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Retro Active
Categories: Shopping Antiques Shopping Fashion Used, Vintage & Consignment Antiques, Used, Vintage & Consignment [Edit]
5924 Magazine StNew Orleans, LA 70118
(504) 895-5054
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 11 am - 6 pm
Sun 1 pm - 5 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
9 reviews for Retro Active
9 reviews in English
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Review from Monica L.
San Francisco, CA
11/4/2009
As a vintage jewelry lover, I made a special voyage to Retroactive.
As I walked into the store, I felt as if I had fallen through a rabbit hole. The inventory in this tiny store is overwhelming.
Bakelite? They have it. Glass lariats? Got it. Mardi Gras headress? But, of course. That said, I don't get the feeling that the owner has an affinity for editing pieces. I'm sure if I looked hard enough, I could find a kitchen sink.
You could spend hours in here looking at and trying on all the necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Could? Wait, I did. Rebecca was managing the store since the owner was out of town. She was super nice and let me play dress up for hours. -
Review from Jessica R.
New Orleans, LA
3/26/2011 6 photos
I ventured in here today for no good reason. Just happened to be walking by, it was open, I think I was screwing around with my phone and wanted to duck into a shop for a minute. It looked vaguely interesting. Whatever. Tonight, when I am suffering from nightmares about the creepy ass doll in a coffin thing and equally creepy Jesus crucified on a chest of drawers thing, I am probably going to regret having visited. However, I did get some good pictures.
What an odd little place. Evidently I must not have sufficiently refined tastes in ...stuff... to fully appreciate the "retro" merchandise up for sale in this joint. The range of items for sale is dizzying. There are cases of sparkling, faux gemstone encrusted costume jewelery that you might find in your grandmother's jewelery box, if your grandmother is a collector of antique bling. They've got lots of cowboy boots, for some reason, and more disembodied heads protruding from various corners where they're mounted on the wall than I'd necessarily care to see again, ever.
By far the most memorable discovery of my adventure here today was the nightmarish cowboy ventriloquist doll (or so it appeared) that was laying horizontally on a shelf in a box that looked remarkably like a ventriloquist-doll-sized coffin. I took a picture and uploaded it to their Yelp business listing, so you can see this freakish thing for yourself, if you so desire. Or you could just take my word for it.
Anyway, in an effort to forget having seen creepy ass doll thing, I'll end this review with a comment about their large collection of reasonably cute (but unreasonably expensive) earrings. There were a few pieces that I'd probably wear, but certainly not for the price they were asking. Again, like I said, my tastes are unrefined and my finances are nowhere near what they'd need to be for me to feel inclined to make a purchase here.
Bottom line: if you're on a creepy doll hunt or are in the market for various and sundry "retro" antique curiosities, or if you're simply bored Uptown and want to see something bizarre, go check this place out. Did I mention it smells like a combination of someone's great grandmother's house and, possibly, a funeral parlor? Maybe that's the smell of retro? Beats me. -
Review from Heidi F.
New Orleans, LA
4/16/2011
This is a great shop but for BAKELITE IN NEW ORLEANS, go to ROYAL ST in the Quarter. BAKELITE LADY
of New Orleans, Bambi, is THE BEST FOR VINTAGE BAKELTE. Anywhere!!!! I love Joe and his shop, great selection of vintage. But I have been collecting Bakelite for many years and Bambi has so many unique pieces. Also, she has a museum exhibition coming up and a book, so do not miss her. 818 Royal ST. Tucked away on the second floor, one block from Jackson Square. -
Review from Jennifer M.
New Orleans, LA
6/6/2011
There is a great selection of jewelry here but the prices are high. It is also hard to see all of the items because they are in locked cases, which I can understand, but it is weird when you have to ask to see them. I once found a vintage butterfly necklace that should have been around $16 and it was $25. Luckily I am a good shopper and later found the same necklace for $5. He does however have some very nice designer vintage pieces that are out of my pockets reach, but are well worth the heavy price tags.
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Review from Jen L.
2/27/2009
I have to be in the mood for Retroactive. The ~abundance~ of stock can be completely overwhelming. But it is the best place in the city to find one of a kind gifts.
There are cases and cases and cases of vintage jewelry, tons of clothes, shoes, Christmas ornaments, accessories, tchokes, and anything else you could imagine. Yes the store owner (and his friends who occasionally work for him) can be touchy. But I think it's because they don't really want to sell anything; or that they want to make sure before they sell anything to you that you value it as much as they do. -
Review from Zachary A.
New Orleans, LA
12/27/2008
Retro Joe has been a Magazine St. fixture for a long time, and for those vintage minded or collection-oriented his shoppe is a treasure trove of costume, jewelry, kitsch, and housewares. Joe's keen eye has adorned the upper and lower crusts of NOLA for many years because he doesn't sell the other crap over priced thrift stores calling themselves vintage boutiques sell, he deals in style.
Retroactive is like the loving rapechild of Ebay and a thriftstore without poor people. -
Review from Jim D.
Columbus, OH
4/2/2010
The admittedly great (if fairly overpriced) collectibles here do not make up for the overtly hostile, unfriendly workers and/or owner. They remind me of the oh-too-cool record store employee, Jack Black, in the movie, "High Fidelity" who runs all potential customers who don't agree with his musical taste out of the store. It's obvious the owner is a hoarder who can't seem to swallow his contempt for us non-hipsters long enough to sell us any of his prized possessions. I say keep your bangles and your attitude.
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Review from Sarah S.
Savannah, GA
7/17/2009
I am amazed to have read the negative reviews about Retroactive because my experience there was quite the opposite. (and I am a young 20-something also).
Joe, the shop owner, spent over an hour with my friend and me answering any question we had about any of his pieces. The man honestly knows everything about everything in his shop. I frequent quite a lot of vintage stores and he has by far the largest collection of vintage handbags I have EVER seen. And all are arranged by style and color. The prices are extremely reasonable and all of his items are in impeccable shape. If you like vintage handbags (or really, vintage anything) at all, Retroactive is a MUST see when in new orleans. -
Review from Amanda L.
New Orleans, LA
3/26/2009
Looove the jewelry here. It's been my favorite for years now.
The guy that works there seems verrryy nonchalant about business, but it's neither here nor there. He clearly knows his stuff about his stock, though.
I've gotten some of my favorite accessories here. Good eye, Joe!
