A recent post on Facebook led me to discovering a mid-century shop that I was not previously aware of. I thought that I knew about all of the funky vintage spots around town, but somehow Funky Town Vintage eluded me… for two years!
Yesterday was my first visit to the shop, which is more like a vintage furniture and accessories depot. Upon walking in, I was greeted by owner Jim Grys, who also happens to own The Atomic Bomb Shelter that I wrote about last year. As much as I was impressed by The Atomic Bomb Shelter, Funky Town Vintage is on a whole other level. The place is loaded with incredible finds – I can’t even believe that this amassed collection exists in Western NY.
Grys told me that most of the curated inventory is his, but he also has a couple of subletters within the building – Catherine Newman and Marty McGee, both of whom are experts in the mid-century realm. This collective of sellers is second to none – each has his or her own expertise, which makes Funky Town Vintage even more explosive. Adding to the collective is John Milley, who owns JP’s Upholstery. That means that there is an in-house expert that is able to repair and reupholster some of the relics and treasures that come through the shop. Plus, local retro furniture collectors now have someone who specializes in the art of restoring fab fabrics and recreating vintage looks.
Funky Town Vintage has some incredibly hot finds for the serious collectors, but it also has groovy material objects for people who are just looking for something fun and outrageous. I was like a kid in a candy shop walking through this place – there’s so much to take in, it’s a bit overwhelming, but that’s what this era was all about… creating furniture, lamps, clocks, etc. that was simply over the top. It’s the stuff that you only see in magazines… boatloads (and campers) of it that’s all under one roof.
The shop is located in an oddball spot in Williamsville… in a building that was once home to a carpet business… but it suits the current tenants’ needs perfectly. The only thing missing was an authentic vintage silver Douglas DC-2 passenger plane, though I’m sure that Grys has his eye on one somewhere.
Funky Town Vintage | 1165 Wehrle Drive | Williamsville, NY 14221 | (716) 780-2639
