The Archive is a physical media retail store that opened in Bridgeport, Connecticut in June 2017…read more It was founded by friends and business partners Brandon Upson, James Neurath, Ryan Emerson and Ralph Stevens. The shop is the brick & mortar division of Vinegar Syndrome: a film restoration and distribution company that specializes in protecting and preserving genre films (mainly produced between the 1960s and 1980s). The company was founded in 2012 by Emerson and business partner Joe Rubin and named for the acidic smell of deteriorating film. It is considered a boutique Blu-ray label and to date has released well over 800 titles on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD. The Archive is dedicated to selling movies and music in a wide variety of physical media formats. Consumers will find all sorts of new and used titles available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD, VHS, Betamax, Laserdisc, Vinyl, CD, and Cassette tape. A second location opened in Aurora (CO) in October 2022 and a third (named 'Vinegar Syndrome') opened in Toronto (ON) in October 2023. I've been doing business with the Archive for a number of years now. I'm a huge fan of collecting physical media. Although streaming media seems to be the way to go now, streaming services are only as good as your internet connection, the quality is too compressed and titles are disappearing all the time. I like having an actual vinyl record or 4K disc in my hands. Physical formats are also usually loaded with all sorts of liner notes, posters and bonus features that you won't get with streaming services. I try to stop at the shop every few months or so. While I sometimes leave empty handed, other times I leave with some great finds. They often carry great film releases from labels like Arrow Video, Blue Underground, The Criterion Collection, Severin Films, Shout! Factory, and of course Vinegar Syndrome. At times, the shop will even get a limited amount of new releases weeks before they are available on Amazon. If you're a fan of physical media then you need to get to the Archive right away!

Massive selection and great service. I got some anime and picked out a few of my favorite movies…read more Great place!

"Well I'm a write a little letter I'm gonna mail it to my…read morelocal DJ" (Chuck Berry) My down-sizing and decluttering mission continues. I've pretty much depleted my decades long accumulation of baseball cards so now I'm into selling off my football cards. I walked into DJ's Comics and Cards to sell six vintage New York Giants cards from the late 1950's and early 1960's. I had done my pricing research, and after correcting for condition and selling to a retailer, I had an idea what to ask for. He offered me $5 less than my assesment, so I countered with his cash offer plus $5 in store credit and that clinched the deal. I ended up using the store credit toward buying a Tom Brady and a Kobe Bryant card for my grandson. DJ's made me a very fair offer and we were both satisfied with the outcome. The store has quite a bit more comics than cards, but I sure enjoyed looking at the shopwcases and rummaging through the commons boxes.

Very nice small business with a lot of fun! Maybe not something for everyone as it is an acquired…read moretaste, but the employees are nice and knowledgeable on what they sell. Sometimes you can even find card boxes for less than their market value. I would recommend.

Phenomenal establishment; a true CT vinyl institution…read more Chris, the owner, is a wealth of musical and cultural knowledge. He brings great records into the shop as to make sure there's always something to be had. One of the best record stores on the east coast hands down. 10/10 worth a visit.

This was such a fun little spot. Chris (the owner) is a solid dude- totally gave me a deal on…read moremultiple records when he didn't have to. They were top notch records- it made me buy more than I planned totally recommend.

First rate comic book store. They carry just about everything in current books and a good selection…read moreof back issues. Plus graphic novels, action figures and a lot of stuff for kids

Nice selection of books here. Came her a few times a couple years back when I was looking for…read moreissues to fill runs. They were super friendly and helpful in person and on the phone. I ended up not needing 2 books I had them dig for for me and they were super polite about putting them back (some comic shops have made rude comments when asking about stuff and choosing not to buy something last minute). I ended up coming back 2 weeks later and bought out the rest of the books that I originally did not want, as well as got some older books as well. Condition here is good. Its super clean and organized too. Wish we had a shop this big near me. Also, comic hunters, they have bins, FOR DAYS!

Small shop, with a decent variety. Seemed to have far more CDs than vinyl which surprised me. Most…read moreof the vinyl seemed like it was added in where ever it could fit, most of the bins were so tightly packed you could hardly flip through. I think a bit of organization would go a long way to make an easier shopping experience. Glad I finally stopped in and certainly could have left with more than I did.

Really nice shop. Stuff old, stuff new. The lady running the shop was happy to let me fumble…read morearound until I found stuff I didn't know I was looking for. Organized-ish, but I did like that I had to get into the stacks and hunt. Was rewarded for my efforts, and priced reasonably so.

This store always has a thoughtful and amazing selection of toys, games, activities, books and…read moremore. And the store is a delight to be in. It is so fun and well designed and played out. The staff is wonderful and helpful.

I love coming here on Saturdays for story-time with my grandson - we always have the best time. The…read moreGeneral Manager and her daughter Molly are wonderful with the kids, and always have a fun activity planned. The toys are wonderful and different from the usual, with a great selection for all ages. Highly recommend!

I had a brief stay in Fairfield and had to check out their local record shop. It was way better…read morethan expected, like a little slice of New York City cool hidden in beachy Connecticut town. The shop is on the main strip (Post St.) across the street from Hemlock Hardware. It's kind of hard to see if you're just driving by (it's behind a sports trading-cards shop) but well worth finding, because it's the kind of record store that is loaded with both new vinyl and rare, well-selected older vinyl. The records span many genres and the shop's owners have excellent taste and knowledge while also being gracious and fun to talk to. I noticed they host listening parties for new releases, making the store a hub for local music aficionados. I wasn't in Fairfield long but consider Vinyl Street Co. to be a real "hidden gem" that I highly recommend you check out if you're in the area. (After that, be sure to stop in to Fairfield's top-notch public library down the street.)

Staff is very friendly. Classic record store vibe. Very glad Fairfield has a place like this!read more

Had been searching the world for Pokemon. Lots of options here. If I were crazy enough, I could…read morehave signed up for phone call when new cards were released. FYI, always jump to the one star reviews, meet a person you'd avoid at all costs.

We used to like going there, finding things we couldn't find anywhere else. We liked the place as…read moreour local toy shop! But then they moved to a different location down the road. Someone shopping with me had to use the restroom really bad. He asked an elderly woman behind the counter if he could simply use the staff restroom very shortly, and she rudely denied the request. We ended up having to go all the way down the road for him. Also half of the place doesn't even sell toys! I wouldn't come here too often.