Vintage set, clothing stores open new location in Manchester

Retro Junk and Manchester’s Natural Selection Vintage opened a new store together at 757 Main Street on Saturday. Previously, the stores were located close to each other in the Manchester Mall. Both are still considered separate businesses as long as they operate from the same location. Natural Selection Vintage owner Dustin Taksar and Retro Junk owner Brandon Farr decided to merge their stores because their themes were a good fit and they often had the same customers.

“Now that our two stores are under one roof, we have a little bit of everything. I think anyone, young or old, can walk in here and between the two of them, find something that’s nostalgic, something that hits.” and something that makes you happy,” Taksar said.

Retro Junk sells items like old video games, trading cards, old magazines, comic books, music records, and action figures. Some of the brands that the store carries are Pokémon, Nintendo, GI Joe, LEGO, Funko Pop!, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Masters of the Universe.

Inside Retro Junk and Natural Selection Vintage.
Retro Junk and Vintage Natural Selection / contributed

“I do old-school Nintendo Power magazines, video games ranging from the original Nintendo to more current stuff,” Farr said.

Natural Selection Vintage specializes in pre-2000 clothing. Some of the items for sale include T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and leather jackets.

“Most of my store sells fashion from the ’80s and ’90s. I personally love a lot of vintage stuff, I just wish it was easier to find stuff from the ’50s and ’60s,” Taksar said. “If I think someone will like it, I’ll try to get it in the store, regardless of what it is.”

The new store also has a lounge, which Farr said could be used for playing video games, since it has “every console ever made,” or a classic movie on a VHS tape. The venue also has retro arcade machines for guests to play Super Pac-Man, Pac-Man’s Arcade Party, and Golden Axe. Farr plans to add more arcade games in the future.

“Most of the time, I’ll probably have my Switch plugged in because it’s the easiest and already has the library of retro games. And then I have the newer stuff like the NES and Super NES Classic. It’s really whatever.” I feel like playing one day,” Farr said.

Arcade games at Retro Junk and Natural Selection Vintage.
Retro Junk and Vintage Natural Selection / contributed

Farr said that his love for vintage items began in his childhood. She started the business online before selling at a Manchester flea market and Manchester Mall.

“Everything I had as a kid I still have. From toys to clothes to video games, everything,” Farr said. “I would tag sales and stuff with my mom and grandma when I was younger and just keep adding to the collection.”

Like Farr, Taksar fell in love with vintage clothing as a child and opened an online store. And it was actually Farr who inspired him to open a physical store after visiting Retro Junk.

“I was probably in his store for an hour or two, ripping his ear off. We were both the same in the way we did everything online on eBay for so long. At that point, I hadn’t even thought about a physical store,” he said. Taksar. “We were a couple of nerds and we found each other and it’s been going ever since.”

Classic video games for sale at Retro Junk and Natural Selection Vintage.
Retro Junk and Vintage Natural Selection / contributed

The store will be open Wednesday through Saturday with potential plans for extended hours.

“I’m getting to the same place Brandon is now, where people are bringing him stuff. It’s fixed enough in the city now that people just know he’s here. It’s happening slowly for me, too, where people are cleaning up slowly. they get out of their closet or basement and come see me before they dump it at Goodwill. The more we can do that, the more days we can be here and be open,” Taksar said.

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