*Please read to the bottom, or at least read the last paragraph. I have positive things to say, but…read moresignificant issues that need immediate change and apology.
A vintage store with a little bit of everything - dishware, dolls, music records, model cars and trains, jewelry, and lots of other knick-knacks and collectibles. We had a fun time browsing the selection, both to shop and just to explore the items as if it were a museum. It is, in a sense. There are several rooms of many many shelves. They appear to be generally sorted by vendor rather than theme, although model train parts has its own separate room. I'm sure this is somewhat necessary in a place with a rotating, grab bag nature, but I do wish it attempted to be a bit more coherent and organized, especially for those looking for specific types of items.
Almost everything is locked in a glass case, so you'll have to go to the front or track down another employee to unlock anything for you. When we went, there was only 1 person at the front busy ringing up customers, so this took quite a while. This set-up definitely makes sense considering how many tiny items this place houses, but it again supports the idea of a more organized system, so you don't have to drag employees across the store to retrieve very similar items.
There are several small reasons I leave a lower review than usual for me: the lack of organization, lack of availability of employees, lack of AC (there are occasional fans to fight off the heat and stuffiness), and the musty smell of the room that the large model train is exhibited in.
But the biggest problem I have is that this store doesn't seem to limit what vendors offer or consider what is appropriate to be sold here in the year 2023. In addition to scattered offensive Black caricature toys and Civil War themed board games, I quite literally stood in shock to see they were selling slave shackles. These are in a room with modern superhero cutouts for kids to pose in and modern toys outside of a case. These are in the same case as Hot Wheelz. This is not appropriate or okay. These belong in a museum or some other educational facility if anything - not to be sold for amusement in an antique store, in the heavily kid-coded room of all things. This put a very bad taste in my mouth and made my whole party very uncomfortable. I can't see how they wouldn't for anyone else, especially any Black patron. This in itself makes me give a lower review, which I hate doing for a small business. I am giving the shop the benefit of the doubt that these inclusions are out of lack of thought rather than malice. However, I hope and expect to see them gone by my next visit and after they read and respond to this review. This shop needs to consider what message it is sending to its patrons when displaying such inappropriate items and for profit nonetheless.
