I lived in Connecticut for many years when I was younger but that was before The Archive was a shop…read moreand it's a place I've been wanting to hit up for years. I recently got into collecting Criterion releases and thanks to some open time, I was able to head out to Bridgeport on a recent trip out east and finally give this place a shot. From the moment you walk into The Archive you are completely surrounded by Blu rays, DVDs, 4Ks, VHS tapes, and every single thing that could possibly exist next to them. This place has every inch of the walls decorated, every shelf is full of movies, and all three rooms are slam packed with cool stuff. I spent probably an hour talking movies with the staff, digging through all the different sections, and it took a whole lot of restraint to not leave with 30+ movies (can't really fit that on a plane). Due to space restrictions for the flight home, I was only able to pick one thing up but Days of Heaven is safely at home in LA now and a proud member of the collection. Overall, The Archive is definitely one of the best stores the nutmeg state has to offer. The decorations were cool, the movie selection was absolutely unbeatable, the staff was knowledgeable, and it was definitely one of the best movie hunting experiences I've had in many, many years.

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!

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

Great service. I've purchased many records there over the years, and they have always been very…read morefriendly.

This place was AWESOME! Every time I travel for work, I try to find a record store so that I can…read morebring something back home to my boyfriend. He's a big collector of weird records, things e old comedy albums, and Sesame Street lol. I was able to find about 6 really great records, a couple of Steve Martin shows, and some mixes. I found them all in the bargain bins, which this store had a huge amount of them. I even had a conversation with the owner, who was super cool, and even gave me a few records on the house just for dropping in. I love this location, and will be back soon!

I first discovered this store about 10 years ago on a trip to Bethel to go to the Sycamore Drive in…read morerestaurant. The owner is very friendly and helpful with anything you might be looking for. They have an extensive selection of compact disc's all at very reasonable prices. Some record stores have cut down on their stock of compact Disc's They also have a very big selection of records. Some are up top where it's easy to flip through them. Others are underneath the displays for the compact disc's. In boxes. So it makes it a little difficult to look through them. Great selection of all genres wonderful jazz selections blues as well. I always find a nice selection of CDs records and yes cassettes to take home their plenty of cassettes. I picked up a Frank Sinatra cassette and one from Phoebe Snow that came out in 1989. I also got the K-tel, Sha Na Na Record of silly songs that I had been looking for Definitely come and check out this record store. You're absolutely find something you were looking for or something you didn't know existed and you'll enjoy it on your stereo system at home car stereo Walkman One of the best record stores in Connecticut

Cool little mom and pop record store. I was trying to avoid a shipping fee and tried to find a…read morespecific Chicago house music cd that they unfortunately did not have, even less carried such a genre. Its more of gen x, boomer and general weird music nerd space than the ones I remember like strawberries in new haven. The guy was friendly and offered to order the cd for me but it was not a priority. Very small and limited selection.

This is another piece of my past that time has not changed. This was a monthly, if not bi-weekly,…read morestop for me with my kids, and we all walked out with armloads of books without breaking the bank. Zoom ahead twenty-five years... I took Writer Friend here since we are still in the process of expanding our libraries (it's an eternal work in progress!) She had never been here, and only knew of it when I had mentioned it in a conversation. We drove up and I parked, and she was wondering about the area, and if there was really a bookstore here. Yes, there was, and I lead her into one of the most eclectic book experiences hidden in an old factory ever. There's a bizarre method to the madness to how the books are shelved. Ron, the owner, has a very deep sense of humor that many people won't get or appreciate (for example, bibles are filed on the "Mystical" shelves, alongside books on ESP, demons, and UFOs). You may come across a book may be seemingly out of place on a shelf, but, with further reflection, it turns out to be the perfect place (a book on politics filed on the comedy shelf). Be aware, open-minded, and keep your sense of humor activated! It's really hard to describe the vibe from the place. Old bookshelves, milk crate and board shelving, tables, old boxes all contain books. They are in somewhat separated into categories, but keep the caveat above in mind. Step carefully, and don't ignore seemingly uninteresting piles of books--there are diamonds hidden within the chaff. So, in the main rooms, Writer Friend found the shelves she was most interested right inside the door--paranormal and erotica (her two genera). I headed right over to fiction, and, lo and behold! immediately found the third volume of a trilogy I started reading in the 1990's, but could never get the last book. That, in itself, made the trip worthwhile. I also found several other books in series that I had not read, and my pile of purchases started to grow. Her pile, added to mine, started to tower up, and we hadn't gone through a fraction of the store. While I was looking around, Ron mentioned casually he hadn't seen me for a while, and asked how my daughter was. Apparently, she frequents the place with her kids, and he remembered both of us--me after twenty years! Very unexpected, and quite nice. Anyway, Writer Friend asked about books on writing. Ron steered us to another room, and there was a large shelf with many tomes like we were looking for. Our pile grew bigger. This room also contained CDs, none of which had any interest for me. I left her in this room and went back into the main area and started to pour through the racks of vinyl records--most in very good condition. I would have dropped a lot of cash on albums if I still owned a turntable. I also made the acquaintance of one of the guys who worked there, who is an aspiring writer himself. We gave him some advice and had a nice little conversation about the theory of writing. He was a good student, and the interaction was a great diversion from the business of buying books. Ron also invited us to peruse a special collection of books, hidden in another room. Many books on esoteric subjects (which is what she was looking for), some rare collectables, and a few other books that one would not normally find in a used bookstore. Writer Friend found a few things she wanted, and now, our tower was ready to topple over. In the end, we got out in under two hours, for under $50, and needed a box to carry everything out to the car. This was one of the most enjoyable afternoons I had spent in a while, and while I want to go back, I may not do so immediately--I want to wait for a while for the stock to change. If you love books (and you need to if you even think about venturing into here), this is as close to the perfect bookstore as you can find.

Just a bunch of crap, seemingly totally uncurated. That is until you reach the front desk and find…read moreit is indeed curated as there is a wealth of Trump memorabilia. Pass. Edit: Also I will say we came to see a bookstore and what we found was just a few shelves of random books, a poor selection both in number of books as well as content. Drove 20 minutes to get here and was massively disappointed. So, to also see the aggressive Trump support was just the icing on the cake to know this place isn't worth your time. Skip it.

One of my, if not my favorite record store in all of CT. Record bins are all spread out so you…read moredon't feel claustrophobic if multiple customers are looking. Great mix of genres and if they don't have what you're looking for, just ask. The owner, Chris is a very chill person, respectful and his prices are very fair. He knows what he has, but you won't feel like you got ripped off either. Always a positive experience and better than most shops in NYC. Only advice is to call before you go, as hours are sometimes flexible. Glad this place wasn't open when I lived in Westville or I'd be broke.

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.

They employ people that have disabilities to provide them with actual work experience and they have…read morereally nice books for very cheap! A lot of children's books as well. Everyone is so nice there and I love that it double as an amazing cause.

most adorable local book shop. i picked up a few books and also noticed they have fun classes and…read moreevents.

I've been coming to redscroll for years with my husband (even to their old store!) and love how big…read moreand organized the new store is. They have fun events including listening parties for new albums and do a great job with record store day. Their record store days throughout the years have been fun. They usually have several copies of popular releases and a very large inventory of used cds, records, and dvds. You can definitely spend some time here and find a gem. You've just got to be patient and look for it!

I was not able to take pictures because I was on a mission to buy a vinyl and get out asap! A…read morefriend of mine discovered this record shop and I though how cool they have used and vintage items for sale to discovering they had a fantastic selection of an artist I really love, but I still can't get it out of my head how dry and rude the staff can be. I dealt with this specfic man with a beard, with muscular body figure, looks like he goes to the gym, and he came off really rude when he told me to stop for a brief moment, signaling me to wait so he can walk further away from me. I understand the shop can be very small however, it was not needed. I played it off but I was indeed embarassed and still purchased something from the store. That moment was back in August. Now in September I called in to ask for a specific item and I was told the item was available after months of searching it in person, sounded like the same person because I memorized his voice. Thankfully he was not there when I arrived to pick up, but there was another staff, very mellow and also not approachable. I got up went inside cause at the end of the day this business is taking my money. In conclusion the staff need to do a better job at being friendly and not be so bothered when asked a question. I don't know if it because I look different from everyone else, I always feel uncomfortable to go inside. Happy with my item, not so happy with the atmosphere and customer service.

A great store. They have a ton of Music on Vinyl imports and is very well curated. They have a…read moregreat selection of out of print and new/old stock on CD. Lots of Japanese imports. Very good for the collector looking for hard to find items. Natalie who was working the counter was very friendly. Glad I stopped by.

Just browsed today, seems like a cool spot. They had a very nice selection, all different genres,…read morevinyl as well as CDs. Also a small selection of turntables and different brand merch and retro patches. It's an interesting store, give them a look.

Amazing store wide range of records from the newest record you can find to oldest Johnny's is the…read moreplace to be and the moment you walk in Johnny will greet and say hello he's just so nice and the prices were prefectly fine and there posters, stickers, and collectibles to

I came here before going to the Avon theater in Stanford to see some films. The owner of the store…read morewas there that day and he was very friendly. The store is laid out very nicely and has some interesting shelving for the records. It is like a drawer that pulls out and you can flip through the records. I picked up a Friday the 13th soundtrack on red vinyl and a Def Leppard record. I also saw on the front of the store they have many boxes of sealed cassette tape's.3 for $10.00 very reasonable for sealed mint cassette tapes. The store of course also carries compact discs and digital video discs. I found everything to be reasonably priced and very good selection of New and used records. I would definitely return here again to pick up some records tapes compact discs or DVDs to add to my collection and to enjoy watching and listening to