ITASCA – When Joe Irmen headed into retirement in the late 1980s, the longtime developer and avid coin dealer realized the lifestyle left him bored.
He had traveled the coin show circuit and ran a store at Rohlwing Road and Devon Avenue, but got in as one of the first tenants at a new strip mall about three miles south, at Route 53 and Lake Street. In 1989, Irmen started with a coin shop in one storefront and a jewelry store next door.
“I opened the store to have a place to hang my hat,” Irmen said.
Within two years, Irmen partnered up with sports card and memorabilia expert Ken Ratini and expanded Ballmart into the old jewelry store space. Twenty-one years later, Irmen and Ratini have survived a rollercoaster ride of popularity for coins and sports collectibles to survive longer than most marriages.
They do it with the feel of an old-time comedy team, as Ratini plays straight man to Irmen’s kidding around. But make no mistake, the duo is serious about their areas of expertise and serving customers the best way possible. Both take pride in sharing what they know with people who walk in the door.
“I enjoy educating the kids about coins,” Irmen explained.
As gold and silver prices have risen in recent years, Irmen offers a reminder that Ballmart isn’t a chain store only interested in buying bulk metals. He is, and always will be, a collector eager to see what he can obtain.
“When I have a chance to buy an estate, the adrenaline gets going,” Irmen said. “I love the coins.”
Ratini, who used to buy and sell sports items at shows, also appreciates the ability to interact with the people who shop Ballmart. Although he dislikes how collecting has gone from a simple, fun hobby to a multi-million dollar industry, Ratini recognizes how much has changed since the heyday of sports cards in the 1990s.
That’s why you’ll find more than just packs of cards on Ballmart’s shelves. Autographed jerseys, football helmets and many other types of sports collectibles – even a few Blackhawks items marking their first Stanley Cup championship in nearly 50 years. Ballmart’s dedication to customers also prompted their involvement in the Northern Illinois Hobby Retailers group.
Adaptability and business sense led the men to start Ballmart Charity Auctions several years ago. The service provides a wide variety of sports memorabilia to organizations or events holding auctions at no cost unless items are sold.
“People liked it because it is not out of pocket,” Irmen said of the program’s lack of up front cost.
In short, Ballmart delivers the items with a suggested opening bid price that guarantees the auction will raise money for the organization with no risk if items don’t sell.
Social service agencies, a variety golf outings and the Mayor’s Community Charity Ball in Addison are just some of the groups and events that have worked with Ballmart on auctions. Other memorabilia companies might offer a similar program, but Ballmart actually does it in the communities where Irmen and Ratini work and live.
One example is the recent No Bats Baseball Club charity golf outing at Village Greens of Woodridge. The charity auction, which included Blackhawks items and signed baseballs and bats, benefited the Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities program endorsed by Major League Baseball.
“We were looking for a way to enhance our fundraising,” Brian Rhoney, of No Bats, said of working with Ballmart Charity Auctions.
Rhoney complimented Irmen and Ratini for “bringing in some quality items” and, in general, helping make the event run smoothly over the last seven years.
To learn more about Ballmart Collectibles and Ballmart Charity Auctions, call 630-250-7474. You can also follow Ballmart online at twitter.com/Ballmart_Itasca and on Facebook.
