About Vintage Magazine Shoppe

About Vintage Magazine Shoppe

In the age of the paperless society, how would you like to “go back to the future” and travel through the entire 20th century surrounded by over 100,000 Life, Time, and Saturday Evening Post magazines?

Owner Francis Di Bacco has amassed and carefully preserved his amazing collection of these magazines over the past thirty years.  This impressive 26-ton treasure trove of “hands on” history can now be seen and experienced only at the new Vintage Magazine Shoppe in Paulsboro, NJ.

Fran passionately feels that these historic gems have been overlooked and may soon be lost forever. Despite the work of many brilliant artists and illustrators who graced the covers and filled the pages with colorful ads, amazing photos that captivated the world, and brilliant articles written by the Ernest Hemmingways and F. Scott Fitzgeralds of our time, most people have no idea about these “sunken” treasures.

The time tunnel tour begins with a panoramic view of over 400 framed magazines adorning the lobby walls. Riveting photos from the likes of Sinatra, JFK, MLK, Marilyn, Liz Taylor, Jackie O. and Jackie Robinson seem to have a hypnotic effect as you make eye contact with them.

During every memory jogging moment you’ll understand why the weekly news magazine was labeled “the quintessential time capsule.”

Like watching an incredible fireworks display, the big bang is at the end and when you walk into a 1200-square foot room that is literally a floor to ceiling, wall to wall scrapbook of the 20th century. Your mental and visual senses will have trouble absorbing all that there is to see and your mind will go into overload as it tries to process more memories than it can handle. The room is a tribute to all of the American artists of the 20th century whether they be illustrators or performing artists in the entertainment or sports world.

Just to expand briefly on the brilliant illustrators and artists represented in this collection, it’s important to note that up until the 1950’s, almost everything was drawn by hand – including magazine covers, advertisements, book covers, matchbook covers, stamps, movie posters, sheet music, fruit labels, baseball cards, and comic books inside and out. You will see all these types of art and more displayed at the Vintage Magazine Shoppe.

This is not a stroll down memory lane – it’s a 100 yard dash! And while you’re taking in all the nostalgia, oldies from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s are blaring from an incredible sound system to put you “in the mood”. So, in essence you are seeing, touching, smelling and hearing the past …..  Simply put, Memories ‘R’ Us.