HORSEHEADS, N.Y. (WETM) – A local sports collector is hoping to help preserve history.

Don Allison has been collecting Elmira-area sports memorabilia for decades. Allison, 76, of Horseheads, went to his first-ever professional baseball game at Corning’s Memorial Stadium watching his beloved Corning Red Sox in the PONY League in 1954.

Since then, Allison has saved hundreds of merchandise items inspired by the Elmira Pioneers, Corning Red Sox, and other notable memorabilia in a truly one-of-a-kind collection. Whether it’s a jersey, program or collector’s cup, Allison believes the collection is not about making a sale. In fact, it’s about sharing memories.

Those memories led 18 Sports to meet up with Allison to discuss his local collection and what it symbolizes. Every item has its own story.

“To me, monetary means nothing,” Allison said. “I want people to see it and say, how’d you get that?”

For Allison, the more rare the item the better. And, he has plenty of them but throughout all of the years of collecting Allison says it’s about giving others an opportunity to experience history.

“That’s the whole thing, I love showing the stuff off,” added Allison. “It’s really, to me, it’s a labor of love.”

Allison will be donating his entire collection Corning Red Sox memorabilia to the Corning Historical Society. An exhibit is being planned to be displayed next year.