Sports Memorabilia Mecca

 Content Originally Published by the Torrington Telegram on May 18th, 2010.

Walking into the little shop at 2125 Main Street is a trip to another dimension where sports rank supreme. 



A spot where one can debate the relative merits of quarterback Carson Palmer while taking a little off the top.



“I had all this at my house,” Rusty Winget said, owner and operator of Rusty’s All-American Barber Shop in downtown Torrington. “When we bought this shop, it was my wife’s idea, she said I should take it all down there. I think she wanted to get it out of the house.”



Indeed, literally every wall, floor and ceiling tile are layered and plastered with baseball, basketball and football memorabilia. Baseballs signed by his favorite player, Pete Rose, vintage Wheaties boxes, baseball and football jerseys signed by past and present day sports heroes; all of it in a grand display of sports worship.



“These stadium seats came out of Riverfront Stadium,” Winget said, motioning to four numbered seats across from the barber chairs.