Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Aug 24/01) - To a non-collector, walking into Tiger Sport Card Collectibles is like walking into a cluttered basement.

But after talking to owner Marino Lodovici for just a few minutes, one realizes there's value to be found in the piles of comics and stamps, bills, coins and cards tucked into every corner.

Dawn Marino Lodovici shows off his $2,700 Gretzky jersey and $1,200 Bobby Orr card. - Ostrem/NNSL photo

Lodovici was a child when he immigrated to Yellowknife from Italy with his family. He once worked as a miner, but has turned his passion for collecting into a full-time job.

Despite his passion, there's nothing in his store that he wouldn't sell for the right price.

"This is like playing the stock market," he said as he leaned over a glass case.

Beneath the transparent window rested a card trapped in a thick plastic encasement with a price tag of $1,200 and a picture of a young Bobby Orr.

But a card possibly much more valuable slid through his fingers years ago.

"I'm sorry I sold a Wayne Gretzky rookie card," Lodovici said, still smiling even though now it may be worth $20,000.

"I sold it before the grading came out."

Still, he has an autographed Gretzky Edmonton jersey tucked away in a box at the back of the store worth thousands. Lodovici handled it delicately as he pulled away the folded tissue paper for a look.

Other collectibles include paper money that's now nearly extinct due to the production of loonies and toonies, coins produced during a low year of minting and stamps, which aren't a big trader these days.

"It's too complicated," Lodovici explained. "It depends on the paper, glue...."

Two small boys came into the store wearing baggy T-shirts and aerodynamically shaped bike helmets in search of game cards of a dungeons and dragons variety.

Lodovici said Pokemon is a big deal right now. Parents may not want to throw out that Pikachu card because with the right, hard-to-come-by piece of cardboard, and they're rich.

"We don't know," Lodovici said. "We know what they are worth today but in 10 years we won't know, same as Harry Potter."

One Pokemon set is worth $1,200 right now but even though the fads may change, human nature probably will not.

That's Lodovici's outlook.

"Everywhere you go people collect things," he said. "If it's not hockey cards it's Coca-Cola bottles or things like that."