In a surprising twist of fate, Tim Banazek has uncovered what might be the world’s largest private sports memorabilia collection, hidden away in a former antique shop along a rural Virginia highway. This remarkable find includes autographed baseballs from legends such as Willie Mays, Stan Musial, and Bob Feller. Acquired in 2021 from a private collector, this treasure trove contains an estimated 20 million sports cards, surpassing any known collection in size and scope.

For years, this vast collection was stored in a concrete outbuilding behind a modest ranch house. The anonymous seller’s family disclosed that the collection was painstakingly assembled over more than half a century, often by acquiring entire collections from other enthusiasts. Banazek, who has only begun to explore the collection, has relocated it to a discreet storefront 25 miles outside Richmond, Virginia, with plans to eventually share it with the public.

A Glimpse into Sports History

This collection is a veritable time capsule of sports history, featuring every Topps baseball set from 1954 to 2016, as well as decades of basketball and football cards. It includes thousands of cards of sports icons like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James. Among the rarest items are Babe Ruth cards, authenticated tobacco cards from the early 1900s, and game-used gear from Hall of Famer Bill Dickey. Beyond sports, the collection also contains postcards of Marilyn Monroe, sealed card boxes from “Star Trek,” “Star Wars,” and Pokemon, and early 20th-century cigarette cards.

Despite efforts to catalog the collection, Banazek estimates that only 5% to 10% has been thoroughly examined, leaving the door open for more rare discoveries. His friend, Darren Wieder, began the daunting task of inventorying the collection but paused after reaching 80,000 cards. The sheer volume and potential value of the collection are truly staggering.

Transforming a Private Passion into a Public Experience

Banazek, an energetic entrepreneur and father of three, is eager to share his newfound treasure with the world. He is working with Rob Smith, a former television executive, to explore various ways to showcase the collection to a wider audience. Ideas on the table include an interactive tour, a Las Vegas residency, and a podcast that delves into the fascinating stories behind the cards. John Skipper, a former ESPN executive, has also shown interest in the project, describing the collection as an “earthly garden of cardly delights.”

While Banazek continues to delve into the collection, he remains uninterested in selling or fully cataloging it. For him, the excitement lies in the ongoing discovery and the potential stories each box holds. As Banazek enthusiastically states, “There’s the discovery writ large, which is amazing, and it gets my heart palpitating. But it’s what’s still in there that’s fun. Let’s have fun.”