Greater Bay Shore coverage is funded in part by Shoregate, now leasing brand-new premium apartment homes in the heart of Bay Shore. Click here to schedule a tour.
If you had any sort of childhood, you’ll be able to find a piece of it at this new Bay Shore storefront on Main Street.
Meet Blast From The Past.
The shop — located at 125 West Main Street in the old Pixie Dust space — is taking patrons down memory lane with its vintage collectibles spanning various decades.
We’re talking 1,200-square-feet lined with classic comics, old-school action figures, retro video games, and about anything else deemed a “collector’s item.”
The shop is founded by Bay Shore husband-and-wife team Rich and Christina McWilliams, who launched this week in the downtown.
For Rich, this is venture is about two things.
One, turning his life-long hobby for collecting into a profession.
The 34-year-old has spent most of his life building up his own collection, traveling across the states and internationally for items.
“Even when I go on family vacations like when we went to Bermuda, I still found myself looking for stuff,” said Rich with a laugh, on his ongoing hunt for classics.
It’s also about sharing his passion with his neighbors.
“A lot of people are looking for an outlet nowadays with all that’s going on in the world,” he said. “I want to remind people of their past, and maybe even a simpler time where people would lose themselves in a video game or a comic book that they read as a kid.”
And if you have a hefty collection for yourself, Rich says Blast From The Past will be accepting trade-ins, as well.
Additionally, the owners also want their shop to be much more than retail.
“We want to do things like have cosplay contests,” said Rich, a Bay Shore High School alum.
Blast From The Past will be hosting a grand opening on Dec. 11 where there will be giveaways and raffles.
For updates on that, follow Blast From the Past on its Instagram and Facebook pages.
Check out the photos below for a sneak peek of Blast From The Past.
Top: Blast From The Past owners Rich and Christina McWilliams gaming with their son Leonardo
