Jason Hoffheins opened his vintage shop on Etsy in December of 2012, and RetroGetGo.com was born right after. A few weeks ago, the online store became a brick and mortar on Main Street in the Wasena neighborhood.
Born and raised in Pennsylvania, he began collecting unique items in 2007 – only knowing that he was drawn to them.
“I didn’t really have a plan about what I was going to do with it once I had it. I just felt compelled to save this great stuff from the garbage,” says Hoffheins. “I had always been doing it with records and stereo-related things. That spread to men’s clothes, and then finally to women’s.”
The store is eclectic. Hoffheins’s searches for hidden treasures to share with his customers. He has lived in Ohio and Nashville, Tennessee, and those are represented in his pieces. “Most things are from Salvation Army, Goodwill and estate sales. It’s an awful lot of looking through lots of uncool to rescue the few very cool.”
“The potential to express your own style is so limitless when you’re looking through vintage clothes, and all the hours of shopping feels worth it when I see people light up.”
His passion is infectious. “The quality of this era is remarkable. I have articles of clothing, for example, that are 50 years old and still look brand-new. I like the one-of-a-kind aspect.”
Fans can find more than just clothes and accessories in the store. Hoffheins’s creativity extends to projects.
“I am a musician, and I dabble with art projects from time to time. I managed a frame shop in Tennessee, so when I can, I like saving great art from bad frames and great frames from bad art,” says Hoffheins. “There’s something satisfying about playing matchmaker and pairing things back up.”
Maybe that’s why he chose the Wasena area. His items and their history paired perfectly with the older building that was recently renovated to share his vintage finds.
RetroGetGo is open Wednesday through Saturday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. at 1107 Main Street Southwest.
