Quirky Store, Cowboy on Jackrabbit
Austin, Texas
Uncommon Objects is a store filled with dead people's used stuff, and an unofficial cabinet of curiosities for Austin. Even the cowboy riding a jackrabbit over the entrance won't totally prepare you for what's inside.
Secret fraternal order capes. Miniature oil derricks. Carved ceremonial dancers. Overly loved fuzzy toys. Any one item in Uncommon Objects might be familiar fodder at a thousand antiques shops and flea markets. The magic happens here with the way it's artfully selected.
A talented curatorial eye is behind the staging and placement of everything. Animal taxidermy shares a nook with human anatomical charts. Kitschy velvet love paintings adorn shelves alongside religious porcelain figures. The store is arranged as a series of alcove mini-galleries. Some are themed by color -- all yellow items, all red items.
Uncommon Objects first opened its doors in 1991, a business venture by artist Steve Wiman and Ed Gage with offerings from a collective of 24 antique vendors. Wiman continues to operate UO and make eclectic choices for the public to enjoy.
Every treasure has a visible price tag, and there's a turnover of merchandise. So don't be too disappointed if someone already snapped up the Ten Commandments tablets or the goofy horse costume.