Photo by Mike Gaffney
Sportsworld owner Phil Castinetti recently moved his business up Route 1 North to 352 Broadway in the new Shops at Saugus plaza.

Saugus – Sportsworld, New England’s largest sports memorabilia store for more than two decades, is off to a rousing start at is new location on Route 1 North.

A couple months ago Sportsworld Owner Phil Castinetti moved the business he has run for 22 years a little up the highway to the Shops at Saugus complex at 352C Broadway.

The new location provides additional space for the unmatched inventory of autographed jerseys, bats, balls, pucks, helmets and countless other items sold at Sportsworld.

“I had eight-foot high ceilings before, now I’ve got 16-feet to work with,” Castinetti said, motioning toward a wall of framed pictures depicting world-class athletes towering behind him.

Some customers griped it was difficult to get into the parking lot at the previous Sportsworld location next to Out of Asia due to heavy traffic.

But Castinetti said that problem has been alleviated with the clearly marked entrance and exit lanes at the Shops at Saugus shopping center.

Millions of American youngsters grow up collecting baseball cards and jerseys, but how exactly does one turn a hobby into a successful sports memorabilia business?

Castinetti’s journey can be traced to 1986, when the avid collector opened a small shop in Everett to see if he could make a living hawking sports merchandise.

“Everything happened kind of quickly and it just took off from there,” Castinetti said.

Shrewd networking skills are a big reason why Castinetti has been able to thrive in such a competitive industry.

Over the years Castinetti forged close contacts with the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics and Bruins organizations.

These connections have helped Castinetti bring in athletes for autograph signings such as Jim Rice, Ray Bourque, Adam Vinatieri, Harmon Killebrew and many other stars to build up Sportsworld’s cachet in the market.

Another advantage is that Sportsworld is able to obtain unusual items that make its memorabilia showroom stand out from competitors.

For instance, Castinetti recently secured a pair of game-worn spandex underwear belonging to New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez that was posted on Sportsworld’s eBay site.

A contact in the Red Sox visitor’s clubhouse enabled Castinetti to put the briefs up for sale.

Boston sports fans tend to be territorial by nature, which perhaps explains why the majority of the memorabilia at Sportsworld is linked to the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics and Bruins.

Certain merchandise will take off in popularity depending on how an individual or team performs, but Castinetti said the Red Sox have always been the biggest seller at Sportsworld.

Anything related to Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia — fresh off his first American League Most Valuable Player Award — has been flying off the shelves, Castinetti reported.

Interestingly Castinetti is a diehard Yankees fan, as any Sportsworld visitor can tell by the fact he frequently wears a cap with the Bronx Bombers’ trademark “NY” lettering.

In fact, Castinetti purchased one of the bases positioned on the infield during this year’s All Star Game at Yankee Stadium. He couldn’t help but point out that Red Sox players made all three outs for the American League during the inning in which the base was used.

One might think Castinetti’s status as a Yankees supporter puts him at a disadvantage in Red Sox Nation territory, but the worst it has led to is a little good-natured ribbing.

Most importantly, Castinetti noted the customers keep coming back to pick up their favorite collectibles at Sportsworld.

The most someone spent at Sportsworld was $30,000 on a baseball autographed by Babe Ruth.

Although sales have slowed a bit with the recent economic crisis, Castinetti said business has been brisk lately with the holidays right around the corner. He hopes Sportsworld will continue to thrive in its new-and-improved spot on Route 1 North.

As a local business owner Castinetti is committed to more than just turning a profit. Since its inception, Sportsworld has run hundreds of auctions and raised thousands of dollars for charities across the country, often donating valuable merchandise to support worthwhile causes.

Sportsworld is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The store’s eBay site can be accessed by logging on to http://stores.ebay.com/SPORTSWORLD-USADOTCOM.

Celtics fans will be happy to know guard Sam Cassell is scheduled to appear at Sportsworld on Sunday, Dec. 14 from 3 to 5 p.m. for an autograph session.