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!

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.

Solid collection and super helpful staff. Agreed the prices are a bit high but to be expected is a…read moremom and pop style store. Great classical selection in particular!

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.

An amazing trip down Memory Lane for any true Bibliophile. So many cool and unusual books! As with…read moreany used bookstore worth it's salt, organization is haphazard at best, and you would do well to take the time to really browse the selection. If you do, you will be rewarded, guaranteed. Fans of vintage Science Fiction such as myself will find BBTF an especially valuable stop along your way. I could spend hours and hours here (and have!) and recommend it not only for the price and selection, but for the creaky, musty ambience which brings back fond memories of browsing through classic used bookstores in Boston and Manhattan, back in my college days. They really don't make em like this anymore, and I for one am so grateful that a place like this still exists.

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.

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