Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian Largaespada and Ayleen Lanza.
Hi Brian and Ayleen, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I had worked in the retro gaming field professionally since 2014, and I had always had a passion for gaming since I was a child. I was working as a manager at a local game shop in Miami and was so good at it, that it just felt right to eventually start my own business and use those skills to bring nostalgia to everyone!
It started as a simple website that I used to sell retro videogames, toys, and collectibles. Then as time went on I started going to local markets, my girlfriend began to join me, and became my partner who was crucial to our presentation, and social media presence. We began making our tables, showcases by bringing CRT televisions with a different video game console available for use each time, then I started bringing rarer items like the Nintendo Virtual Boy. We began to collaborate with local businesses that loved how we presented ourselves, and always had something neat to showcase. Now we are more than just an online shop, we’ve organized events, we’ve collaborated with Tetris, Red Bull, and Enhance (Tetris Effect, Lumines Arise, Rez Infinite), and I run retro video game tournament events every week, and it has grown more every week. We are also currently in the process of a restructure with our focus being more on our social media and a rebrand in our theme. I’m very excited for everyone to see what changes in the coming weeks.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I started the business during the pandemic, since it was online focused, it was pretty quick to grow online. Some of our struggles came from most of our events being outdoor, and about 80% of them suffered from poor weather. It was some insane bad luck. I’ve made some mistakes along the way, by letting some customer repairs go on too long, and some bad trades, but have grown and learned a lot from those mistakes.
Overall, it’s been quite smooth, and we’ve built a nice reputation locally and online.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
The Nostalgia Den is an online Retro Video Game, Toy, and Collectibles store based in Miami, Florida.
On top of selling merchandise, we host, organize, and participate in themed events in collaboration with some local businesses like ROK Gaming Lounge, Retroitis, and Guildhall Anime Game Lounge. We also mod, repair and restore video game controllers, consoles, some toys and dolls, and even small animatronics.
My most proud moments have been being a part of the Red Bull x Tetris campaign in collaboration with ROK Gaming Lounge, by organizing one of the best Tetris gatherings and tournaments in Miami.
I’m also very proud of how we present ourselves at events and conventions. People seem to love our showcases of old consoles and displays, allowing them to even use some of these items, like our virtual boy kiosk, probably one of our rarest not for sale items.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Preservation. I’ve always been about preserving old tech and media. One of my goals was to open our brick and mortar shop someday and have a mini museum attached to it. We come across lots of neat arre items, and sometimes rather than sell, we keep them in order to showcase them at events, like our original Nintendo Power, our Virtual Boy Kiosk, and some of our rarer video game consoles. We love showcasing these items, and seeing everyone light up viewing or experiencing these displays and demos.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thenostalgiaden.com
- Instagram: @thenostalgiaden
- Facebook: @thenostalgiaden
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-nostalgia-den
- Twitter: https://x.com/thenostalgiaden
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjduvgLbsU5wTdj2aLt35_g
- Other: https://linktr.ee/TheNostalgiaDen
