Since we were already on Tennyson street, the guys at Berkeley Supply suggested we check out the Yankee Trader antiques and collectables shop.  We had a couple hours to spare before flying back to L.A., so why not?

We figured we’d just stay a few minutes, but ended up taking the entire time and rushing to catch our flight.  Ben, Scotty, Tal and I all got completely lost and absorbed in the vintage Playboys and military surplus fatigues and old-school Transformer Constructicons.  Yankee Trader isn’t just any antiques store, it’s an emporium of memories and niche novelties.

The owner’s daughter was telling us all kinds of crazy stories from the decades they’ve been operating the store; it turns out there’s really an audience for everything. It’s not rare for an old lady to walk in and chat for hours about all the detailed nuances of collecting thimbles.  Or for a man to drop thousands of dollars on this WWII helmet with SS markings:

Yes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.  And antique shops like Yankee Trader have something for everyone.

For example, me. I’ve been on the hunt for this ancient Garfield Tyco telephone forever, and I spotted it high up top a shelf in the throwback action figure section.  After I got it down, it wasn’t in the mint condition I was hoping for, so I had to pass (anyone got a good one for sale??), but I bet the thousands of people who’ve walked these aisles have overlooked this ’80s gem. But to me, it meant being 7 years old all over again.

Anyways, take a stroll down Memory Lane…

by bobbyhundreds