cooper street antique mall

went in on a rainy day. Great find. so many interesting things---from my childhood and before. curious things, beautiful antiques and something to interest all . I'll bet no matter what you are into, you can find a 50 year old version!!

For those who are truly into antiques or who just like to ramble through memorabilia, this antique mall hits the spot. Located in the now-defunct Sheppler's Western Wear building on South Cooper across from Gracie Lane (please be careful crossing Cooper. We don't need any tourist roadkill, thank you), this collection of excellent antique furniture, knick knacks and memorabilia is worth a few hours roaming through. The owners of this new establishment are the same people who brought you the huge rambling overstuffed antique mall on Montgomery Street (and I-30) in Fort Worth, which has been an antiquing mainstay for about as long as I've been alive. Unlike the Fort Worth location, there is no legitimate fear of getting lost in the building.This particular location started slowly with just a few vendors, but has rapidly built to a very nice combination of beautiful classic furniture, including desks (elementary school desks and roll top, patent lawyers desk with all their millions of little drawers, safari camp desks, etc.) , train station ticket counters, bedroom headboards, ship trunks, corner cabinets, portable antique spice cabinets, antique wooden doors, and milking stools. They even had boot pullers (those weird little benches that you put your boot heel in and it takes the boot off your foot without bending over). A great present for your kicker friend who has everything. I only wish I had space to put more furniture in my house.For the collector, tin and apothecary bottles, old lunch boxes, cookie jars, bread boxes, old toys and iron banks, baseball, and even political paraphernalia. (there's a great picture there of all the living presidents together... from Carter to Obama, with all of their signatures, that is kinda cool). For the artist of repurposed materials, this is a veritable Shangri-la. Lots of old phone handsets and odd pots, suitcases, photographs, window frames, spindles, odd door handles and drawer pulls. I could plan my next 50 Pinterest projects with these supplies.Some funny things I have found there include: a complete tea set (cups and saucers) that my mother used to play with when she was a little girl in the 30's. A Charles Chips tin (remember that, foodies?). One booth had a working 1950's mixer and a 1950's Good Housekeeping cookbook with the illustrations showing a June Cleaver-type cooking shank of lamb in her pearls and high heels. I also found those awful bright colored aluminum tumblers that every mother gave to every child and that tasted so nasty when lemonade was poured into them. I've found the same kind of bongos we had as kids, and very old board games and puzzles (with all their pieces...shocking!) I also found a foot rest (ottoman) in the shape of a Old English Sheepdog that was pretty funny. (I think the fur was llama, though). When you get tired of poking around, check out the Tin Tulip Tearoom in the back. The food is really quite good and the tea is wonderful. I think that Friday is Shrimp Salad stuffed in a Beefsteak tomato - day. Definitely worth the trip. (....but beware the haunted mirror!)