Kenny Myszka started collecting sports memorabilia when he was a teen.
“I’ve always been a collector,” he said.
Today, he is surrounded by all things sports at his new business, Acme Sports Company.
He opened the store at 112 S. Main St. – across from the Waupaca Area Public Library – on Tuesday, Sept. 6.
“My goal is to be more of a collector’s gallery type of thing,” Myszka said. “I want to have mostly Wisconsin teams – the Packers, Brewers, Bucks, Badgers.”
Those who visit his store will see plenty of photographs, autographed items and clothing. He also wants to devote an area of the store to the Comets, featuring the blue and white attire.
Myszka, who grew up in Waupaca, was in high school when the Green Bay Packers won the 31st Super Bowl.
Somewhere around the beginning of the 2010 NFL season, he began thinking about opening a sports-related business.
“I saw an opportunity,” Myszka said.
He had just moved back to Waupaca several months before that after living in Green Bay for a couple years. While living in Green Bay, he worked in various areas, including insurance.
“I never could find my niche,” he said.
Myszka already knew all about sports memorabilia and began to learn the business side of it.
“I started looking at where I could do this, what I needed to start and learned that it was manageable,” he said.
Last fall, in the midst of doing his research, Myszka found out that a store in Green Bay was for sale.
For several months, he negotiated with the owners. They were selling everything, including fixtures, shelving and a countertop.
“All the while this (the negotiation) was happening, the Packers were on the Super Bowl run,” he said.
Myszka reached an agreement with the store owners within days of the Packers’ Super Bowl win.
“I had it (items for his store) in storage until I found a spot,” he said.
In early July, Myszka signed a lease for his downtown location. Remodeling began in the space, and by the end of August, he began making the move to open the business, doing so with the help of his wife Natalie and his parents.
A cousin helped him design a logo for his business.
Acme Sports Company is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. On Thursday, Sept. 8, the store will be closing at 1 p.m. Myszka can be reached at 715-258-0808.
With the Packers’ season now underway, his store is full of the green and gold.
Myszka also plans to sell items online and will be setting up a “Champions Club” at his store. For an annual fee, those who sign up will be the first to know when new things arrive and will also receive discounts.
His own hobby of collecting sports memorabilia began with small items like Green Bay Packers flags.
“As I started getting my own money, I started getting more expensive stuff,” he said.
His goal is to get the things people want.
“There’s never been a better time to be a Wisconsin sports fan,” Myszka said.
He now gets to wear a Packers shirt to work every day and talk sports with people.
“I think I was knocking on the door my whole life,” he said.