Seattle offers its share of such shops, but you have to be willing to move about because there is no antique row in Seattle where you hit several in just a few blocks. Even downtown, it means stout shoes or a bus map.
A good place to start is the Pioneer Square Antique Mall. The business, on the ground floor of the picturesque Pioneer Building at 600 First Avenue, is down several steps. It sprawls maze-like through its several rooms, with glass cases setting up pathways for treasure hunters and aisle after aisle of glittering whatchamacallits. The space is home to 65 different vendors. The shop's proud boast is that it is the oldest antique mall in Seattle.
This mall is filled mostly with what is called in the trade, "smalls." That means items will usually fit in a pocket or small bag or package. Glass cases are cluttered with jewelry, toys, books, desk accessories, silver, coins and doo-dads. For the unwilling husband there are refurbished antique telephones, old tools, scientific instruments, pipes and smokers' accessories.
In the back is an amazing variety of African art and masks. Books and pictures are everywhere, and some of the most desirable Bakelite items in town.
"You have to mention the Mexican jewelry and antiques," said Jonna Hough. "Those are mine!"
The low ceilings of the 6,000-square-foot mall can make things feel close, and in places you need to be careful how you turn around. There are just a few pieces of furniture, not much.
"It's not deliberate," Hough said. "It's just difficult to get furniture in and out."
It's a bit difficult getting people in and out, too. This shop is not handicap accessible.
It is, however, tourist accessible. In fact, there is an entry direct from Bill Speidel's Underground Tour gift shop next door.
"We get lots of tourists, and with the cruise ships we get a lot more people," said Marion Anderson, the mall manager.
In contrast, Antique Importers at 620 Alaskan Way, is mostly filled with furniture. You'll find British antiques, some as old as Edwardian or Victorian, some Danish Modern from the '60s, '70s and '80s. Owner Chris Kappler keeps his 5,000-square-foot shop stocked with buying trips to England several times a year.
"I pick out all my own stuff," he said. "We kind of specialize in mirrors and windows," Kappler said. "That's two things we carry a lot of."
The walls of the high-ceilinged warehouse space testify to that. Those looking for chairs, tables, bookcases, desks and wardrobes will find them here in great profusion. There are even some of the old-fashion round, cast iron-legged English pub tables.
Several blocks north, across the street from the Seattle Aquarium at 1400 Alaskan Way, is the Seattle Antiques Market. This store fills a 6,000-square foot, 20-foot-ceilinged, waterfront warehouse with nearly anything you could imagine in an antique shop.
Need a Victrola? Owner Ken Eubank has eight of them, side by side. How about an old desk? There are roll-top oak desks in a variety of sizes to fit your needs. The stock includes wooden file cabinets, Hoosier kitchen cabinets, armoires, dressers, tables, chairs and more in oak, mahogany, maple and other woods not immediately identifiable.
But there's more than just furniture. How about a set of antique skeleton keys, neon signs, model airplanes, sports memorabilia or soda fountain? Over there is a shelf with dozens of radios from the '30s, '40s, '50s and '60s.
For something unusual, there's a huge collection of Seattle street signs - the real thing.
"They're from the city," Eubank said. "We buy them every week. People buy their name, or the street they used to live on," Eubank said.
There are also postcards, science fiction magazines, smoker's accessories and cool gizmos. Seattle World's Fair items do well at all the stores.
"Cruise ship business has a major impact on my business," Eubank said, adding that there will be 211 sailings this year. "[Passengers] come to town a couple of days early or stay a couple of days later. They're in here every day."
There are several places that fit the treasure hunt mould in the Pike Place Market. One of the largest is at 92 Stewart Street. It is called Antiques at Pike Place. This is another case-lined maze, sporting nearly 65 vendors.
Good jewelry packs the front of the store, but each vendor seems to have its own specialty. One case, filled with small religious art, crucifixes and rosaries, is watched by a 14-inch, polychromed bust of Pope Pius XII, complete with glasses. That's not something you see just every day.
Looking for brass or crystal doorknob sets? Tucked in with the medical and scientific instruments is a set of rectal dilators (for curing constipation and nervousness - ouch!). Maybe you favor fancy-handled umbrellas instead?
"We have a lot of local customers and a lot of tourists," said Geri Linkins. "I think I have waited on customers from every continent except Antarctica."
And what sells best?
"That's tough to say, but we do sell a lot of Seattle World's Fair stuff," Linkins said.
Korte Bruekmann may be reached via editor@sdistrictjournal.com.[[In-content Ad]]