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ROCHESTER — Sometimes a quick move can make a big difference. That’s the plan for Midwest Vintage Toys in Rochester, which will soon pack up thousands of action figures to move them across an alley and into space five times larger than the current store.

In 2021, owner Scott Bacon And Aaron Ringer gave their online business a home in the small entrance area of James Aakres

Machine Shed, an arcade and vintage game store at 11 Second St. NE.

The duo plus shop manager Jake Scharpenhave filled the Machine Shed from floor to ceiling with action figures, toys, trading card games, and even some comic books. Now, with a separate warehouse full of boxes of toys, Midwest Vintage Toys is ready for a change.

“Overall, we simply don’t have any more space,” said Ringer.

The recent announcement that the nearby

The imminent move of the Janky Gear consignment shop to North Broadway opens the door to a solution to Midwest Vintage’s space problems. This means Ringer and Bacon will soon have a 1,500-square-foot space at 204 N. Broadway in the Queen City Center complex to open their business.

They hope to complete the move by late July or early August, and ideally they’d like to be in the new space by July 27, when Midwest Toys and Machine Shed will host a retro swap meet in the alley between the current and future stores.

Bacon is happy to be able to spread out a bit.

“What we’re exhibiting now is just a fraction of our inventory. We can’t show all the things we really love,” he said. “James (Aakre) and the Machine Shed have been a great help. Now it’s like we’re just moving out of mom’s basement.”

In addition to being able to display more action figures and toys, they plan to expand Midwest Vintage’s selection of trading cards and comic books.

Once Janky Gear and Midwest Vintage Toys make their moves, Aakre plans to use the space now filled with action figures for something else, but the details are still being worked out.

Jeff Kiger / Post Bulletin