Scout Finch

I know this place isn’t new. I know everyone has written about this place, visited it, bought things from here, taken their mums here … yadda yadda yadda.

But I haven’t, so it’s new to me, and that’s what this whole blog is all about – places that I’m discovering for the first time.

This place is amazing. Located in the former Plaza Theatre on Latrobe Terrace in Paddington, it is home to 50 separate dealers who all have their own sections, or “shops” as they call them, scattered around the large centre.

The original Plaza Theatre, built in late 1920s, was one of only two “atmospheric” theatres in Australia. When it first opened, it was part of the short-lived picture palace movie theatre phenomenon. In the early 1960s, it ceased to operate as a cinema and a level floor was installed and the building was used for indoor basketball. I don’t like this part of the story (ewww) so will rush through quickly … ahhh here we are, then in 1985 it opened as an antique centre.

It’s packed and you will need a lot – I mean a LOT – of time to see everything. There is some rhyme and reason in their theming and order, but not much, and to be honest it’s that organised chaos that brings a little something extra to the experience.

It’s got everything from vintage and retro clothing, to old furniture, new furniture done up to look old, military stuff, china, glass and silver, old jewellery  and old records…I haven’t even begun to really get into the list of stuff this place has.

Like any antique shop, there is some crap that really shouldn’t be in antique or vintage arena, but there are a lot of little wonders to make a visit worthwhile.

My favourites were the lamp and retro glass cabinet sections.

It’s here that I finally found the perfect vintage glass scotch decanter that I’ve been searching for for years. Now my tortured writer look is coming together…excellent (insert Mr Burns voice here).

And yes, they also have a quaint little café inside too…which looked cool.

Please note I have stolen (I mean borrowed) quite a lot of these photos from Paddignton Antique Centre and mingled them with some of my own so you think I’m a really cool photographer when really I just got distracted with all the cool and pretty things as I walked around.