I love walking through antique and vintage stores and there are plenty here in the Scenic City. Most are designed to house several local vendors selling their wares in a designated assigned area.
You’ve got Mercantile at the Ridge and the East Ridge Antique District, both off Ringold Road. There’s Dirty Jane’s Antiques in Red Bank. Off Cloudland Springs Road there is Robin’s Nest and Sweet Maple Vintage Gifts and Home Décor. Crazy Daisy moved from the East Ridge Antique District to a new building adjacent to the I-75 Flea Market. Vinterest has a Hixson and Southside location.
You’ll find everything from vintage coins, fancy antiques and furnishings, everything from the elegant to the avant garde, and sometimes quirky items.
And that’s what I’m looking for, quirky items. Like this one vendor inside East Town Antiques that sells Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman, Vincent Price and Elvira Mistress of the Dark T-shirts. I probably bought seven Creature Feature shirts there. I’m always on the hunt for places that sell Bigfoot signs, shirts, and statues, or alien and cryptid stuff or old comics or vintage shirts and posters.
Last week I was driving on Cherokee Blvd., when I passed a building that was painted bright pink, so I turned the corner and came across a parking lot with vintage items and a mini school bus that was converted into an RV. Next to the RV was a tall Superman cutout.
I thought to myself, what the heck?
I’m so happy to say that what I stumbled upon was my version of vintage Nirvana, two incredibly eclectic stores, The Electric Crocodile and The Local Dive Retail.
The exterior of Local Dive Retail is colorful with tasteful graffiti art and large open garage doors with mannequins and vintage items spilling out toward the sidewalk.
Vintage hippie vibes smacked me in the face as I entered the store. Vintage Buffy the Vampire Slayer shirts, a Britney Spear poster on the wall, and an old payphone placed by the cashier with a sign saying, “ET phone home.” There were tons of vintage clothes. Pants, sweaters and shirts hung from racks or from the ceiling. Vinyl records, jewelry, boots and shoes.
One of the employees, his name was James, said they’re celebrating their third year in business with a block party from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Saturday March 7. There will be outdoor vendors, food trucks, karaoke and a two-man band, Red Pawn featuring TJ Greever & Jason Reed.
James said the store is owned by Andie Bost and Mindy Vassion. Andie used to own and operate a store in Rossville, GA., named Bettieville. He said Local Dive Retail is a bigger store that has been welcomed in the Northshore neighborhood and I can understand why.
After spending about an hour combing through the entire store. I walked toward Cherokee Blvd., and the bright neon pink building and stepped inside Electric Crocodile. Owned by Michelle and Paul Kuffrey, the store opened in late 2023 at the former Ziggy's Bar and Grill site.
The store has pathways and passages that seem to go for miles. A room full of videos, like a Blockbuster store. Another with vintage T-shirts, another with tons of collectible Bobble-heads, comics and models.
Wall to wall eclectic items and hippie type graffiti painted on the floor. Clothing, jewelry, hats, alien figurines and so much more. The items go on and on. These stores look lived-in and transport you back to fun times and memories.
I plan on joining the folks at Local Dive Retail for their three-year birthday bash and while I’m there, I’ll also check out a few bobble heads at Electric Crocodile. Come out and join me.
Both stores share the same address, 607 Cherokee Blvd.
The Local Dive Retail: facebook.com/localdiveretail
The Electric Crocodile: facebook.com/profile.php?id=100067897880600