The Checkpoint Store is BACK!

Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

When we relaunched the Checkpoint website back in April, I spent a lot of time reminiscing. 

Somewhere between logical thoughts and me floating away on an absolute fever dream of nostalgic emotion, I managed to come up with the first sentence for our return article. 

I wrote: This is the beginning of something that ended right in the middle.

The problem with a thought like that is that it typically ends up consuming you.

The thing is, in 2017, Checkpoint was created with little more than just one good idea. Simply put, the idea was that it would be exciting for us to unearth collectables, merchandise and good goods from Japan, then provide the Pacific Northwest with an access point for these products. Our passion for these goods is deeply rooted in how reflective they are of a culture that is both long past and far away from home, yet still unexplainably stylish and relevant. 

But doing Checkpoint in 2021 looks a lot different, our old channels for sourcing second-hand and vintage goods shifted, and the best shipping methods have also been affected by the pandemic and the international container shortage alike. The game had changed. 

Despite the challenges, nuances and discoveries, we did it.

We are both eager and excited to share that our store restock is finally here: a barrage of good goods from Japan, hand-picked and carefully curated to fit our store. 

It feels good to be able to look at the pages of our online store and see it populated with vintage goods and our own branded merchandise alike.