My Dead Grandpa – The Vintage Collective That Is Shaking Up Adelaide’s Music And Fashion Scene
Where old and forgotten items are reimagined as “cool grandpa shit”.
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The crew at Adelaide’s newest vintage marketplace, My Dead Grandpa are revolutionising the way Adelaideans shop for vintage garb and physical media.
What was previously a dilapidated car park now hosts a thriving collective of over 40 vinyl, vintage fashion, and homeware sellers, offering a shopping experience like no other.
After discovering similar business models succeeding across Melbourne, the Troup siblings knew that a one-stop shop for all things music and vintage was exactly what Adelaide needed, but finding the perfect spot proved to be no easy feat. “The roof had fallen in, the building stunk like piss, every single window had been smashed, the cement floor was coated with a layer of glass and cigarette butts, but something about the space felt right,” says co-owner Ben Troup. Embracing the graffiti-laden walls, the team has crafted a haven for small businesses to experience brick and mortar trading without the expensive overheads (or any residual piss smell).
My Dead Grandpa is not a store that you simply pop in and out of – it is a treasure hunt best experienced with an open mind. Customers regularly enter with a set goal and leave with finds they never knew they wanted but now know that they simply must have. Fit with a coffee van slinging food and drink, the MDG team understand the importance of refuelling to stay sharp on your expedition through the space.
The warehouse features five vinyl, CD, and cassette sellers with both second-hand and new offerings, spanning across all genres, no matter how niche. In fact, if you happen to catch Adam Buckley, owner of Crackle and Pop Records, in store, he is always happy to help source even the most obscure titles on your wish list. Adam’s goal is to make vinyl accessible to all. He says, “If it’s still in print, I’ll check all my suppliers to see where I can get a copy for the best price. Customers also have the luxury of 4 other sellers at MDG who may have a used copy on hand. Hopefully one of us can get that record you’ve been after onto your turntable!” In store, vinyl purist staff have commandeered the playlist, soundtracking the entire shop with tunes played only from their extensive vinyl collections – they know that a playlist of top 10 pop hits would have grandpa turning in his grave.
My Dead Grandpa is located at 10-16 Ranelagh St in Adelaide’s CBD and is open 11 am – 5 pm Tuesday to Sunday, with late night shopping now happening on Friday nights until 9 pm. Look for the bright red, star-covered building. Not even grandpa could miss it without his specs on.
