Levi Werner stands beside a classic record player he fixed which is now at Moth Vintage. (Derek Craddock/paNOW Staff)

By Derek Craddock

BACK FROM THE DEAD

Resurrecting vintage electronics a long-time hobby for P.A. man

Jul 16, 2023 | 10:00 AM

It’s a busy day in a shop on Central Avenue as customers are looking at items that haven’t been seen or heard in decades.

Among the items in the store are electronics that were once the pinnacle of technology but have since been pushed aside, nearly forgotten by the world that created them.

That’s where one Prince Albert man steps in to bring new life to these electronics; in fact, it’s something he’s done for many years.

Levi Werner has worked at Moth Vintage on Central for close to nine months. The store recently celebrated its first year in business, sharing a space with Gail’s Switch A Stitch.

In its first year, the store has grown from selling vintage clothing items to including things like classic record players, radios, televisions and old Apple computers, the kind that requires a floppy disk.

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Although he works at the store, he told paNOW that fixing old electronics like radios has been a hobby of his for the past decade.

“I got into that sort of thing when I was 12. I started with the little things and worked my way up,” he said. “When I get electronics in the store, I like to go ahead and go through them because a lot of these radios haven’t worked since the 60s. People love them and people love them even more when they’re working so fixing them allows them to work for another hundred years since they made it this far.”

Some of his favourite electronics he’s restored include a classic record player and radio which was built after the Second World War. Another radio, created at the same time, is another one he takes pride in.

So, what does he love the most about fixing these vintage, collectable electronics?

“It’s fun to bring something back from the dead,” he said. “They don’t make it like you used to, you hear that all the time. They’re getting scarce too. The novelty of it, the stuff they put into it is kind of obscure. They had design features that were very advance for the time.”

Werner, who at the time of his interview, was all dressed in his classic bell-bottom jeans, said he also takes pride in the clothing the store has to offer, adding each one has its story.

“A lot of this clothing is out in the public for the first time since it was purchased new and it kind of gives people a chance to relive certain memories.”

You can see Werner’s work at Moth Vintage on Central Avenue next to Ted Matheson Men’s Wear.

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter: @princealbertnow