Despite a significant decrease in sports collectible shops in the United States since the 1990s, one local 15-year-old is diving headfirst into the industry.

Homewood resident Brooks Vernon recently opened Magic City Collectibles, a shop in the heart of Homewood offering a variety of sports cards. 

“I’ve been collecting cards since I was little,” Brooks said. “I did my business online for a while, but I wanted to make it a shop, and here we are.”

Brooks is a Vestavia Hills native, but currently lives in Homewood as he operates his business five days a week. Being 15, Brooks takes Monday off to focus on his schoolwork, but is open for business from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 12-4 p.m. on Saturday. 

Brooks has help running the shop from his mother, Burgin, and his father, Chris. 

“Collecting cards has been life long passion for me,” Chris said. “Brooks started to show an interest in it when he was 7. We talked about doing a shop, and we eventually opened Magic City Collectibles.” 

The opportunity to open the shop coincided with the resurgence of the sports card business. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Chris purchased the vacant building at 2809 Central Ave., converting it into an office to better concentrate on his work. In 2021, the sports card market had its best year since the boom of the 80s and 90s, as the Vernon family collection grew.

Fast forward to August 17 this past summer, and Magic City Collectibles officially opened. The store offers a variety of today’s top sports cards. Any card collector can find their niche from the 2022 World Cup and the NFL Draft to even Pokémon.   

If there’s one thing that has changed in Brooks’ life, it’s how he interacts with the community. 

“I’ve never been a big people person,” Brooks said, “but talking about sports and the thing I love has made me one. It’s kind of cool.”