630 Talcottville, Vernon, Connecticut 06066
Located in a strip mall on the edge of Vernon, New England Jukebox and Collectibles – Vernon Vintage Vinyl is two stores in one. New England Jukebox and Collectibles occupies the ground floor, while Vernon Vintage Vinyl takes the basement.
As the sign says, Vernon Vintage Vinyl has over 150,000 records, from the ’40s thru the ’80s. Their specialty is old records from the ’40s and ’50s. Their newer offerings were mostly common. The store did inform me of the only Connecticut artists that had number one hits – including the one hit wonders Steam – with their 1969 hit Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him) Goodbye. Quick – can you name another word in the lyrics of this song? I surely can’t, but I can’t get the tune out of my head either. The cover of the album that features the single pictures a bunch of guys in a steam room. None are on the single however, which was sung by one of its writers, Gary DeCarlo.
The real draw here is New England Jukebox and Collectibles, with their outstanding collection of collectibles. They featured two beautifully restored juke boxes – a Rockola and Seeburg – as well as two more Wurlitzers in various stages of repair in the back. Old vintage radios, stereo equipment, pinball and arcade machines (including a Pac Man from back in the day), a slot machine, beer signage for long gone brands, including Rheingold and Schlitz, and much more can be found in its crowded aisles.
I picked up an old Admiral transistor AM radio circa 1958 in turquoise, chrome and black (pictured below). It featured a ‘roto scope’ antenna, which swiveled out from under the radio’s handle, and took 8 C batteries to operate. Not the most practical purchase, but it does look cool.
They will also make road trips to repair your jukebox, if you’re in need. Not too many of those guys left (shout out to Perry Rosen, who repairs my jukebox).
Vernon is the home of the late Rockville Rocket, Gene Pitney, who had 16 top 40s hits, and wrote several others, and was raised in the City of Rockville, which is now part of Vernon.
Wanna go? You can find New England Jukebox and Collectibles – Vernon Vintage Vinyl on our Record Stores Map.
