As a young boy on the school bus, Marc Saxby started laying the foundation for the type of business he would one day run.

 

“I was always the kid growing up that collected and traded things,” said Saxby, whose entrepreneurial spirit was first on display when he’d buy candy in bulk and resell it to his classmates on the school bus. 

 

Saxby was also known back then as the “Walking Beckett” due to his word-for-word memorization of the Beckett baseball card price guide, a skill that’s no doubt served him well in the six years since he first opened Collec-tiques.  

 

At Collec-tiques — 56 N. Main St. in downtown Rochester — Saxby buys, sells and trades antiques and unique items of all kinds, specializing in vintage video games ranging from the original Nintendo console to modern systems.

 

The store also deals heavily in vintage toys from the 1970s through the ’90s, and boasts a huge Star Wars collection. Additionally, a Lego Lounge and a game room gives Collec-tiques a broader appeal than a typical vintage store.

 

Originally based in the Union Street Antiques and Collectibles Group Shop, Saxby branched out on his own at his first location on Main Street before moving the store to its current space. According to Saxby, the affordability of doing business in Rochester has played a key role in helping Collec-tiques become what it is today.