RICHMOND, Va. — On his way to Indiana from Virginia Beach, 12-year-old Jacob Averill begged his family to stop in Richmond.
His interest wasn’t in seeing common summer tourist attractions like the Capitol or Redskins training camp. Instead, Averill dragged his parents and little brother into an Arts District storefront selling inventory that predates his birth and playing music from artists better known to his generation for their acting chops than their verses.
“Happens all the time,” says Austin King, a clerk at sneaker buy-and-trade shop Round Two. “The other day we had a guy drive down from Minnesota just to check us out.”
Especially during summer afternoons, Round Two’s year-old storefront at 202 W. Broad St. – The Gallery by Round Two – bustles with customers, both local and out-of-state. Teens from the West End to Jackson Ward, as well as older “sneakerheads” looking for a waft of nostalgia, are drawn to Round Two’s ever-changing offering of vintage shoes, jackets, shirts and collectibles, such as Air Jordans and Champion T’s.
And even though they aren’t for sale, the hip-hop and basketball-inspired posters lining the walls of the shop prepare newcomers for Round Two’s niche. Old is “in” here.
