Have a collection of baseball cards, comic books, action figures, video games, or any other material item? Odds are, The Bearded Hoarder, a new collectibles store at 279 Railroad Avenue in Sayville, either has, or will have something one can add to whatever collection.
The Bearded Hoarder opened its doors across the street from the Sayville Long Island Rail Road Station, and directly next to Tiny Raccoon Books on Saturday, May 9, to a consistent, curious crowd of collectors.
Originally a small storefront in Patchogue for a little over a year, The Bearded Hoarder expanded into its comfortable Sayville location, and offers a slice of nostalgia and wares beyond conventional collectibles including antique goods, vinyl records, and even VHS tapes.
“There’s something for everyone here,” said owner Kevin Tetrault. “Down to $3 toys up to high-end pieces.”
On the left-side wall, toys and action figures from across the decades are neatly organized, with the flexing wrestlers lined up on a shelf in between figures from “The Wizard of Oz,” and “Star Wars.”
In the center, customers throughout opening day rummaged through crates containing comic books and vintage vinyl records. And on the right-side wall near the front entrance, antique pieces including an old grocery weight, postcards, and even license plates are stacked in wooden cabinets.
Inside the cabinet’s lower drawers, shoppers can find even more hidden treasures for sale.
For Tetrault, who started The Bearded Hoarder as just a flea market stand where he could sell cards and other wares, collecting is engrained in him, with many items coming from other flea markets and garage sales he finds on his own time.
“It’s the thrill of the hunt, finding something cool,” Tetrault said. “My perfect Saturday would be me waking up, having an egg sandwich and a coffee and searching for cool stuff.”
One of Tetrault’s most prized possessions he found rummaging was a license plate with a variation of the band name “Led Zeppelin,” that was actually signed by the group’s singer-songwriter Robert Plant, and stands proudly behind the store counter.
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