Roseville's Mr. Zero's reviving new generation of vintage games
Mr. Zeros ushers in new gamer generation
A generation of toys and video games is making a comeback at Roseville’s Mr. Zeros.
ROSEVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) - They say everything old is new again. That is true at a record and vintage game store in Roseville that celebrates everything retro.
Blast from the past
Local perspective:
Walking into Mr. Zero's in Roseville is like taking a step back in time.
Whether it's records, books, toys, lunchboxes or other pop culture memorabilia, nostalgia is the bestseller.
"I love it. I love toys. I love movies. I love music," owner Richard Schwinden tells FOX 9.
From zero to hero
The backstory:
The store is named after a reference to an episode of The Monkees television show.
Schwinden says many of his customers played video games like Mario Bros. when they were younger, and they are now introducing them to their children and grandchildren.
"It evokes memories, gives them conversation. Oh, I had this or I had that. Do you remember this? No, I never saw that," said Schwinden.
From compact discs and cassette tapes to DVDs and VHS tapes, Schwinden says 90% of the inventory is used.
But these pieces from the past appeal to collectors across all ages and demographics.
"It's people from 75 years old to five years old and all points in between, guys and girls," said Schwinden.
Cultivating a collector community
What they're saying:
Schwinden says in this increasingly digital age, stores like his are becoming a dying breed.
But he hopes the appreciation of learning something new from old things never goes extinct.
"That we continue to find people that want to own a physical product, that that need and desire doesn't die," said Schwinden.
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