Jaws Antiques

Found this store while strolling along Queen Street and even though it seemed questionable at first glance; I had to admit that there were some wonderful antique and vintage items tucked away among the towering piles of yesteryear. As a prior reviewer remarked in her post, if you are not a fan of birds; avoid the back of the store. Bought a Joanna Legge painting for $ 40 cash!

This place is one set of Matryoshka dolls away from being featured on that new A&E show «Hoarders» that I keep seeing previews for. We’re talking astronomical piles of stuff — this is «bull in a china shop» material. I nearly knocked over about a hundred different things — an obscure coin collection, some porcelain dinner bells, a set of stainless steel Polish heritage plates (the kind that every Polish family has on display in the kitchen) and some bovine salt and pepper shakers.
If that isn’t overwhelming enough, as you reach the back of the store (if you can make it that far without stopping to pick something up that you’ve toppled over) there are BIRDS. Like, five of them, in cages with open doors. So if you’re afraid of large birds like parrots, kias and mackaws, best not to set food in this store in the first place. None of them took any notice of my quivering frame backing away from them slowly so it was all good.
I surprisingly saw a lot of good finds in this store but nothing has a price so you have to individually ask about each item. Luckily the owner (Jim?) is happy to haggle and lower the prices (which makes me wonder why they’re higher in the first place?). I found some cool vinyl ottomans, bendable desk lamps from the 1970s and a nice teak dresser in the basement, which is pretty hidden. Ask for a buried treasure map when you arrive and follow the clues (kidding, but not really).
Also a bonus: the store doesn’t reek like a dungeon.