The Pink Flamingo is an antique mall I pass on the way to my favorite flea markets and thrift stores. It's a retina-searing bright blur in my peripheral vision, and I wishfully mistook it for an ordinary thrift store. The bubblegum exterior, as cloying as a cute kitten, pulled the strings of kitsch-craving heart. I finally stopped to explore it when I spied a sexy set of orange chairs out front.
I wish it could be tackier, I wish those bushes out front were made of plastic and the grass was AstroTurf Then I'd really be walking into a life-size replica of Barbie's Dream House.
The door and window trims are painted in my favorite shade of pink. Nintendo's Kirby Pink, Mr. Bubble Pink. It's an eye-grabbing hue that's bold enough for a Man, strong enough for a Woman. I'm getting ridiculous now, let's look inside.
The shop is divided up like an antique mall with different vendors renting spaces. I recognize a vendor that once had a space near me at Treasure House.
The space is clear and clean with mostly high quality retro pieces scattered throughout, more curated than other antique malls I've sold in. No DVDs or dollar store cast-offs in sight.
The prices are pretty fair for a nicely curated collection of quality retro goods. I see a lot of things I admire, like the cookies jar collection above, but the prices are too high for a reseller.
All arranged in a cozy way that recalls going through your quirky aunt's house. I'd know, I'm a quirky aunt. In short, it's a fun detour for a collector. If you're a local hunter you might bring home a treasure or two if you're not a cheap-ass, penny-pinching hunter like me.
What's the weirdest second-hand hunting spot you've explored? I do recall a creeper-van with a 1970s beaded curtain for a door at the flea market that used to sell porn flicks...
How fun! Love the pink trim on the house. The inside does look much more high-end and organized than one would expect. Happy hunting!
ReplyDeleteThe inside wasn't what I expected. Always fun to be surprised!
DeleteI've decided that I want to live in a pastel colored house when I'm a little old lady.Something funky and everything is color coordinated.
ReplyDeleteI would have stopped for those orange chairs too-they're cute.
I wanna live in a pastel house now ;( haha. The chairs were not badly priced but too much for a reseller's budget.
DeleteIts definitely eye catching, I'd totally stop! They should do the inside like the outside. Of course then they'd have to look at it all day. When I hit 70 I might have to dye my hair pink, wear all pink and have a poodle thats flaming red.....I mean really lets not get crazy here.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking the same, would have loved for the inside to be just as bright with AstroTurf rugs and flamingos everywhere :D
DeleteLOL @ creeper van!
ReplyDeleteI've never heard of this place, great post!
Looks interesting, for sure!
Sherri
There's also a movie on The Netflix called "Creep Van" :D It sounded like it was made for me, named AFTER me...Couldn't get through it and I love me a campy horror flick, it was too much!
DeleteI like how you say no DVD's and Dollar store junk. That drives me crazy!!!! I sell in an Antique mall too and I hate all that crap.
ReplyDeleteIt's all too common around these parts...
DeleteI think I want to move to Florida! What a fantastic shop. I want those flamingoes! xxx
ReplyDeleteMe too!
DeleteWe used to have pink flamingos in our yard-- sooo Florida! Love it! That looks like a great little shop. I've shopped in storage units and barns and I'll even just pick stuff up from the side of the road, so that place looks downright classy to me!
ReplyDeleteBecky :)
I'm hopped into a dumpster once, forgot about that one. ;) I've been in storage units but not a barn to -shop- yet, although I may have been given some things to use from a barn... hunting is truly an adventure!
DeleteWeirdest had to be the time we stopped on a country road in MO for an estate sale -- turns out the family had a "perpetual" estate sale going on in their barn and the guy who opened it up for us us was in his 20's and had special needs. I'm not even sure he was "allowed" to sell us anything. They had a lot of great junk in the barn but after a few minutes I felt like we probably shouldn't be there. It actually felt like we were looking around inside someone's home.
ReplyDeleteI see similar things on the way to Gainsville, Florida. That North Florida dixie highway route from Jax to G-ville is where Ye Olde South from Georgia dips into Florida and brings that eclectic junking culture with it. I love to take that route while I'm traveling to South Florida too just to see the perpetual junk sales people are having. :D
DeleteLove the outside! Nothing on the inside that peaks my interest, but the place is totally cute.
ReplyDeleteThe weirdest second hand hunting spot I`ve ever explored was the place I probably mentioned before. Not really weird, just totally wild & different. The store has a mannequin out front of Michael Jackson holding a baby over a balcony, inside there is crap everywhere & they greeted you with hot apple cider & they had a gigantic place in the back where you dived for $1 pieces of clothing. There was like 10 people in the diving spot when we were in there & it was about 4 feet tall.
I had more photos of temptations from the inside that couldn't get to me in time for this post. They'll have to appear in a future "Things I Didn't Buy" post instead. I don't recall you mentioning a spot with a statute of MJ holding a baby over a balcony! Sounds like the BEST. STORE. EVER.
DeleteThat is seriously inspiring me to get as weird as I want with shop displays, hmm...
DeleteThanks for sharing! What a quirky find :0) Love how it is so unique and different and full of personality. I normally don't go for those pink flamingo lawn ornaments, but I actually like them here. Really adds to the charm of the place.
ReplyDeleteI loved the outside, wish the inside was just as kitchy :)
DeleteWhat a great place. I love the pink on the building and those lawn flamingos just top off the awesomeness.
ReplyDelete