memory lane antique mall

Nice antique mall with lots to see. Like every antique mall some prices are good, some not quite so good.

On a recent trip to Kalama, we found ourselves party to an impromptu scavenger hunt during our visit to Memory Lane Antique Mall. A young musician was trying to piece together a costume for a Halloween gig, and was shouting instructions to the Mall staff as they combed through the many nooks and crannies looking for the elements of a Jimi Hendrix "look". Before long, we were all spying fun things under piles of vintage clothes (gold crushed velvet pants, a fur jacket!), hats up on shelves, an old electric guitar behind a display of 50's kiddie costumes. It was a fun way to spend the rainy day and made us see things we wouldn't otherwise have been looking for. While we were digging around, we did find some vintage sci-fi paperbacks and a cool tabletop revolving book rack. Always worth a side trip to Kalama when trekking down I-5!

I confess that on any given visit to this mall I will be looking for something different than I was the time before. I might be looking for an anniversary present or a head vase for a friend's collection or I might want to price vintage fishing gear or a Pyrex lid for my cast iron skillet. When we visited in October, we were on vacation and were looking for some things to read while we were kicking back. My better half found some hardbacks including his favorite subjects: sports and history, while I picked up a couple of bundles of vintage Christmas magazines (it's never too soon to find great recipes and decorating ideas) and a rare find: two issues of Popular Mechanics Magazine from the '50's! We always have fun sleuthing around this big mall and are always happy that the knowledgeable staff doesn't follow you around as though suspecting any minute that you will hide a 1930's copper washbucket under your shirt... A friendly place not too snooty to carry toys from the 1980's or to overcharge for Pendleton blanket. Well worth the time we take when traveling south on I-5, and a great excuse to stretch our legs too!