Wild Bills Nostalgia, A CT Institution, Is Closing

MIDDLETOWN, CT — A Connecticut institution, Wild Bills Nostalgia, will be closing its doors for good over the next several weeks after 35 years in business. The business is located at 1003 Newfield St. Fans expressed sadness over the move and the Facebook page announcing the decision is approaching 1,000 shares 1,000 plus reactions. The business has begun a massive sale of all of its extensive inventory.

For those of you not familiar with Wild Bills, according to its website, "Wild Bill's is not just a store, it's a way of life. On our 45 acre property on Rt 3 in Middletown, CT we have a Nostalgia Store where you can find anything collectible or Nostalgic. Come visit us 7 days a week and check out out posters, magazines, whale bones, bobbing head dolls, pops, wacky wobblers, bones, taxidermy, flags, records, petrified turtle shell and bunches of other things that will pique your interest. The property also features a giant fun house tribute, boats painted and buried standing 20 feet tall, a stage and outdoor movie theater, a book and record store, as well as a few other artistic installations and oddities; the world largest jack in the box and the worlds largest bobbing head doll and don't forget the Yugos balancing on balls in the far corner of the parking lot."

In a lengthy post on Facebook, Wild Bills announced the decision to close. Here is the entire statement. (To sign up for free, local breaking news alerts from more than 100 Connecticut communities, click here.)

"I suppose we should start from the beginning. In April 1983, in Middletown on Main St., the very start of what will become a world renowned phenomena began. Wild Bill, then only known as William, opened a little store called The Apple Core. It was an exaggerated version of a hospital gift shop. Not one for being complacent, William, began expanding on new products and projects. He had tremendous success with such things like charms and fat laces and other trending trinkets.

As new ventures came up, they led to more fantastic adventures. Adapting some ideas from his good friend Rubie Vine, of Railroad Salvage, he moved the business to the then Waldbaums, now Petco, shopping plaza on Rt 66. Here he started getting interested in collectibles like toys and sports cards. A very lucrative business plan at that time, as those markets were essentially nonexistent. William, now known as Uncle Bill, began buying up random collections to fill out the store.

Side Note 1: Wild Bill would buy whole collections for a single piece that was in the collection that he liked. This is one of the reasons why the store is full of such diversity.

Where were we? So with the ever expanding collectible market, he soon after moved the business to a larger site on Washington St. It was next to the car wash across from Palmer Field. Here he continued to accumulate more collections and started selling old and new comics. The first attraction of many attractions was thrown together here. It was but a simple skateboard ramp, but started a revolution of ideas inside his head. Soon after completion, the ramp was used as a stage for many a local band that wanted an outside venue. I believe this is the juncture in which he became Wild Bill.

38 Ward St. is where Wild Bill really comes into focus. It was located behind Mcdonald’s on South Main St. It used to be a golf equipment store with a putting green and a sand trap. Here is a memorable moment that will give you a glimpse of the man himself. One day he was perusing a copy of Billboard magazine and came across an ad that was selling a lot of posters from a company in San Francisco. the ad was something simple like this, Posters: 100,000 60’s and 70’s for sale, call 555-555-5555. it might have been the shortest call. “Saw your ad!” “How much?” “I’ll take them!!”. Couple weeks later, a 50ft tractor trailer comes to deliver the posters.

Side Note 2: not 100,000 but closer to a million. Ecstatic would be the look on Wild Bills face. Now needing to expand even further he moves the enterprise to its current location, 1003 Newfield St. where the business now is Wild Bills Nostalgia. He erected a warehouse and packed it and the store with all the things that he liked. Built a funhouse, more for himself than anyone else. Vast decorations dot the property, with visions of having his very own amusement park and circus. (circus yes, amusement park no) Dozens of artists over the years helped make this the place of his dreams. (Dream a Little Dream, a favorite movie) Side Note 3: His favorite movie of all time was Oklahoma, and he sang it proudly)

Growing up in this environment was fun and exciting for the most part, but this was all Wild Bills dream project. However, his dream is bigger than any one of us can collectively accomplish as a family. The business grew into something that we as a whole could never have imagined. It saddens us to the core, but the final curtain call looms on the very near horizon.

The legendary, Wild Bills Nostalgia, will be closing it’s doors forever in the coming weeks. Starting today, we will be selling off everything that Wild Bill has been accumulating over his lifetime. Sales galore!!!

Come down and get something special before it’s all gone.

In loving memory of William “Wild Bill” H. Ziegler

Forever Strange.....

To learn more about Wild Bills click here.