Walking into The Dinostore is like taking a step back in time when style had a life of its own.
The vintage boutique at 1127 Railroad Ave. in Dolores is the creation of owner Steve King, a local artist and connoisseur of retro, classic and collectible goods.
“I love to build stores, it’s a canvas to create a work of art,” he says. “People joke I’m a dinosaur because of my tastes, so I went with it for the name.”
His “relics of extinction” tagline is perfect for what is inside the stylishly remodeled space on the main roadway through town.
There are racks of vintage clothing, including leather jackets, natural-fiber sweaters, quality shirts, western boots and classic Levis jeans.
“I love warm sweaters made of natural wool, cashmere and alpaca,” King said. “The theme of the store goes from Western to Adirondacks, then on to Tahiti and Maui.”
And there’s lots of retro. Cases and shelves display carefully chosen film and movie cameras, weird artistic lamps, one-of-a-kind antiques, old maps, a working swivel television, turntables, tape decks, typewriters, eight-tracks, rugs and other throw-back items and oddities from past eras.
“My goal is to create really nice environment for people who appreciate vintage clothing and accessories,” King said.
He travels across the country looking for the special items that now fill the Dinostore.
“It is like a treasure hunt to find really beautiful unique things, repair and restore them and present them in a beautiful setting,” he says. “It never ceases to amaze me what people will make lamps out of!”
King’s three daughters, Sera, Skylar, and Samantha, have been helping him set up and manage the store.
“There are a lot of hidden treasures here,” says Skylar King. “It’s like pulling up fossils from the past nobody knew still existed.”
The retro store is a mirror of Steve King, an eccentric artist who still has a flip phone, plays eight-tracks, makes old-school quality hats and boots, loves conversation, and revels in the history of classic products and brands. A friend described his style as “abandoned elegance.”
This is the latest of several stores King has created and managed over his life, including past shops in Mancos, Telluride and Aspen.
“I knew I had one more in me. I’ve taken everything I learned to create this one, and it turned out great,” he said. “My goal is when you enter to shop or look around, the various vintage themes take you away for a while.”
Winter hours are Sunday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
