Take a trip back in time at Blast From The Past shop in Bay Shore
BAY SHORE, New York -- It all began when Rich McWilliams was a kid when he received his first game console. As he grew up, so did his collection. The day finally came when he finally realized his nostalgia collection was so large - it took up a whole room in his house - that it was time to turn his passion into a business.
Meet Blast From The Past, McWilliam's new shop in Bay Shore, New York, brimming with retro collectibles, vintage comics, and rare toys that appeal to kids of all ages.
McWilliams decided to move ahead with his dream despite the pandemic. Nostalgia, after all, is a welcome escape from today's troubles.
"We are a collector's haven," McWilliams said. "We offer video games, toys, music, movies, trading cards, comics of all sorts from the '70s through the 2000s."
McWilliams is a true professional collector, with wide-ranging tastes well beyond gaming.
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"I always had a little bit of a taste for everything," McWilliams said. "I was never really planning for it to escalate to this degree. Over time it just kept piling up and piling up with a lot of stuff."
What McWilliams loves the most about his shop is when new customers come in and find something nostalgic from their childhood.
"Complete strangers are walking in and maybe happen to look at the same thing and engage in conversation together," McWilliams said. "Connections like that make it worthwhile to me as well."
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Contact Community Journalist Alex Ciccarone
