No, it’s not the title of my favorite song or a fun new accessory purchase, it’s the name of a 32,000 square foot antique mall in Stephen’s home town that’s become one of our favorite places for digging up good deals. The Heards headed to Little Rock two weekends ago to visit the family and have the last of my 2009 birthday celebrations and made a stop over at Blue Suede while we were there.
Right off the bat, we knew this antique store would be chock full of interesting finds. The entire store is comprised of hundreds of booths, all maintained and stocked by different individuals with different tastes in antiques (or junk, in some cases). Most of the booth owners tried to maintain a theme with their booth and display items from one or two decades, so it made finding items of your taste much easier than an “antiques en mass” type of store. Add to that some great sales, and it made for a fun way to spend a Sunday morning.
I cannot stress the variety of items at this place enough. Where else can you find vintage circus costumes…
…JFK bookends…
…and an authentic train seat from an ancient passenger train all under one roof?!
They even had a HUGE setup of a miniature circus in the middle of it all.
Stephen got a kick out of browsing the shelves of hundreds of unique books and stacks of vinyl records…
…while I checked out some of my favorite booths, the retro ones!
I must say, my recent retro desk flip has given me a new appreciation for many of these vintage finds. One piece that caught my eye was this not-quite-endtable, not-quite-dresser, perfect-for-storage chest. Doesn’t it just beg to make its way to my craft room to chill with my vintage desk?
Sadly, this little guy didn’t fit the budget or in our overstuffed vehicle (dog + mountain bike + leftover crab legs = no room for little dresser), and neither did his big brother.
Loved that $30 chrome desk lamp, by the way! Didn’t love the fire hazard that might accompany 40 year old wiring.
A few other items we found that had potential included this pair of chairs.
They may not look like much, but at $50 for the set, you could definitely turn them into showstoppers with some spray paint and fun fabric like this gal did.
These antique fans (refurbished with new wiring, of course) would be cute alternatives to the traditional ceiling fan and would free up a ceiling for a much more interesting light fixture.
Finally this serious sofa, while not my taste, would have some ladies fainting in the aisles with a little TLC. I’m picturing painted white woodwork with light blue, yellow, or even pink upholstery in a romantic, airy room.
So what did we snag at The King of antique malls, you ask? For a mere $6, we bought this super cute vinegar and oil set which matches our other white vases and accessories oh so well.
Even a car full of dog and mountain bike can make room for that!
Lesson of the day, if you ever make it to the Little Rock area, check out Blue Suede Shoes antique mall … and won’t you please take me with you?
