It’s no secret that our 1213 Walnut apartment community loves to brag about our wonderful, creative neighbors, and Shibe Vintage Sports is no exception.

“It’s a good time to be a Philly sports fan, unlike maybe five years ago,” chuckles owner and longtime Philly sports fan Brian Michael.

Back in 2004, he launched Phillies Nation, a website dedicated to sharing news, merchandise and events with hardcore Philadelphia Phillies fans. Over time, the site developed a huge social media following and sense of community, but he never expected that it would lead him to buy the former Pro-League Authentics store on 13th Street back in 2013.

Brian Michael inside Shibe Vintage Sports

The shop, which he renamed Shibe Vintage Sports, opened on a hectic Black Friday and has only gained momentum since.

Wondering what a “shibe” is? The name is a tribute to an old Philadelphia relic: Shibe Park, a stadium that stood on 21st and Lehigh from 1909 until its demolition in 1976. The Phillies played the last game in the stadium in 1970, but Philadelphia teams such as the Athletics, the Eagles and the Stars played there as well.

“The funny thing is that when we opened, all four teams were terrible,” Michael notes. “This year, we’re champions, and all the teams are in contention.”

Notable Philadelphia athletes old and new have stopped by the shop, including Eagles superstars Beau Allen, Zach Ertz, and Jason Kelce. Even Bobby Shantz, who played for the A’s in the 50s and the Phillies in the 60s, came in for an event and signed a pair of seats from the original Shibe Park, which sit in the center of the store.

From Philadelphia team merchandise to vintage collectibles from Philly sports past, Shibe is packed full of memorabilia for fans of all ages.

“It’s really just anything that bring nostalgia to folks,” Michael says. “We work with a lot of local artists, so they really understand the nuances of Philly. And it’s fun; it’s sports. It’s nice to have a story behind every shirt.”

Working with local artists allowed the shop to debut one of its most creative shirts yet: a tee dedicated to Midtown Village legend Fergus “Fergie” Carey of Fergie’s Pub!

Unsurprisingly, Michael notes that Philadelphia Eagles gear is the hottest commodity at the store. In fact, this past winter’s Eagles mania led to some of his favorite memories since the shop opened.

“The night after the Eagles won and everyone came to Broad Street, a bunch of us came back to the store and had a little impromptu party,” he remembers. “Being in the neighborhood, being able to experience those moments with our fellow employees, owners, customers, and even just random people walking around handing out beers was just an awesome experience.”

As a proud member of the Midtown Village Association, Michael speaks highly of our beloved neighborhood, and he’s watched the area flourish even in just the past eight years.

“People live here—you didn’t always see that,” he notes. “Ten years ago, people didn’t even visit the neighborhood, let alone live here, so it’s a credit to the businesses that have been here for 10 to 15 years and more.”

Like us, Michael is beyond excited for the upcoming Midtown Village Fall Festival, which will return for its fifth year this October.

“It’s a big excuse to have everyone come to town to see what businesses are here,” he says of the festival. “There’s plenty to do: Shop eat, just walk around—it’s all fun.”

After you tour 1213 Walnut, visit Shibe Vintage Sports at 137 S 13th St., and ask Brian Michael about the awesome Philadelphia sports artifacts he and his team have collected over the years.