The Gart Brothers
Nate and Melvin Gart were born in Denver, CO to a poor immigrant Jewish family. Nate dropped out of the 6th grade to sell newspapers on Larimer Street to help support his family. He began his successful business journey by saving $500 to buy a small storefront, and in 1928, founded Gart Bros. Sporting Goods Company. Melvin joined the business in 1946 and oversaw all the advertising for the company.
Nate’s two sons, Jerry and Mickey, worked for the company, and when Mickey was 13, he went to a ski show with his older brother, Jerry. They were having breakfast with another ski retailer and trying to figure out a way to do some early-season ski business. Jerry wrote “bargains” on a napkin, flipped it over, and a new word was introduced to the English language: “Sniagrab” (“bargains” spelled backward). Over the years, the Labor Day Weekend “Sniagrab” has become the largest ski sale in the world.
As the company grew, the Garts considered many Denver landmarks to which they could relocate the main store. They ultimately settled on the former Cullen Thompson Chrysler Plymouth building at 10th and Broadway. It became the home of the world-famous Sportscastle.
The Sportscastle was indeed a pioneering idea. To have a building that contained a series of specialty sports shops, a travel agency, a golf driving range, a ski machine, and a rooftop tennis court all included in one store was unprecedented.
The Garts have served on numerous community boards over the years, including the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, The Better Business Bureau, The National Sporting Goods Association, Ski Industries America, Rose Medical Center, The Hebrew Education Alliance, Temple Emanuel, and The Anti Defamation League among many others.
Nate’s two sons, Jerry and Mickey, worked for the company, and when Mickey was 13, he went to a ski show with his older brother, Jerry. They were having breakfast with another ski retailer and trying to figure out a way to do some early-season ski business. Jerry wrote “bargains” on a napkin, flipped it over, and a new word was introduced to the English language: “Sniagrab” (“bargains” spelled backward). Over the years, the Labor Day Weekend “Sniagrab” has become the largest ski sale in the world.
As the company grew, the Garts considered many Denver landmarks to which they could relocate the main store. They ultimately settled on the former Cullen Thompson Chrysler Plymouth building at 10th and Broadway. It became the home of the world-famous Sportscastle.
The Sportscastle was indeed a pioneering idea. To have a building that contained a series of specialty sports shops, a travel agency, a golf driving range, a ski machine, and a rooftop tennis court all included in one store was unprecedented.
The Garts have served on numerous community boards over the years, including the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, The Better Business Bureau, The National Sporting Goods Association, Ski Industries America, Rose Medical Center, The Hebrew Education Alliance, Temple Emanuel, and The Anti Defamation League among many others.