Deco Doug

I met Doug Ramsey when I stumbled upon his shop Deco Doug located in the artsy section of Royal Oak, Michigan. Although his storefront is small, Doug’s shop is full of rare and authentic treasures such as a 1920s chandelier and a 1930s cash register he uses to conduct business. He talks fondly of each item and can tell you exactly how he acquired it. When I jokingly asked if he took things from dead people (I had just seen the film Please Give), he responded, «No. Not usually.»
I immediately fell in love with his dry wit. I can’t imagine Doug not talking to someone who enters his store. If you want to know about an item, all you have to do is ask. He is enthusiastic about everything!
I don’t know much about antiques, but I fell in love with Deco Doug!

Being a lover of all things deco, I was slightly disappointed in the size of the collection and the pricepoints. But, they are indeed actual vintage deco pieces. The windowfront displays are very enticing! But the hours are not. I’ve come to Royal Oak so many times to find this trove closed.
Upon finally being able to explore the shop, I found myself kind of cramped and ignored. I understand that there was another patron in the store, but apparently I was not even worth being greeted. I kept browsing nonetheless, and was in love with all of the beautiful lamps and radios– and the jewelry, ah! So posh! The size of the store is pretty small, so that makes for a much smaller collection of items than most stores like this. I had kind of hoped to find more prints. This shop is moreso for people looking for pipes, clocks, furniture, and signs.
While I might have caught the business on a bad day, I definitely think that it’s worth a peek.

Small but potent collection of polished shiny treasures, deals and decadence to be had.
How’s it possible that 4 years of Unilocaling Royal Oakers have passed on writing Deco Doug up? The space is very small, but jammed packed with some real art deco treasures (and the price tags to prove it), but there’s also a reasonable deal to be had for the non-​connoisseur collector of all things chrome and curvy. Clocks, watches, lighters, cocktail technology, vases, trinkets, mixers, and crystals.
Doug, who welcomed me from behind the glow of his laptop, is extremely friendly and knowledgeable. Certainly worth ducking inside and looking around if you’re in the market for something old, unique, and gleaming.