baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, becoming a franchise icon and one of the greatest players of all time, but because of his deep commitment to helping others through his humanitarian work off the field, which led to his death. I gave this above example so you can see how the value of collectibles and morabilia is determined.
When I entered the Sports Haven shop, the staff member at the time greeted me and welcomed me to look around. I wouldn't have space to list everything I saw, but I invite you to view my photographs accompanying this review to get a better sense of the place and the great variety and quality of merchandise.
Since I moved to Roanoke, I have been a fan of the Virginia Tech Football Team and its mascot, the Hokie Bird. So I asked him if he had a figurine of him and he showed me one. It was nice but a bit large. The one I had at home was a more appropriate size. I had to go, but am planning to return another day to view more in detail all the valuable items they have in stock. And I highly recommend that you do the same and support this locally owned and operated small business.
