Turkey has a wealth of shops that fall equally under the categories of “antiques” and “junk.” These shops are often built around a large collection of old books, stacked floor-to-ceiling with no particular rhyme or reason. Two other common features of the antiques/junk shop are the Table of Random and Unusual Coins (my most recent selections are pictured above) and the Suitcase of Old Photos (I bought quite a few, which I’ll scan for you later). Other that that, it’s a free-for-all, and you might find anything in these shops from old furniture to vintage clothing to obsolete electronics (last time I went out antiquing I spotted an 8-track player).
Here’s something I couldn’t resist buying— as you can see, it’s a set of six glasses with a pitcher. I was shocked that none of the pieces had any damage, and I asked the shop owner if the set was really old. “No, it’s not old,” he replied. “It’s maybe… 1960, 1959, something like that. Pretty modern.”
You mean to tell me that this entire set of glass items survived half a century in a Turkish household and is still here to tell the story? The shop owner didn’t understand why I thought that was remarkable, which worked in my favour when negotiating time came, as he seemed keen to get rid of the set. “Brown glass, people don’t really like it,” he mumbled.
I guess I’m not “people,” then.