I love thrift shops and antique marts and flea markets. Always have. You have to dig through a lot of scary junk but occasionally you find a divine treasure. Something timeless and priceless that you just can’t live without.
My parents used to take me to these places when I was little. They went through a phase of restoring antiques. I still have several gorgeous pieces that we oiled and sanded, varnished or upholstered. They are storied heirlooms rich with memories...both mine and countless others before me.
Living in a relatively new city means that I don’t get the chance to do a lot of rummaging. Most secondhand shops are full of new junk - true junk - virtually no treasure, let alone any interest or history. Most of them, that is, except for the wildest, weirdest shop...chock full of curiosities. Many of which you’ve seen on television or in movies.
Nick Metropolis has a legendary vintage prop house. He rents and sells the most fascinating junk to the Hollywood machine. It’s a damned good thing I’m a photographer because if I wasn’t, I’d go broke in there. But luckily I can collect as much as I want with my camera and spend countless hours playing with my new toys.
By far my favorite find at Nick’s is his bizarre collection of glamorous, disintegrating mannequin heads. I’ve spent hours staring at them, coveting them, and capturing them. If I had a big house and a ridiculous amount of disposable income, I’d design a guest room just for them. But luckily for my husband and my bank account, all I can afford to create is an artistic shrine for these beauties.
I hope you ♥️ them as much as I do!
What’s your strangest junk obsession? Tell and/or show me in the comments.
