about us

In 1948, 18-year-old Dick Stack was working at an Army surplus store in upstate New York. An avid fisherman, he was asked to put together a list of products for the store to start selling tackle. When he shared his ideas, the owner brushed him off, telling him he didn’t know what he was doing. Frustrated, Dick quit. He went to his grandmother’s house and told her the story. She asked one question: “How much would it cost to start your own store?” Dick said $300. Without hesitation, she took her life savings from a cookie jar and gave it to him, telling him: “Do it yourself.” With that $300 and a lot of determination, Dick opened a bait-and-tackle shop in Binghamton. He poured everything into the business, and by the late 1970s, it had grown beyond fishing supplies to include the wide range of gear you’ll find at DICK’S today. What started as a small shop run on grit and a grandmother’s belief is now a place where athletes and outdoors lovers of all levels find what they need to get out there and play.