Looking for that old Peter, Paul and Mary album to play on your record player? Aching for that old-school Kryptonite pin? Or maybe you're just looking for a set of cute jade bangles to pair with your new outfit. Look no further than Blendo; owned by Mary Ann Cardellino since its opening in 1999, the store houses an enormous variety of goods. The interior of Blendo can best be described as organized chaos. Trinkets fill shelves in every corner and spill out onto crates on the sidewalk. "There's something for everyone," says an employee at the store, "and there's a sense of accomplishment when you find it."
The something-for-everyone idea is not an exaggeration at Blendo. Items are as varied as cookie jars shaped like jazz singers and duct tape wallets; the "hugs and kisses" (metallic x's and o's) in a bag and the fisherman's crying towel for "the one that got away" are more tongue-in-cheek. However, Blendo has more to offer than just trinkets. Cute woolen handbags would catch the eye of any girl; blue art deco ties are perfect for the guys. Even kids have something to enjoy -- according to the employees, the first sale of the day was a Moses action figure, and for those not into biblical heroes, Albert Einstein and Benjamin Franklin action figures abound.
But the most interesting goods sold in the store are the vintage pieces, which are picked up at auctions, flea markets and house sales. Pins for the Kansas City Chiefs, Goldwater and Mondale fill dishes behind a glass counter. And the vintage clothing is notable as well. A pink silk dress with silver embroidery from the 1960s sells for only $5, perfect for the college student's budget. "When it's the right price, and the design is great and its useful," says Cardellino, "that's the best thing, because then you know that the customer will get those things out of it."
New pieces are also sold in the store, and are imported in from all over the world; there are Italian jewelry pieces, and Polish glass vases. However, many items, such as the Louise Green hats, come from California. Most of these are incredibly reasonable -- silk purses sell for $12, while a bowl made from an old Jimi Hendrix album is $28. Variety doesn't end there: a nine-piece celluloid dresser set, complete with mirror, brush and picture frame sells for $129.
So why deprive yourself of that '50s-style telephone you've been looking for to complete your bedroom set? Come down to Blendo and find what you've been searching for -- and then some.
