What? Shoppe

I LOVE this shop. The owners are so patient and helpful. I lost my grandfather, and wanted something special to hang in my home to remember him by. The El Dia De Los Muertos painting I commissioned ended up being AMAZING, and they framed it too. Worth every penny. This shop is unique and fun, I recommend it to anyone looking for a gift or who loves vintage movie posters or other items.

I love this place so much. Crazy awesome array of unique stuff — hand painted Frida Kahlo tiles, rubber monster masks, classic sci fi models, original art, tons of classic and classic horror movie stuff, card games, super rad hats, and more. A must stop in downtown Tacoma.

My family, on vacation, looking for interesting vintage hats. Walking down Broadway, headed toward a specific vintage clothing shop, we stop in here to look around.
I got goosebumps from the quirkiness less than 5 feet in the store!!!
They had SO MUCH NEAT STUFF. It reminds me of the old fashioned general stores of yesteryear, that had a little bit of everything tucked away all over the place. But instead of thimbles and household goods, the What Shoppe had old-​school-​cool movie posters hanging from the walls, model kits for props from sci-​fi movies, nifty hats, collectables from lots and lots and LOTS of different genres.
One of the people told me that they’ve got over 10 THOUSAND movie posters *in stock*. As in everything from avant-​garde French film posters to block busters to cheezy 70’s art house film flyers.
We went in to look for a hat, which should have taken 5 minutes at the most. We were there for at least a half an hour, maybe more.
Be warned… if you’re ADD, you may never leave this place!!!

An interesting shop with a quirky but friendly owner. They are a little hard to find, the store is located almost right under a sign that says «restaurant». I found some neat and affordable items there but was surprised by the amount of hobby items they have. They open at 11:30 most days. Be sure to check them out when you are in the antiques district!

Hands down, this is the coolest, funnest, weirdest and best store in Tacoma. If you are looking for a gift or something for yourself, there is no way you are getting out of there without wanting at LEAST a hundred amazing things you didn’t even know existed. They seem to have every kind of weird represented there. I dont care what you are looking for, they probably have it in some way and if they don’t for some odd reason… they will FIND it. This place is heaven.

This is one my favorite stores in Tacoma. The owner is so nice and always has fun, new things to show me when I come in. She is really helpful. I love dia de los muertos and horror paraphernalia and can always find a new item that I need. It’s one of my go-​to stores for unique gifts and cards as well. The card selection is really great. They also have fun artwork on the walls and «art toys» that you will not find anywhere else.
If you are looking for one of a kind art, pop culture/​horror things, movie posters and/​or sugar skull figurines and jewelry, this is the place to go.

A very fun and quirky little shop located in the antique district of Tacoma! Their merchandise is wide and eclectic. They have all kinds of post cards, movie posters, pop art, art magazines like Juxtapoz, masks, costumes, pins and model car sets!
What I liked best was their movie posters of obscure films as well as their assortment of Day of the Dead figurines and skulls.
The lady that worked there made me feel very welcome in my new home town and was very helpful!
Looking forward to going back in this very interesting part of town!

This shop is very cool. They have lots of old movie posters and the owners are very helpful. Looking for gifts for someone that is artsy and likes pop culture is extremely difficult but I there were many options here that fit perfectly. Great selection of cool t-​shirts also. Highly recommend.

Best local shop for Day of the Dead items and local art! Neat little place to pick up wigs and costumes as well.

This shop has it all…
The owners are cool, hippie/​artsy folk who have had their shop in the same location for 30 years!
They have a small but decent selection of Lucky 13 and Vince Ray art T-​shirts which is what I was after in addition to are nice selection of Halloween costumes, model kits, scale model trains, books, magazines, even some British toys, from what I saw and a whole lot more.
If you seek it, they probably have it. Give them a shout! They are super helpful.

The name of the store completely defines itelf… you walk in and say «what?». This small and quiet store in the antique area of downtown Tacoma often goes unoticed by those who walk/​drive by. Those who are lucky enough to see the store go in simply for curiousity.
Inside the store is a rather odd and random assortment of things from model car kits, to old movie poststers to gimmicky t-​shirts. The place almost reminds me of what it would look like if I had a garage sale when I was 15 – 18 years old and everything was brand new.
Overall its a fun place to stop in and maybe pick up a random item that may have reminded you of your enlightened undergrad awakening like a Sylvia Plath postcard. The place is so random that it kinda feels uncomfortable to be there but at the same time you cannot help but look at every single item in the store for some hidden gem.
I love independent business so I recommend everyone to at least check it out… I challenge you to leave with at least picking up a little something.

This is a great place to shop for movie or TV show stuff. Several thousand movie posters in-​stock that range from very inexpensive for reproductions and newer ones to spendy older and rare ones (if the owner is willing to part with it). Funny cards, Kitch and all sorts of fun stuff await you. I little hard to find as the storefront is small but it’s right under the Club Silverstone sign.

There are a few shops in the world where it is physically impossible for me to walk into the shop and leave without spending money. This is one of them, and has been for many years. The owner stocks the place with everything she loves, and there’s always some awesome new thing there that I just have to have. It’s gotten to the point where Charlotte, the owner, knows what I like and will point me (as well as my family when they’re shopping for me) toward what almost inevitably becomes my purchase of the day. If you’re a fan of rock and movie posters, postcards, macabre and/​or unusual toys and everything else a growing goth/​punk/​hipster kid needs, you need to visit this place the way a Muslim needs to visit Mecca.