Take a trip down memory lane with Level Up Video Games

Paul Herr appears at the new Level Up Video Games store at 13 East Main Street in Kutztown. (Bill Uhrich – MediaNews Group)

After years of collecting video games, systems, and various related items, Paul Herr has channeled his passion for all things video into his business.

Level Up Video Games recently opened at 13 East Main Street in Kutztown, and with its nostalgia-filled windows displaying vintage gaming systems, Mario Brothers figurines, Nintendo posters, MAD magazines, Polaroid cameras, New Coke cans and a 1987 wall calendar, the store is easy to spot.

“We worked really hard on those windows,” said Herr, 55. “We wanted people to reminisce about fond memories.”

The front window of Level Up Video Games at 13 E. Main St. in Kutztown. The nostalgic window displays mirror what you'll see inside the store. (Susan Shelley – Courtesy of MediaNews Group)

The front window of Level Up Video Games, located at 13 E. Main St. in Kutztown. The nostalgic window display reflects what visitors will see inside the store. (Susan Shelley - Courtesy of MediaNews Group) — The front window of Level Up Video Games at 13 E. Main St. in Kutztown. The nostalgic window displays mirror what you'll see inside the store. (Susan Shelley – Courtesy of MediaNews Group)

A visit to the store, known simply as Level Up, was a nostalgic experience for Brittany T., a Kutztown University graduate who now lives in Virginia, who spotted an early-model Sega console, the same one she and her brother played on as kids.

“My mom entered a contest at the Coventry Mall (in North Coventry Township, Chester County) and won a one-year subscription to the Sega Channel,” recalled Brittany, who asked that her full name not be used for fear of being named on the Internet. “That was my first subscription, which gave me monthly access to about 30 games from a cable company.”

She and her brother would eagerly await the release of new video games and spend hours playing them.

“That Sega is where my journey began,” says Brittany, now in her mid-30s. “I probably own over 1,000 video games and I still play them all the time.”

Herr said Brittany isn't alone in her love of video games and related items, and since the store opened, it has been bustling with people buying, selling, trading or simply reminiscing about their gaming experiences.

Paul Herr plays vintage video games set in the early 1980s at the Level Up Video Games store at 13 East Main Street in Kutztown. (Bill Uhrich – MediaNews Group)

“I was surprised to see so many college students at the grand opening,” said Herr, “but I guess everything old becomes new again.” Herr hosted the grand opening of Level Up Video Games on Saturday, May 4.

Herr's love of video games and gaming began when he was a high school student in the 1980s and would hang out at a friend's house.

“When the Nintendo Entertainment System came out, it was all the rage,” he says. “I didn't have one at home, but some of my friends did, and I played as much as I could.”

Herr passed on his love of the game to his four children, ages 26 to 33.

“My kids were little when I found a Nintendo 64 with four controllers,” he recalls, “and I brought it home and they fell in love with it. Then we started collecting everything we could find related to video games.”

Ha had intended to pass the collection on to his children and eight grandchildren, but ultimately decided to open a store with the support of his family.

“At the end of the day, I'm doing this for my children and grandchildren,” Herr reflects, “and I want them to share my love for it all and experience the joy of it. My 10-year-old grandson loves Zelda, and that makes me happy.”

Herr, a part-time construction worker and cabinet shop owner, was able to assemble and install all of the shelves and cabinets himself. Level Up is designed to display as many items as possible, with more collectibles being added all the time.

“I took my whole collection and created a little museum in the store,” he said.

Customers can browse items such as different Game Boy models, Amiibo figurines, Pokémon cards, Super Mario mugs, headphones, lunch boxes, Pez dispensers, T-shirts, and other video game-related gear.

“We love when customers come in and find something that excites them or reminds them of something nostalgic,” says Herr. “We want it to be a fun place where customers can stay as long as they like, explore and reminisce.”