The Time Capsule [Seekonk]

The Time Capsule in Seekonk puts vinyl next to comics, retro video games, toys, and collector culture. The branch grew out of friendship, a band, and the practical idea that a shop with many kinds of collecting under one roof can bring more people through the door.

Interview with The Time Capsule [Seekonk]

The Time Capsule packs comics, vinyl, retro video games and toys under one roof, and the Seekonk store is its own chapter run by Jeff. How did this branch come about?

Seekonk was opened because Jeff and I were in a band at the time called the Jazz Bastards. I was having so much fun being in the band, when Jeff's job was relocating to Florida, I offered to open another store for him to run and to give him a job so he wouldn't move away. Here we are about 15 years later, the band is gone but the store is still going!

Robert's been a comics dealer since the '80s with a huge collection across two stores and eBay — how does vinyl fit alongside the comics and games in the mix?

Vinyl has been a great fit! I knew the best chance of success was to appeal to as many different people as possible and adding vinyl to the mix has worked out very well. I have sold more vinyl each year than the previous year for 22 years now. It definitely brings in people who wouldn't normally come in to a store that just sells comic books and video games.

Seekonk sits right on the Rhode Island line near Providence — who comes through, and how's the local collector scene?

One of the reasons I opened the 2nd store was to appeal to people who live on that side of the bridge and who don't want to cross it to come to Providence. It really is the case for a lot of people, of course there are plenty of people who come from Providence and other cities in RI but most of the customers live off the 195 corridor. All ages and all walks of life collect vinyl.

Word is you're a great place to sell LPs and CDs, especially hard rock and metal — for someone bringing records in, what are you looking for?

For LPs that is true, I am always on the hunt for more. I prefer to buy collections of at least 50 LPs, I just purchased 10,000 yesterday! I buy most genres but stay away from Classical and Easy Listening, but even with those, if the right collection comes along, I might buy it. For CDs, I have so much back stock in my warehouse, I really don't think I will be buying any CDs for quite some time.

New vinyl hits the Seekonk bins every Saturday — how do you keep that section fresh, and what genres do you lean into?

We are always buying collections, it is the only way to keep the selection in the stores fresh. Classic Rock and Jazz are the best sellers. I'd add Metal to that list but we never get enough of it in.

What's the most surprising record — or comic, or toy — that's come through the door?

For a record, it could be the Rolling Stones white label promo mono LP that came in some years ago. We auctioned that off on ebay and it sold for $3250. For toys, I have seen some incredible prototypes over the years, with Hasbro in my backyard, I've been fortunate to meet a bunch of former employees who have sold me some incredible things over the years.

You sell 45s alongside albums — is there real demand for the singles among your crowd?

We get a modest demand for 45s in the stores but we get so many that we started a whole separate Discogs business to sell 45s online. As of today, we have over 51,000 45s listed for sale there.

For a first-timer walking into a place with this much stuff, where should they start?

For first timers, it's best to walk around for a bit, soak everything in and then find an area that interests you and start browsing. If you're not shy, come ask for help. We'll do our best to point you in the direction of something you'll enjoy.

FAQ

Does The Time Capsule buy LP collections?

Yes. The shop is always looking for LP collections, especially batches of at least 50 records. Classic rock and jazz are strong sellers, and metal is welcome when it comes in.

Does The Time Capsule sell 45s?

Yes. There is modest in-store demand, and the business also runs a separate Discogs operation with a large 45 inventory.

Last updated: 2026-08-12

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