Meet the Mayor of the Annandale Shopping Center

If you've ever visited the Annandale Shopping Center or stopped by Beanetics for a cup of coffee, chances are you've seen Vinnie Savino hanging outside of the store just next door. You might not know him, but he probably knows you.

"I know everybody," said Vinnie Savino, co-owner of Ron's Collectors World, a sports card and comic book store in the shopping center. "I watch over things in the shopping center," he said. "They call me 'The Mayor.'"

Ron's Collectors World is known for its high quality and one-of-a-kind collections. "It's a different kind of business," said Savino, who runs the store with his brother Ron. "A good reputation in this kind of business goes across the country. People come in to look at our store and see who we are."

Ron Savino opened the store in 1992 after retiring from the Navy. "He's a baseball nut and decided to open this store," said Vinnie. "Someone else took the comic side and [Ron] eventually bought it out."

The brothers specialize in high-end sports cards and older, collectible comics. "We're kind of unique in that we do both sports and comics," said Savino. "Most of the stores are one or the other."  

A New York City native, Vinnie followed in his brother's footsteps and moved to Annandale 17 years ago. "Ron was stationed in the Navy down here then relocated back here after he retired," said Savino. "I came to visit for three days and then stayed for 17 years. I never left."

Though he returns to New York on occasion to visit his daughters and grandchildren, Savino says he is smitten with Annandale. "It really is a nice area," said Savino. "It's completely different from every area around here. It's unique."

Before his career as a store owner, Savino managed industrial catering trucks in New York City and worked as the head of construction for Macy's Herald Square. He was also in the Marine Corps.

The brothers have been running the store together for 10 years now. Savino said it's different to work with his brother because he works alone most weekdays and Ron comes in on the weekends. "It's a seven-day-a-week operation," said Savino. "I take four days a year off."

When it comes to local competition, Savino said he edges out his competitors by buying differently than anybody else. "I don't profess to be the cheapest, but we take care of our customers," said Savino.

The Savino brothers buy boxes from different distributors. Over the years, they have found certain dealers who they prefer to work with more than others. They will buy three or four boxes at any given time from each of their preferred dealers.

"There's normally one really good box per case," said Savino. "If I buy three from you and get three from him, I'm going to have a good shot at getting your good box and his good box. It works – it's our method."

The 2009 Presidential Plate series by Topps is a perfect example of their success. "They're worth thousands a piece," Savino said of the presidential signature images. "The only person in the world who got two came into our store and got James Madison and Andrew Jackson."

The store has also had their fair share of famous clients over the years. "I sold [Redskins quarterback] Gus Frerotte his first card ever," Savino said. "Thurgood Marshall Jr. was also one of our clients. He's a big Yankees fan and Beanie Baby guy."

Regular customers come in frequently for sports cards and subscribers come in once a week for new comics. The clientele includes everyone from the young and old to male and female. "Once we hired someone who had been in this business all his life and he was surprised at the amount of women who come into the store," said Savino.

Savino said that the store isn't being affected by the slumping local economy. "We're holding our own and we have good customers," he said. "A lot of people are hurting and I'm getting calls from people all across the country who want to sell stuff. The economy is really in shambles outside of Virginia. People want to dump their collections – they're just trying to eat."

The store offers its customers fair prices on all their products and even offers a 15 percent military discount to anyone serving on active duty as long as they have an ID card.

Much of the success of Ron's Collectors World has to do with the enjoyment people get from reading the comics and collecting sports cards.  "This is an entertainment for people, that's what it is," said Savino. "Especially in this market, it's cheap entertainment and this stuff is collectible. What else do you buy that goes up in value instead of down?"

Aside from the entertainment, collecting can pay off big in the end. "A Strasburg card just sold for $21,000 and the kid only pitched eight games. And you probably paid $5 for that pack. One hell of a good investment, ain't it? That's the name of the game."

Ron's Collectors World is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m.