Paulines Antiques

PAULINE’S is an antique store on Park Street in Alameda, CA. The store has something for everyone, and I took about 20 minutes to examine only a few of the many categories of objects. My main motivation was to find a clay lawn statue of a rabbit, because somebody had «borrowed» my own rabbit statue a few years ago. The displays in Pauline’s are neatly organized, and the air inside is fresh and clean. I was especially interested in the vinyl phonograph records, picture postcards, sheet music from the 1920s to the 1960s, and appliances. The appliances of interest included sewing machines, electric irons, and door knobs. Although I did not buy anything during today’s visit to Pauline’s, it was apparent that goods from this antique store are more than adequate for art projects. Please note the following use of antiques for art.
Famed Chicago artist ROGER BROWN has used old electric irons for painting. He painted irons to resemble automobiles and other vehicles, leaving the chrome front and sides unpainted, allowing the chrome to remain glistening and shiney. The sides of Roger Brown’s irons have painted windows with painted passengers inside. I have made a Roger Brown-​type painted iron, where I used enamel paint to convert the entire iron into a hawk. I left part of the chrome in front bare (thus, my hawk has a shiney silvery beak). British photographer MARTIN PARR has collected about 100 really boring postcards, and has photographed them and published them in an amusing book called, BORING POSTCARDS. Also, one of my own photographic portfolios, taken at GREGORY ANTIQUES in Kahoka, Missouri, includes photos of dozens of old door knobs in a bin, and dozens of non-​electric irons in another bin. Thus, the antiques at Pauline’s, which include irons, doorknobs, and postcards, can be used in many types of art projects. Of course, the clothing at Pauline’s can be used for theater productions.
To summarize, the different categories of antiques are crowded together and nicely organized. Pauline’s has an upstairs and a downstairs. The selection of machinery is modest, and I saw an old cash register and a few sewing machines. Also, I did not notice much in the way of antique cameras. I do have an interest in antique stores, as I have made several visits to the cluster of antique stores that are located around the driving circle, in the City of Orange, located a couple of miles north of the border with the City of Santa Ana.

ANTIQUES? NAW, JUST WALL-​TO-​WALL, FLOOR-​TO-​CEILING JUNK. But that is a million times more fascinating than genuine antiques! This is a store that you can spend hours, or even days, exploring. And, on that basis, it gets a very high rating from me, at least.
Everything from books to movies to furniture to beer mugs to «artwork» is here. And, to top it off, is Pauline herself. She is a rude, coarse, tiny little white-​haired force of nature, and thus the perfect ringmaster to preside over this circus. COME ON A RAINY DAY, AND BE PREPARED TO SPEND HOURS BROWSING. YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT…

First impression: Pauline’s is WAY bigger than I imagined. It goes far back into the building and has a lower level with basically the same footprint.
Second impression: Pauline’s is unkempt, and not in a good way. Upstairs I found cleaning supplies that had been abandoned in place for a seemingly long time, and downstairs I had the displeasure of stumbling upon a forgotten Arizona Tea and accompanying cup, complete with active mold culture. Not many sections are organized, tidied, or dusted.
Third impression: Prices are all over the place, skewing high. Many items left me shaking my head, but the two things I happened to choose were a steal (weren’t marked so I didn’t know the prices until I got to the register).
The verdict: Despite the negatives, I found my picking here to be satisfying, enjoyable, and worthwhile, so I would return.

Going in you feel hopeful you’ll find some cool this is this massive antique store, and you will. The problems are really 3 fold:
1. The place has not been organized in any real way. It may have been at one point but as they got more stuff items are just where they landed for the most part now. So there’s lots, I mean lots, of dead stock that would be better in a dumpster… or a dollar sale… anything!
2. No real attention has been put into keeping items from getting ‘beat up’. Postcards, records, comics books, movie magazines, and more are just dumped on shelves and in boxes that are the wrong size. The result? Stuff with a $ 20 price tag on it that’s worth about $ 2. This is also where ‘dumping dead stock’ would help preserve what decent stuff is left.
3. Pricing… For the condition of the type of stuff I collect it made it easy to look, laugh, and just keep walking. There’s obviously no real knowledge of what is owned, nor an attempt to even ‘look up’ items to see if you’re pricing ‘in the ballpark’.
I’m certain, given enough time, that there’s a hidden gem somewhere in there. But this is as close to the TV show ‘hoarders’ that I’ve ever seen in a store. That gem may just be impossible to find!

As disappointing as Park Street Antiques. I guess this place is one person not an antique mall.
Crammed with stuff. Alot of non-​antiques and very high prices. Sorry… a non-​descript contemporary made in China mug is not worth anywhere near $ 5.

For a Type-​A person such as myself, the setup at Pauline’s drives me crazy. It feels like I’m walking onto the set of «Hoarders». There is stuff everywhere, not well-​organized, and just seems chaotic. While they do have some cool items, they also have a lot of trinkets that have probably been on the shelf for years.
This could be a decent option as long as you’re up for a treasure hunt!

Honestly, I’m not one to shop at antique stores, but the things you can find here! An indoor flea market for historical gems.
From the old, ancient smell in the air to the creaking wood floors, this place never fails to remind you of your old age and the even older things around you. There’s something covering every square inch of this place. While some things like jewelry are worth buying, I have no idea why anybody would want to buy a photo of some random chick. Yeah, I’ll pass.
The staff here are super friendly and helpful. There’s no pressure to buy anything or browse and they’re honest and knowledgeable about their items. They won’t try to sell you something you’re not comfortable with. I’ve only come here with Unilocal buddy Linh P. and the staff have always opened the glass displays for her without hesitation and answered all her questions before she went on to make a purchase.
If Bruno Mars really wanted treasure, he best just come here and scavenge because I ain’t got shit compared to what this place has lying around. Hell, Macklemore might as well come along and pop some tags here while he’s at it.
Half of the crap in here scares the bejesus out of me. Live, love, laugh and eat, pray, love because life is short and this place makes it feel shorter. That aside, come with an open mind. You just might surprise yourself with a fantastic find!

Pauline’s is the best place to go antique shopping! Treasures everywhere. Never know what you might find and it wasn’t even what you were looking for. They have everything and there are 2 levels to the store.

Whoa! Pauline’s is overwhelming. It would be a great place to get items if you were doing set design for a movie. Lots of period pieces, lots and lots and lots. Now, do I want to pay $ 10 for a Life magazine from the 70s that was originally 50 cents? No.
But I did buy some Playland at the Beach memorabilia for a friend who grew up near Ocean Beach. Just in case he forgot to save some old ticket stubs.
You could spend a weekend at Pauline’s and still not see everything. Fun!

When the shelves and bookcases are spewing out with stuff, you know there’s gotta be something great stuff to find! A few pieces of furniture, but lots of medium to small items.
There’s two stories with the basement full of glassware where it’s more organized and categorized. Clocks, books, artwork and mirrors are everywhere.
Lots of vinyl records from classical Tchaikovsky to NY jazz quartets. I found my «An American in Paris» soundtrack vinyl here for $ 2.
There’s lots to see and look at here and I like that they have nice aisles to walk around and so you don’t accidentally bump into something. The place must be well ventilated too because it didn’t smell «old.»
The people are very friendly here as a few of the staff said «Hello.»
For prices, some items are a little bit pricier than the thrift stores but it’s still cheaper than the place down the street. Cash only for charges $ 10 and under.

What a fun place to visit. This place has every worthless nick-​nack imaginable. So funny and cool to browse.

Great selection of ancient cast iron. They’re really helpful too in finding particular items too.

I thought my heart would pound out of my chest I was so excited when I walked in here. Really, every corner is adorned with some small or large treasure. Some things are just curious, some are fabulous. Marbles, matches, cards, records, tea cups, pillows, silver and cut crystal, books, furniture, pictures … I just loved it. My only complaint: the prices. $ 100 for a 70’s dial telephone? Really? Some of the items really are treasures but other are flea-​market finds where you might pay a quarter the price. I think they need to adjust the prices here & move some more stock! The service was quite friendly and helpful, though and the vibe is great! Have a look.

I go here for one reason… and one only! And I will say that if you do catch me here, please do not even attempt to say «Hello» because a brother like me is in the zone digging through some cuts!
This place carries some great records. Yeah you gotta get all American Pickers in this piece, elbow deep, dirt, and dig deep. But I’ve ran out of here with some great rare gems for next to nothing.
I appreciate everyone bringing stacks of Vinyl they have no clue about in here so that a person like me can go to town.
Keep em coming!

Oh Pauline’s, there’s as much to say about you as there is crap stuffed into your store. Well, some crap, anyway. I’ve been coming here since I was a kid and I’ll admit that I enjoy poking around the (literal) mountains of goods and items teetering on top of each other in this place. There truly is something for everyone here. My problem are the prices — Pauline seems to be hit or miss in terms of knowing what she has, so sometimes you may get lucky and get a hell of a find on the cheap, or she may have something you want badly but she knows its value and prices it accordingly. Conversely, she has a lot of stuff she THINKS is valuable but is the kind of crap no one wanted sixty years ago and still doesn’t want now. So shop with open eyes.
Pauline herself could be a lot friendlier; she seems to give me a pseudo-​glare every time I walk in, but then again I’m not there to be her friend, so I shouldn’t expect the same from her. Besides, she’s perched in her watch post most of the time anyway so you don’t have to worry about her following you around and making sure you don’t steal an old shoe or something.
This place is a cornucopia of interesting knick-​knacks and items, ranging from old toys to vintage clothing to furniture, dishes, books, radios, and absolutely everything in between. It would take a good couple of hours of meandering to be able to take everything in, and frankly it would make for a good time. My reasoning for giving this place only three stars, however, are the prices that are often unreasonable (even if they are antiques, though some of them barely qualify as such) and the total chaos of the condition of the store. There’s such a thing as having a method to the madness, and then there’s just straight up «I don’t give a shit, I’m throwing this wherever and hopefully someone will unearth it and buy it.» However, Pauline’s really is a gem in the middle of Alameda, and it’s worth a visit (even better, multiple visits) to find some really cool things you might not otherwise stumble across.

August, 2009
Incredibly overwhelming: every cabinet is full to the brim with glassware, costume jewelry, and figurines; tables and desks are piled high with china plates and lamps; the walls are covered with paintings, mirrors, and clocks… and they have an entire showroom downstairs (!). There are many beautiful and well-​preserved items to be found, but prepare to be in the store for a while if you want to look at everything.
The prices were higher than I expected, and some of the items seemed excessively expensive given that they were so closely crowded together. (I went with the intention of buying a small lamp, but every lamp I looked at was more than $ 100.)
The store also has vintage clothes and hats, which I did not have a chance to examine.
—-
I visited a second time in January 2010 with only one item in mind. The store was no less crowded with antiques than on my first visit; if you tend to feel overwhelmed in antique stores, I suggest either patronizing a different store or arriving with one specific item in mind. However, items are not organized by category, quality, or time period; I was looking for a specific kind of glass lampshade, but still found myself needing to scan every shelf and cabinet, as well as crawl on the ground to examine the items underneath the shelves. (I eventually found one at the back of the store in a location so remote I required the assistance of an employee to clear a pathway, then ascend a tall ladder.)
As it turns out, I have decided that I actually like the experience of discovering hidden items during prolonged adventures in antique-​land, but it is probably not for everyone. I should also note that I am a small person with a small purse and can therefore climb over chairs or under clothing racks into narrow enclaves without fearing that I will break something expensive. Taller persons and those with two left feet might feel nervous or claustrophobic in most parts of the store.

You feel like you could literally get lost in this huge, packed, multi-​level antique shop…
So much to see! Be prepared to spend at least an hour browsing the millions of trinkets from a time since passed.
This is def. a store I’ve been meaning to come back to & explore…
Like many antique stores don’t go expecting rock bottom prices, either… instead go with a friend for a trip back to the good ol’ days & a million fun «I want that!» moments.

Crazy cluttered and overpriced, but a fun place to wander around and get nostalgic. I’d love to be Pauline.

Pauline’s Antiques is like a tactile playground and museum in one!
It is filled with all kinds of off-​the-​wall historical garbage that someone in the present may find valuable. A lot of overpriced stuff that you can find at Salvation Army’s/Goodwill with some persistent and patient hunting skills, but Pauline’s actually carry them in one roof! Some real, rare «treasures» that caught my eye: 78s, 45s, 8-​Tracks, scary porcelain dolls with *those* eyes, fur pimp coats, church lady hats, musical boxes, lace kitchen aprons, doll wigs, and vintage jewelry. You’ll definitely need a long time to find that perfect treasure and the same amount of time to marinate whether it is truly worth buying.
I mean, seriously… a $ 40 framed, black-​and-​white family portrait of white people who aren’t even my family? I think I’ll pass…
gas.
(|)
and i did.

I just got back from visiting Pauline’s and came home with a bag full of photos. At first I wandered the packed store, like I had on every other visit. I rummaged through the old clothes, handled the old books, admired the old bird shaped whiskey bottles. Mostly I thumbed through the old postcards looking for photos.
In the back of the store, I spotted an old plastic bin full of pictures. Delighted, I started my search for a few prize images. As I neared the end of the box, Pauline, alerted me to three boxes on the floor which she said were full of paper goods and photos.
So my search continued, and I found some great pictures, a historic book of images from Yellowstone National Park and an old rock poster which I bought for a friend.
On my way out, Pauline even tried to sell me an old tinted photograph of her mom. I politely declined, thinking she might miss it at a later date.
When I first discovered my apartment in Alameda, I explored the town to see what it had to offer. Pauline’s was an immediate favorite. Mainly I just collect old photos, but she has many interesting treasures to be had.