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Writing an article about a store visit isn't something that we normally do around these here parts, but once in a while there is a reason to make an exception. Case in point? The guys that run Vinegar Syndrome have opened up a brick and mortar retail store called The Archive in Bridgeport, CT. Why does that matter to readers of this site? Because in an age where online sales seem to be killing physical stores (R.I.P. Mondo Kim's of NYC!), doing something like this is kind of a ballsy move. On top of that, it's the type of store that caters to cult film fans and record junkies!
The first thing you notice when you walk in? Lots of movies on display, all killer, no filler. There's pretty much a complete offering of Vinegar Syndrome titles, as you'd expect, but also plenty of titles from equally cool labels like Mondo Macabro, Synapse, Severin Films, Mondo Vision, Cult Epics, Raro Video, Arrow and more. This isn't the type of stuff you're going to find if you walk into Walmart of Best Buy, which makes browsing a store like this a serious treat for fans of psychotronic cinema.
And then there's the vinyl. This store isn't huge and on the day we visited, well, it was a soft opening, so these guys are just getting started but this is a really nicely curated section. It's worth the trip to the store just for the soundtrack selection alone, made up of plenty of original pressing and vintage releases as well as new issues from labels like Death Waltz, Mondo, Ship To Shore, One Way Static and more. On top of that there's a decent selection of metal, punk/new wave and general rock and roll. Another thing worth noting? The pricing here is very fair. A lot of shops around NYC, where we hail from, seem to look up a title on discogs and put it out at the highest price it's sold for on that site with little regard to commonality or condition. The vinyl here is priced fairly. It's also graded well and displayed nicely.
If you head to the back of the store, however, there's more! Proving that everything old is new again, there's a wall of vintage VHS releases! Anyone who rented from their local mom and pop shop during the rental boom years, particularly those of us who went through every damn title in the horror section, will get a serious nostalgia wave - and again, what's here is good. No Jerry Maguire or Titanic tapes to be found!
Also in the back room, which has some seating for hanging out and some reading material scattered around, is a selection of vintage posters and memorabilia, a few arcade machines and a nice selection of cult movie t-shirts.
All in all, it's a very cool store. If you find yourself in the Bridgeport CT area, The Archive is currently open Saturdays and Sundays from 11am until 7pm and is located at 118 Congress Street. Pay this place and spend a few bucks, not just because they carry great stuff but because there's still a lot of fun to be had physically browsing movies and music in a store like this, no matter how convenient online shopping has become.
