POPS RESALE SPONSORED CONTENT

WRITTEN BY AVERY SCHANBACHER | PHOTOS BY CARTER SKAGGS

POPS Resale’s checkered floor and colorful walls hung with vintage albums make the space feel almost like a time capsule, even a museum.

After passing tall shelves of retro electronics and studying bowls of nostalgic statement pins, visitors enter a wide corridor packed with rows of music and are free to peruse the extensive library of records and CDs housed there.

The back of the store, once walled off by a military-grade parachute, has slowly been revealed and packed with eclectic finds as the store’s expanded and gathered its current collection of clothing and collectibles.

Although they may be relics, items here live in the present, not the past. Each unique piece is ready to begin a new life when the right person finds it. Daniel Shorr, owner of POPS Resale, takes pride in making sure there’s something for everybody.

Shorr recalled selling everything from clothes, records, a spiral staircase, to a full-size decorative cannon. Shorr’s friendship with local musician Tyler Childers even brought in a collection of limited edition “Can I Take My Hounds to Heaven?” albums, made specially for POPS Resale.

Shorr’s store has been at the same location, 1423 Leestown Road, ever since he and his wife opened it in May of 1996. The idea for their very own resale store started when heart trouble and stress brought Shorr to the realization that it was time for a change from his fast-paced career as an electronics manufacturer’s representative. He and his wife thought of a few options, including opening up a mall booth version of what would someday become POPS.

Eventually, they settled on its current form as a store of its own. Since then, Shorr has run his shop with many of the same small staff. “People realize that even though we may not be blood family, everybody that works here is pretty much family,” he said. “And that’s how we try to treat the customers.” This sense of care and camaraderie contributes to POPS’ welcoming and homey atmosphere and keeps customers coming in time after time.

“It’s beyond what I envisioned,” Shorr said. The store has grown significantly since its founding: Shorr even said the store could use another couple thousand square feet to meet the needs of a growing inventory and customer base.

POPS has also grown in the local vintage community it fostered by constantly striving to create a unique environment, fill new niches in the local vintage scene and meet any needs that aren’t being met.

Today, people come to POPS from every state and even across the globe.

“Generally,” said Shorr, “people tell us that this is only one of a small handful of stores like this that they’ve ever seen. There are vintage clothing stores, there are record stores, there are video game stores, but there’s very few that wrap all of it into one package. And that’s what we try to do.” In short, there’s only one POPS, so make sure to stop by and check it out.