Talkin' Baseball, Collectibles...and Godzilla

If you have a sweet tooth, you would probably feel right at home in candy store. If you think baseball, movie figurines, card games, autographs and memorabilia are cool, then you would probably want to visit Grand Slam Collectibles, located at 282 Higbie Lane in West Islip.

The store has been in business for 12 years and is owned by lifelong West Islip resident Frank Lyons, who has himself been collecting baseball cards since he was 5 or 6-years-old, growing up a New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Steelers fan with some interest in the Mets and Yankees. 

At that time, there was one baseball card company, Topps, that produced the cards that kids would walk to the local candy or convenience store to buy. Since, then, other companies such as Fleer, Donruss and Upper Deck began to produce cards. However, now it's pretty much back to Topps as the main distributor of baseball cards, said Lyons.

Baseball card collecting is a hobby with many facets. You can collect cards for the pure enjoyment of getting your favorite players and you can collect cards you may think will be go up in value. Right now, the Washington Nationals rookie pitching sensation Stephen Strasburg has obviously caught the eye of collectors.

In terms of local teams, Lyons said Yankees' collectibles outsell every other team, but there's hope for Mets fans. Lyons said customers are "hot and heavy" for Mets rookie firstbaseman Ike Davis' card. 

While sports cards are a major part of Lyons' business, Grand Slam Collectibles has something for just about everyone. "We sell everything, from Babe Ruth to Godzilla," Lyons said. 

The store also specializes in autographs and photos as well as figures from popular movies to wrestling. Lyons said he will even custom frame anything for his customers, from jerseys and photos to letters from schools indicating achievements for students. Grand Slam also holds Yu-Gi-Oh! game days on Monday nights and Saturday afternoons during which customers can come in and play the popular card game. The same holds true for Topps Attax, a baseball game played with cards, on Friday nights and Sunday afternoons.

Grand Slam is not just for boys. There are also jewelry items and dolls that would appeal to girls. Lyons said he lets the customers drive his inventory. "There are so many different things. Especially, the economy being what it is, you can't rely on one thing," Lyons said.

Grand Slam Collectible can be the community's source for filling in baseball cards set, collecting memorabilia or just if you just need a gift for graduation or any kind of holiday. "It's a fan-based business," said Lyons.