Before Chopstix, Fender’s or The Offbeat, the corner of Sixth Avenue and South Oakes was home to a unique antique shop called Dead Man’s Attic. The shop had a good two-year run from 1996 to 1997, but was seriously ahead of its time in that area. Dead Man’s, owned and operated by Mike Bonilla, a man who possesses a discerning eye for all things vintage, retro and rad, opened again on St. Helens Avenue a few years back before a disastrous building flood forced him to once again close. This past Halloween weekend ushered in the return of Dead Man’s Attic in the heart of downtown Tacoma on Broadway.



“This area gets a lot of foot traffic. We think its going to work out really well, and I think Tacoma’s ready for it” says Bonilla who has teamed up with Sebrina Brown, who handles their online business and the sales floor along with fellow antique lover Lisa Knott.



“Sebrina really knows her stuff,” confides Bonilla of Brown’s knowledge of mid-century vintage (meaning 1940s, ’50s, ’60s) — a real plus for the shop owner, as that’s the focus at Dead Man’s. Bonilla’s knack for finding things at great prices allows him to keep his own pricing fair. Bonilla believes in karma, so you’ll never end up with anything other than quality merchandise. What will you find at his shop? Funky martini shakers, bar glasses, graceful curvy 1950s lamps, rotating end tables, airplanes, ice buckets, vases, tea sets, sofas and slope-backed 1940-era couches with wide seats, dining tables, skirts, blouses, blazers, hats, exquisitely hand-carved brooches from the 30’s, other jewelry galore and so much more!

Extended hours are in the near future, but for now the shop will be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from noon to 5 p.m.

“We’re tucked into the stairs above Mad Hat Tea Company and right below Galanga Thai. Viva la Dead Man!”

[Dead Man’s Attic, 1131 Broadway, Tacoma, 253.383.5000, www.myspace.com/deadmansattic]