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Retro Mania, The Yards - Kettering

Calling all the big kids! Who loves retro toys, gaming, and collectibles? If this sounds like you, we know you are going to love Retro Mania, a brilliant new small business that you can find at The Yards in Kettering town centre.

Retro Mania is bathed in nostalgia and is a place for retro toy and games collectors, and anyone seeking a safe space to start their collection, make new friends, and connections.

Founded by local man Paul who is a busy dad and self-confessed big kid, Retro Mania began on social media. With its stock growing and taking over the family home, along with the customer base building, and popularity increasing, when a shop became available at The Yards, Paul knew the time was right to go for it!

You can find the little shop at the entrance to The Yards, and when you step inside, you’ll be greeted with a bright, colourful space that’s packed full of new and pre-owned toys, games, and accessories mostly from the 80s and 90s.

These include Hasbro figures, Hot Wheels, Star Wars characters, comic books, retro computer games and consoles, WWF action figures, Pokémon trading cards, collectible cars, board games…the list goes on and on. And you can’t miss business-owner Paul, who has so much positive energy, it’s infectious!

It’s like stepping into a time machine here at Retro Mania. We are a playground for all ages, there is something for everyone and it brings a smile to people’s faces, there is a real buzz here and I love it.

Running a business that I am so passionate about has always been fun, and opening my little shop is next level excitement! I saw an opportunity and decided to go for it and I’m so glad I did as we have quickly become very busy. I still pinch myself when I see the shop busy with customers, sometimes even queuing outside after I’ve advertised new stock.

As I was growing up, my dedication to collecting and gaming saw me visiting trade fairs and markets where I picked up all sorts of toys, games, and memorabilia. I used to help on a local market stall selling toys and games when I was 11 and this fuelled my passion. I loved seeing what customers were buying and how their collections were growing, plus finding items for my own collections.

It’s great that it’s me that can now help others through my very own business. People go mad for it and it’s wonderful to see my regular customers as well as new ones. I enjoy chatting to people and will spend time getting to know their interests so I can keep my eye out for items that I know they will want when I visit toy fairs to look for new stock. My last haul saw me with trolley loads, it was hard to fit it all in the car!

I also do trade-ins with customers and swaps, and with lots of my stock also on the website, people can browse through the items, and I will post orders out to them. We are becoming more well-known with online customers from all over the UK. Having the shop is ideal though, and my happy place, as it means people can stop-by to see, feel, and experience the products before they buy them, and they might find something else while they are here too.

We have mix of new and pre-owned items that are all handpicked, and I make sure everything is in tip-top condition before it hits the shelves and display cabinets. It can sometimes cause a bit of a frenzy when I have new stock in, especially the Hasbro collectibles, I love to see it!

My partner Manda is an incredible support to the business. We are very much a family-run unit with my children getting involved too. Manda has great energy and entrepreneurial spirt and we are always thinking of new ideas for what we can do next. I’m currently thinking about introducing remote controlled cars and an outdoor demonstration space, how cool would that be!

Having the shop at The Yards is great because it’s a nice community here and we help each other out. There is always something going on as it’s an eclectic mix of small businesses in Kettering’s Cultural Quarter. There are regular events throughout the year with markets, music events, and other activities, everyone is welcome and it’s a wonderful place to explore and do a bit of shopping.

For anyone with a keen interest in retro toys, games, and memorabilia, Retro Mania is the ideal place to take a nostalgic trip down memory lane, start your collection or build it even more! Stop by to see how we can help.Paul - Retro Mania

Whether you’re an avid collector, just starting out, or someone who is seeking a welcoming community with like-minded people, make sure you take a trip to The Yards and become part of the Retro Mania family. 

Support this wonderful local business by:

• liking the Retro Mania Facebook page and following Retro Mania on Instagram
• popping into the shop to say hi!
• visiting the Retro Mania website
• leaving a positive review online
• telling your friends about them

Last updated 22 April 2024