Sure, there’s a flood of sports memorabilia on eBay. But there’s nothing like walking into a room full of the real thing, inhaling that fresh baseball card smell, and drooling over Mickey Mantle’s hat, which he (gasp!) signed with his own home-run-hitting hands. Sports Heroes and Legends is every fan’s paradise. They stock licensed gear, home décor, obscure autographed pieces and more. “Kids should look at collecting as a hobby. Sometimes kids take the money value too far,” says co-founder Dan Sherman. “It’s about owning a piece of history.” Stop by to gawk at a signed Ken Griffey, Jr. jersey or an autographed LeBron James basketball.

10 Giffords Lane at Amboy Road in Great Kills Town, Staten Island
www.sportsheroeslegends.tripod.com