Thomas Mitchell
Audio By Carbonatix
Charlie’s Second Hand Store, a staple on Larimer Street long before that area became the Ballpark neighborhood, is closing up shop.
“Going out of business. 50 percent off storewide,” a new sign outside the store reads. “EVERYTHING MUST GO.”
A mainstay on 2227 Larimer Street for nearly eighty years, Charlie’s arrived in downtown Denver in 1946. According to the store’s website, Charlie’s opened in Pueblo in 1928 before moving to Denver, and has remained a family-owned business throughout its history.
As first nearby LoDo and then RiNo became hot neighborhoods, Charlie’s was able to remain open despite rising rents and property taxes in the area.
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Walking inside, you felt like you were visiting a cross between a tool shop and your uncle’s garage. If you were expecting a digital catalog or neatly organized sections, you’d come to the wrong place. Tools and equipment of all ages and sizes fill tables and shelves from the floor to the ceiling, and the people working there have a wealth of knowledge befitting the living museum that is Charlie’s. You might find a shovel or hammer older than your parents right next to analmost-new saw or drill.
Charlie’s gained a cult fan base as it survived through Denver’s commercial real estate boom in the 2000s and 2010s. The storefront’s slogans, such as “What have you to sell?” and “We buy anything that doesn’t eat,” are nothing short of endearing, and you can even buy Charlie’s T-shirts (modeled by fashion maven Brandi Shigley on the website) that say “We are oddly fond of tools.”
The store has been profiled by numerous media outlets, from 9News to Westword, and has won a handful of Westword Best of Denver awards over the years.
Charlie’s current owner, Steve Rosenblatt, is the grandson of the store’s founder; he was unavailable for an immediate comment. We’ll update this story as we get more information.
Charlie’s last day is December 15. Until then, the store will keep regular hours. The shirts are already selling out, so don’t miss a chance to take home one (and a hammer) for a piece of Denver history.
See an extended tour of Charlie’s filmed last year below.
