Vintage Manchester Store Heading Into Retirement

MANCHESTER, CT — Farr's, the Manchester-based go-to store for campers, outdoors enthusiasts and those who need sporting goods quickly in north Central Connecticut for more than a half-century, is heading into retirement.

Co-owner Patty Farr delivered the news Wednesday. She and sisters Lisa, Deb and Jamie have run the store founded by their dad, James, for several years.

"It's headed that way," Patty said to Patch about retirement.

There is no definitive closing date, she said. The plan is to sell as much inventory as possible and then decide on the future.

She did acknowledge "a lot of memories" come with the decision.

A popular local saying was always, "Farr's has to have it."

Farr's roots roots go back to 1955, when Jim Farr opened Manchester Surplus, a general merchandise store store squeezed in between a TV repair shop and package store.

In 1971, amid a renewal project to spruce up the north part of town, Farr expanded his business and opened Farr's Sporting Goods at 2 Main St. in the north end.

The family business quickly embedded itself as part of the community while offering a wide variety of products and services like:

• Skateboards & Bicycles
• Fishing & Live Bait
• Disc Golf & Yard Games
• Darts
• Camping
• Bicycle repair
• Ice Skate Sharpening
• Propane and CO2 Refills
• Key Cutting
• Recreational Sports Equipment

In the warmer months, hard-core campers knew that Farr's would likely have hard-to-find accessories needed in a pinch. In the winter, when the big box stores had no sleds, it was usually off to Farr's to get one.