A Trip to the Past: Blast-Off Vintage

Located across from Wild Birds Unlimited, and between a local boutique and law office, lives a tiny but unique shop tucked away in the quaint address of 1223. Blast-Off Vintage is a newer vintage clothing store to Salem, having opened in October 2014. Not to be confused with the similar and ever-popular consignment/thrift-type store, it is a genuine go-to place for true articles of clothing, accessories, and knick-knacks from the culture of past decades. A lesser known fact is that the store also functions as both a record store and a skateboard shop. The owners, Katie and Pete opened the place after their favorite vintage store closed down, leaving them with nowhere to bring and sell their constantly-updated supply of vintage clothing and products.
“I wanted a really good Hawaiian shirt, and for years I’ve been consistently disappointed. I walk in and bam; a whole rack of beautiful Hawaiian shirts, right in the front,” said Eric Phillips, a local Salemite and pleased patron of the venue. Many in Salem consider the store a ‘hidden gem’, in part because two thirds of their services are frequently underrepresented online. Yelp has allegedly evaded emails and attempts at contact in an effort to enable advertisement of the skateboard and record shop incorporated in Blast-Off Vintage, and thus the public information available online for the store has been limited. Despite setbacks and unclear communication, the store continues to thrive in its venue where others have faded away, and the roots of this bountifully stocked authentic vintage wonderland are settling in strong.