A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE. The joy of finding items that transport one right back to their yesteryears is second to none – and that feeling is what The Retro Garage in Lake Hallie specializes in.

For Anthony Marriott and Matt Winters, The Retro Garage (17158 Cty Hwy J, Chippewa Falls) isn't just a store — it's the result of a lifelong passion for collecting, gaming and sharing those experiences with others.

Located in the Lake Wissota area, The Retro Garage opened May 1, but its roots stretch back much further – Marriott's love for video games has grown since he was two years old, he said. Before opening The Retro Garage, he sold items from his personal collection out of his garage, eventually inspiring him to open a storefront.

Winters, a military retiree who spent a decade in corporate America, followed a different path to the same small business destination. A lifelong collector of video games and trading cards, he met Marriott at Eau Claire's Collectors Con in 2025, where the two had neighboring booths.

“We started talking and thought, 'Let's be partners,' ” Winters recalled. “We'll sell each other's stuff and do something a little different.”

Today, The Retro Garage is packed with vintage and old-school video games, gaming systems, Pokémon cards, collectibles and stuffed treasures sourced from garage sales, estate sales, online marketplaces and sometimes even storage unit sales.

Pokémon products are among the store's hottest sellers, the owners said, while Nintendo 64 and Nintendo GameCube games rarely stay on the shelves for more than a few days.

But for Marriott and Winters, the real reward isn't the inventory — it's the real-life connections.

“We aren't doing this to get rich,” Winters said. “We just love doing it.”

Both owners light up when talking about customers discovering favorites from decades past or introducing younger generations to classic games. They intentionally keep many items affordably priced – especially collectible cards – so kids can enjoy the hobby without breaking the bank.

“In our display case, there isn’t a card over $50,” Winters says, “Because in a card shop, kids always want a card ‘from the case’ but they’re typically incredibly expensive ... we’ve intentionally kept them less expensive here, so the parent looks like a superhero and the kid gets what they want.”

The duo say it's common to see parents sharing memories with their children while browsing the The Retro Garage's shelves.

“It's a community,” Marriott said. “People see a game they haven't played in 30 years, take it home, then come back looking for more.”

Though they hope to eventually move to a larger, more visible location, The Retro Garage's focus will remain the same: giving old games, collectibles and memories a second life for gamers of every generation.

Visit The Retro Garage at 17158 Cty Hwy J, Suite J, Chippewa Falls from 12-6pm daily • Keep up with the shop and see updates of its latest in-stock goods on Facebook or call at (715) 944-2944