I found such a place in Miami, AZ. Miami was one of the copper mining boom towns; that of course was when copper was king. But as of late, according to the 2008 statistics, 23.6% of Miami residents had an income below the poverty level. Walking through the town on a weekday it appeared as if everybody had boarded up their place of business and gone home. The weekend brings a slightly more favorable outlook, but it still looks as if 50% of the businesses are boarded up; with the exception of Guyao’s Elrey Café, which was packed with customers on the Saturday that we were there.
The one gem in the town that I did find was Soda Pops Antique Store. Their business card says “Best Antique Store…Anywhere”! and I believe them. Our introduction to the store was by chance encounter; it looked interesting, it was open, and so we entered in and checked it out. As soon as I entered the store I fell in love with it. Hanging on the wall just up behind the cashier’s counter was a five foot replica of Mickey Mouse and Goofy with a six foot Coca-Cola bottle. The main theme of the store seemed to be Coca-Cola memorabilia, but there was no shortage of other grand articles of nostalgia. We spent more than an hour just looking and talking; we spent more time talking with owner Marcia Hughes than we did looking around the store.
They got their start in the business while on a vacation and owner Ron Hughes spotted an old Coco-Cola chest rusting away in a field. It had been used as target practice, but Ron could see that it had potential. They took it home and with a little TLC, OK a lot of TLC, some body putty and a few coats of paint, it looked brand new. After that they were always on the lookout for some unusual antique that they could restore and put in their shop. Ron’s wife Marcia told us of the time they were out treasure hunting when they found an old Merry-Go-Round airplane. They only had their car with them, and it was already full of new found treasures, so they tied the airplane to the roof of the car. Imagine the looks they got as they motored down the road with this miniature airplane tied to the roof and the propeller spinning as if it were ready for takeoff.
Once again, all it takes is a little restoration; some paint and the junkyard airplane will be ready to transport some young Red Baron off to fight in an imaginary WW1 dog-fight with the number one enemy Fighter Ace.
One of my favorite antiques in the store was a child’s barber chair. It was in the window display and I could only get a shot of it from outside the store looking in. It was a small barber’s chair that the child could sit in while his legs straddled the front quarter of a horse. It transformed an ordinary haircut into the fantasy world of Tom Mix or The Lone Ranger. How cool is that; instead of Just getting a haircut, you could be getting scalped! The horses head was even covered with real horse hair. “Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him…”.
Right in the middle of the store was Laurel and Hardy, tucked into their roadster and ready to motor off to another one of their crazy destinations. In my childhood there was many a day I would go to the movies and follow right along with them on their wacky adventures.
My favorite picture didn’t turn out. It was the first picture I took in the place. There I was, the picture framed in my mind, while with trembling hands I raised the camera to my eye and snapped the picture which would launch my career right up there with the likes of Ansell Adams. Alas, I neglected the first rule of good photography, always use a tripod, or at least keep a steady hand. Oh well I can always go back and take another picture; which for sure I am going to do.
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