Main Street Collectors Mall & Soda Fountain

This place is quite a gem! I’ve found great stuff here, including a huge Bacardi bat sign. I love their sandwiches too.

We love this place. Our little family visits this shop at least once practically every weekend. This shop and the comic book store on the same block are a great way for my boys to spend time while I go to the Mikwaukie Farmer’s Market. I have scoured the cases many times and I always find some treasure I never noticed before. My 7 year old always gets an ice cream and I enjoy a coke float. Mmm, coca cola and vanilla ice cream :-)

This collector’s mall is amazing. It has really inexpensive items that have lots of historical value, while also providing customers with the opportunity of going to a soda fountain where President John F. Kennedy once sat at. Row after row of display gives you old video game systems, Disney memorabilia, old coins and far, far, far more. Hours upon hours can be spent browsing this magnificent institution of Milwaukee.
I was initially attracted by the sign declaring that there is a soda fountain here. What may have been previously conceived as a short trip became almost an hour of browsing. Prices were reasonable and they have all kinds of things to get. For fifteen dollars, they offer one of those big blue Oregon signs which say that violators of handicapped parking spaces will be towed. These aren’t just knick knacks, they also have some things such as pencil sharpeners, silverware and so on.
This has got to be among the best local businesses statewide.

This is a pretty fun place and the old style soda fountain has some decent food.
The staff at the fountain is fantastic — very friendly and accurate with your order.
I have only been here 5 of 6 times and have seldom strayed from the BLT, but I have sampled some of the food ordered by others in my party and have yet to be disappointed.
The rest of the building is an antique and toy store, full of fun trips down memory lane. They have pretty much anything you might be looking for such as antique lamps, signs, tables, clothing and a ton of toys.
Stop in for lunch then have a look around!
Fun fact — the soda fountain once served JFK prior to him being elected president and the seat he sat in is marked. You too can park your rear and enjoy some food in the same spot that a historical figure once stopped to eat.

Great place to just look around. Brings back memories of being a kid. Great Peanut butter milkshakes and the kids love it!

This is a kind of forced old fashioned indoor swapmeet that has a traditional soda fountain in the back. It’s stale and musty in the place. There are rows of oddly mixed cases and shelves filled with random trash/​treasures depending on your personal philosophy. Sometimes you’ll happen upon a heap of stuff in a little alcove. It’s simultaneously comical and tragic.
Tried to get an old hand stirred phosphate soda but the soda jerk was busy making banana splits. Not the fastest or most courteous service but that’s not a huge surprise. Interesting place to kill some time if you’re in the area with nothing better to do.

I’ll admit it: I’ve corrupted my 5 year old.
It started off innocently… the way most stories of addiction do. Yes, he learned it from me. He would catch me enjoying it. He heard references to it in the things I said. He saw the way my eyes would light up when I spoke about it. He wondered why I always said I was his father when making funny voices into a fan.
This was a pitch perfect after school special in the works.
There was no turning back when we were pulling boxes out of the storage room looking for Christmas decorations and he came across my hidden stash. Pulling open a forgotten cardboard box, his eyes got wide. A look of wonderment crossed his face. A look that reminded me of myself, back in 1977, when I too was an impressionable 5 year old boy.
«Daddy, what is this?»
I knew right then that there was no turning back, no more lies, no more hiding it from him. It was time to come clean.
«Son, those are my old Star Wars toys… that the Millennium Falcon»
«Dad, what a piece of junk»
Ok, he didn’t say that. At least not then.
«What’s Star Wars?» was his actual reply. So being unable to fully explain it, I did one better. I showed him. We sat close to each other, him in awe as the scenes played out in front of him. Space battles, heroes, light sabers, cantinas, death stars, Wookies, droids… these new ideas and worlds quickly became part of his everyday vocabulary.
And so did my collection of Star Wars toys. I had all the vehicles and play sets… the only problem was that I sold the figures in my early twenties to finance the type of debauchery most 22 year olds can’t afford.
This is where the Main Street Collectors Mall comes into the saga. Not only do they have an old time soda fountain which features a stool that President Kennedy once sat on, but also a huge collection of Star Wars figures. From the original trilogy to the prequels, you could find a wide variety of heroes, Jedi, Sith, Rebels and creatures ranging from $ 5 to $ 12 a piece.
This was our Mos Eisley. This was to become the space port that allowed our adventure into the stars to truly begin. We found ourselves visiting often, purchasing a couple figures, contemplating our next move, while enjoying a milkshake from the fountain. We would rush home to reenact our favorite scene with our new found characters. AT-AT’s would be crushed, Princesses would be saved and we would rule the galaxy as father and son.

Service was really slow but food and milkshakes were surprisingly good. The atmosphere wasn’t the nicest. I’m not sure if I would go back there if there were other options available. I wasn’t super impressed by the selection of antiques but I went there for food not for antiques.

Crazy little old time pharmacy turned collectors mall. Come in and sit at an old fashion soda fountain and chat awhile. Then have a look around the menagerie.

Lots of cool stuff at better prices than Goodwill. The 50s style soda fountain is really fun and brings back a ton of memories. The gal behind the counter is fabulous. We will be back!

Wonderful place, full of delightful surprises! Great prices, friendly associates and fun shopping!

I drive 45 minutes to get phosphates here. Sit down at the bar and ask for a raspberry phosphate with extra sour and you’ll not be sorry!

Pros: Pretty inexpensive for an antique/​collectible shop, and there are some cool things to find. The ice cream is good and it’s convenient if you are in downtown Milwaukie and want an ice cream sundae without driving anywhere. Easy walk from the movie theatre too. The swivel-​stools at the soda fountain bar have a cool old-​fashioned feel. Might be a cool place for teens to go on a date.
Cons: It’s really not suited for smaller kids — probably not under age four. There are no seats suitable for young children and there’s a TON of small breakable stuff lying around the store. No kids menu but they did give me a small size ice cream when I asked, not sure how they figured the pricing or even what i paid for it. Both times I have been here for ice cream I felt the service was slow although friendly, the ice cream was good but not any different than I could get at any other ice cream parlor. The lemonade I got for my toddler cost several dollars and all he got was lemon juice squeezed into a glass with water added, then after he had drank half they offered him sugar to add himself — he’s three — big mess, and not something I’d want even for myself. The bar is also not suited to being able to chat if you are a group of more than 2 – 3, and strollers aren’t a good option for your child to sit with you because of the bar and raised floor by the stools.

Don’t let the sign fool you. It really is a soda fountain!
They have a cool aqua blue formica counter in the back of the store complete with a pretty nice antique looking brass outfitted espresso machine that I’m hoping is capable of making a decent tasting coffee. They also serve up ice cream sundaes and hot dogs and cookies, all costco food I’m guessing. Don’t get me wrong those costco hot dogs are awesome, but it seems more of a novelty kind of place than a destination. The rest of the store is a consignment antique store with a pretty large emphasis on antique and classic toys like action figures and dolls and cars and such. Pretty good place to find those classic Star Wars action figures and the like.
Fun!

Ice cream is becoming the forgotten dessert. During the past couple of years, all the excitement and buzz have shifted to frozen yogurt, cupcakes, doughnuts and fried pies. Poor, poor, ice cream.
Part of the problem is that Portland doesn’t have a knock-​your-​socks-​off ice cream parlor. I’ve looked high and low, even driving to Vancouver and eating fancy scoops in the Pearl, all in the name of research. But nowhere have I found a cool non-​chain ice cream shoppe that brings back the memories of my youth. Roses in Northeast Portland has come the closest.
What is missing at the Main Street Soda Fountain is the ‘fun’ in funky. I had high hopes since it is an old fashioned soda counter in the back of an antique store, but it just didn’t do it for me.
The antiques and collectibles are interesting, but the ice cream was average. Prices are reasonable and they serve multiple flavors of Cascade Glacier Ice Cream. But rather than retro cool, the environment is drab and a bit uncomfortable.
They serve a few food items, but really the only reason to visit is for a bit of nostalgia and the ice cream. I’m still waiting to find that special place that puts it all together. Until then, my kids just want make their own froyo. It is hard for ice cream to compete with all those toppings.

This old-​timey soda fountain is pretty friggin’ adorable. Situated in the back of a fun antique/collector’s mall, it’s a fun stop if you happen to be in Milwaukie, about 2 blocks from the Farmer’s market.
In addition to the usual antique mall wares, this particular spot also boasts a TON of pop culture memorabilia, licensed products from TV and movies galore.
Grab a soda, grab a seat, take a load off with and endless sea of fun stuff to look at.

They have a large amount of options and are very reasonably priced. A side of mac salad (home made with hard boiled eggs, olives, celery, green onions, etc.) is 50 cents, which makes a good snack for my toddler (it also is one of the options with a boxed lunch). Most of the shakes and sodas are $ 2 – 3. Although I wouldn’t say the service is speedy, the servers take the time with each customer and are willing to adjust recipes/​porportions of the various concoctions.
They have little paper sheets to fill out your options for sandwiches. The first time we went here, a worker asked if my son wanted a balloon and filled one up with helium for him. The toddler in question also loves the spinning stools — they keep him occupied better than a high chair, althoug I have to keep a hand on him.
This is also a good option if you are looking for someplace close to the Milwaukie’s Farmer’s Market/​Craft Market on Sunday — it’s about two blocks away.
Both times I’ve been here, I’ve rolled my son in on his trike — the aisles are fairly wide and it seems fairly accessible. There store part itself contains a lot of toys, which may be good or bad with kids. They don’t have high chairs or toys out for the kids as far as I can tell, but it still seems family friendly.

I’ve been on the hunt for an enormous wooden fork and spoon.
I searched…
…Target, Fred Meyer & Ross: Late 1960’s kitsch? Might have to wait another 5 years.
…Value Village & St. Vinnie’s: Regular forks and spoons a-​plenty, but I needed a wooden fork the size of one’s head. No such luck.
…eBay: Time delay + shipping charges = not on my side. I need them at my house in two days.
…craigslist: Only one set to be found. In Beaverton. For $ 20.
I was avoiding antique stores because of the price.
But then I came here.
Not only did they have what I needed, they had two sets to choose from! With reasonable prices! $ 5 for one and $ 10 for the other. They even had a whole Tiki-​dedicated corner.
They also had more comic books than I’ve ever seen in one place. Which would be pretty great if I were into that kind of thing, and seemed to be for the guys sorting diligently through piles in boxes on the floor.
I’ve been to a lot of antique stores, so I normally wouldn’t go all 5 stars, but this place was a drink of cool water in the desert this week, and for that I am a fan.
Plus, I mean, c’mon: there’s a soda shop counter. With ice cream!

I stumbled onto this little treasure by accident while walking back to my car from the Milwaukie Farmer’s Market. In fact, I probably would have walked right by if not for the poster advertising an old fashioned soda fountain.
While waiting for my friend to get her milkshake, I wandered around the store. In the typical collectors mall fashion, areas of treasures are grouped by seller. I had a great time looking over all the collectibles, reliving memories of items that I had as a child and coveting items that would have been a perfect addition to my home.
I liked that there were so many nooks and crannies to explore, while still maintaining a semblance of order. They even had items in the bathroom!
I thought the prices were very reasonable on most of the items but in the end, settled for a couple of retro rhinestone pieces for a Mae West costume I’m wearing next week.
I plan on coming back here again when I have a bit more cash in hand.