AMERICAN NOVELIST Thomas Wolfe famously said, “You can’t go home again.” Our lives — and everything around us — change constantly. Family members and close friends pass away. Communities evolve. Unpaved country roads become four-lane highways dotted with subdivisions. Even if we knocked on the door of our childhood home and were welcomed over its threshold by the current owner, we would quickly see that life can’t be paused like our favorite television series streaming on Netflix.
But when our fingers brush against something that awakens our inner child — such as a replica of the baseball glove we owned when we were 12 — we instinctively press it to our nose and take in the nostalgic scent of the worn leather. The worries of our present day fade. We are transported to the pitcher’s mound. Bases are loaded. Rooting from the metal bleachers across the field are Mom and Dad. You’d almost forgotten how young they once looked. For a moment, all is right with the world. As the memory blurs, you quickly reach for your wallet. This baseball glove will be the perfect addition to the shelf hanging inside your “man cave.”
We can’t go “home” again, as writer Thomas Wolfe reminded us. But we can collect pieces that transport us there at Jon English Antique Sports and Cards, 204 E. Depot St., in downtown Shelbyville, across from the historic Capri Theatre and Shovel Pizza.
While growing up, English spent many Saturdays with his mom. The thrill of the hunt kept them searching for homemade yard-sale signs planted along the road. English said, “I tagged along looking for toys, sports cards, and coins. I guess I have always liked looking for things that other people have lost interest in. My focus turned to sports items as I have gotten older.”
English traveled to Nashville in 1989 for a construction project and settled in Brentwood 26 years ago. He dreamed of owning an antique sporting goods store on a historic square in “Small Town USA.” So, 10 years ago, when he heard that a building was for sale near the Bedford County Courthouse, he bought it. According to locals, the building was the original Shelbyville Sports Shop, and this news made the 53-mile drive — one way — worth it for English.
“My wife, Kim, inspired me to move all of my ‘junk’ out of the house. I figured it was cheaper to buy a building than to pay rent. My first vision was to open an antique sporting goods store. The card part of our store was an afterthought. The combination of the two makes our shop a special place,” English said. “All I did was take my passion for collecting and share it so others can share in the memories. This is more of a passion project for me. It’s not really a business. We are having fun just sharing our passion with others.”
English credits Keith Wallace with running the store on a day-to-day basis, and Keith’s wife, Christine, with having an artistic eye and being supportive of the pair. English said, “My hope has always been that our little antique sports shop, which is known across the country, brings new people from all over to Shelbyville.”
They currently have more than 15,000 comic books, black-and-white sports photos, pennants from your favorite collegiate and national teams, rare sports memorabilia and advertisements, unopened boxes of baseball cards, and autographed collectibles, with more being added regularly. If your game of choice is hockey, tennis, golf, football, boxing, or horse racing, or maybe you’re on the hunt for vintage games, or even sports apparel, chances are English has it in stock.
He travels the country and attends national trade shows to provide unique items to his buyers. As an added benefit to his customers, he is also building an online collection of over 600 catalogs, which will be available at www.vintagesportscatalogs.com. When this enormous task is completed, it will be the most comprehensive resource available on the internet for determining the value of vintage sports equipment and memorabilia from the 1880s to the 1970s.
“Everyone needs a hobby they can do for their whole life — something that holds their interest. For me, it’s the history of sports, cards, the history of sporting games and events, information on the people who played, and the equipment that was used,” English said.
Over the last decade, English has watched as the Shelbyville square has undergone significant changes. As neighboring buildings have come up for sale, he has purchased them. “I have been fortunate to invest in several buildings. There are some truly visionary people on the square. I am happy that I have been able to see the building transformations of the Grindstone Cowboy and the Glass Hollow Table. It is exciting to see things that bring life back into the older buildings and to see other people’s visions come to life. It is also good to see businesses that bring people back to the square after 5 p.m.”
English describes himself as getting close to the age of being considered “over the hill,” and said, “Life is short. Find something you love to do, and do it as often as you can. Never let anyone tell you that you are too old to do something you love.” GN
To tour the store virtually or shop online, visit www.vintagesportsantiques.com. Store hours: Wednesday, noon–5 p.m.; Thursday–Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
