Rick's Sports Cards, located at 12 Mitchell Street in Norwich. The store stocks collectible sports cards, Pokemon cards, vinyl records, coins, and more. (Photo by Sarah Giglio)

NORWICH — Norwich native Rick Stark recently took over ownership and operation of a local sports card shop.

Rick's Sports Cards, as it is now known, has been open to the public since February. The storefront is located at 12 Mechanic Street in Norwich. Current hours for the store are Tuesday through Friday, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Stark says he's been collecting and selling cards since the early 90's, and that he has owned a card shop before.

"I used to have a card shop probably 30 years ago, and cards went by the wayside back then. They went downhill and people got out of collecting," said Stark.

In the last two years, however, he says the collectible cards have seen a resurgence in interest.

"This has been on the rise for the last two years," he said. "I've got guys that are some of the biggest collectors around the area that come in every day almost, and they're saying 'wow I've never seen anything like this with the cards.'"