A survey by Iman Qureshi
Photographs by Iman Qureshi
A guilty pleasure of mine is collecting antique and vintage knick-knacks, things that I know I may not have any specific use for. Now, I can say this hobby may not be for everyone but it’s a matter of trying it once and getting roped in. The art of thrifting becomes like an addiction.
By the end of this read, I hope to have convinced those who have never been and those who go all the time to check out at least one of the places on this list. Hopefully on your journey you find some sort of treasure, whatever the treasure may be, either to add to a collection, or just because. Maybe the store itself becomes your treasure! In this article, I’ll be ranking and discussing three snazzy little antique shops on or near Whyte Avenue.
Junque Cellar
10442 82 Ave NW Bsmt,
(780) 433-9963
website
I will start this list with my absolute favourite little shop on Whyte. I stop here at least once a week or whenever I’m in the area, which ends up being very often. This store characterizes itself as a ‘retro, vintage, and antique’ store and it definitely lives up to its promises. It has everything from quirky earrings, to furniture, clothes, books, and random décor. It covers everything from Pop culture to antique treasures, ranging from typewriters to silly little keychains (my favourite one is the chicken wing.)
Junque Cellar: It has everything from quirky earrings, to furniture, clothes, books, and random décor.
Junque Cellar has a lot of personality – the second you enter and begin your descent down the steep staircase, you’re greeted by a funky mannequin dressed in funky outfits, which always include a boa and cowboy hat. Walking in, you’re met by beaded curtains, décor that includes disco balls and unique lighting fixtures hanging from the ceiling, and interesting objects everywhere the eye can see, making for a very busy environment.
It can be quite overwhelming at times, but never in a bad way. It awakens my inner gremlin and I find myself wanting to explore every little nook and cranny. The smell of incense hits you in the face almost immediately and makes this shop both memorable and very distinguishable. This and the constant squeaks of the wooden beams and floor boards keeping the place intact, it sounds like the ceiling may cave in at any second, but in a charming, vintage way. The atmosphere is definitely the biggest part of the experience of this place with both the visual aspect, the scents, and the sound.
The little shop is so packed with treasure that there is a path marked out for you to follow during your visit that allows you to discover every section individually and lucky for everyone wondering what the smell was, the incense is one of the first sections you come across. This is one of those places that I can’t leave without picking something up, so beware!
Old Strathcona Antique Mall
10323 78 Ave NW
(780) 433-0398
website
The Old Strathcona Antique Mall is one of the largest antique shops I have ever seen: a double story building filled wall to wall with antiques.
It works a little differently than Junque Cellar. There are over 120 booths, and vendors rent these spaces to display and sell their collections. When I first walked in, I caught sight before anything else of the racks on racks of candies, making me doubt for a second where I had entered, in the best way. I felt like a kid in a candy shop again, excited by all the sweet treats.
At this point, you turn to see behind you and are faced with rows of all the antique items you can imagine, making you feel like that kid in a candy shop again, but this time in a different sense. It’s less guided and you can choose to start in any aisle. The setting of the booths makes it really easy to walk around and slowly appreciate each piece without getting overwhelmed by everything all at once, though sometimes I found myself not knowing which way to go next, not wanting to miss anything.
It is fun to go shopping there, or also to just treat as a museum. Each little booth seems to tell so many stories about a person’s life, it’s really quite sentimental walking through. I’ve even managed to find multiple wedding dresses. The booth that I always find myself going back to sits in the nook as you turn to the next aisle. It’s decorated like a little dressing room and full of accessories that look like they’re from around 1920. At this booth, you can find nearly everything you could dream of, including old tin cans and vintage perfumes, filling any niche collector’s dreams.
If you stand around the main entrance and look up, you’ll be able to see some of the cool art on the walls above, including a painting of the entrance of The Princess Theatre, a historical landmark in the Old Strathcona neighbourhood. The best part is that this place comes with treats! A little café exists in the corner of the store as well, better known for its ice cream. Great to take a much needed break while shopping. It’s really easy to spend your entire day in here!
Rocky Mountain Antique Mall
7025 Gateway Blvd NW
(780) 485-0020
website
If you’re driving north on Gateway, the Rocky Mountain Antique Mall will appear on the right hand side just before the Old Strathcona Antique Mall. Before you enter, there is a walkway full of old items, setting the tone – everything from rusty bathtubs, old irons, Singer sewing machines, and big wooden wheels.
The outside of the Rocky Mountain Antique Mall – everything is for sale here, too!
Once inside, the best way to explain it was like an avalanche of items coming at you, in the best way possible. I took my parents along with me for this one, and they definitely enjoyed it, finding many items from their childhoods, including things that I was unfamiliar with, such as old comics and various tools. It was a nice trip down memory lane for them and one that I enjoyed hearing about. Taking my parents with me made the whole experience much more fun than I had anticipated because it seemed to shed a different light on all the objects.
My favourite part was the amount of antiques in the Mall that once served a real purpose, like an old 1920s dental chair and beautifully engraved cash registers. Much like the Old Strathcona Antique Mall, this place had booths set up by vendors who rented the space and filled them up with their collections. One thing I really enjoyed was their huge collection of giant signs, ranging from huge old restaurant signs to loads of antique street signs. Though we didn’t end up purchasing anything, my dad did pick up a mini anvil, for what reason, I’m not entirely sure.
In the end, no matter where you go, shopping for antiques is always a lot of fun, every piece has had a whole life and its own story, and the stores themselves contain so much history that they’re like libraries of objects. Though this hobby has pushed me into starting many new collections (such as eccentric earrings), my favourite item that I’ve ever gotten was a small brass frog from Junque Cellar. It is about 5 cm long and I like to consider it my lucky frog. I keep it in my jacket pocket at all times, though it can get rather heavy, surprisingly. In a way, it makes it a good reminder that it is always at your side.
I recommend everyone give vintage shopping a shot at least once, you never know what treasures you may find!
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