Everyone's got a favorite candy from childhood -- a confection that stirs up sweet, nostalgic memories. Give me a strip of Candy Buttons, those colorful little dots that always seemed to bring up a bit of the paper backing as I scraped them off with my teeth, and I am transported back to carefree summer afternoons spent playing in my front yard.
At Max and Quinn's Atomic Boys Shop-O-Rama [0], it's highly possible that you'll find your favorite childhood candy. The store is stocked with oldies but goodies like Sky Bars, the aforementioned Candy Buttons (both 99cents ) and bubblegum cigarettes (50 cents to $1.25), and each confection is accompanied by a small sign that tells its history. (Did you know that Squirrel Nut Zippers were named after an alcoholic drink popular during Prohibition, or that Tootsie Rolls were first created in 1896? To a candy fanatic like me, that's some interesting stuff!)
But it's not all about candy at Atomic Boys, which is named after the owners' skateboarding sons. Those owners are West Seattle residents Kent and Parris Sadow, retro-loving entrepreneurs who have put together an impressive collection of reproduction tin robots and spacemen ($20-$27.50), classic games such as Tiddledy Winks ($5.50) and Steel Builder, the original erector set ($22). Novelties abound, like my personal favorite, the very magnetic Hairy Gary ($4.95) and the stress-relieving squeezable Martian Popping Thing ($8.95).
Max and Quinn's also hopes to continue in the tradition of their store's previous tenants, Hart's Cards and Gifts, which provided West Seattle with cards and party supplies for 25 years. Vintage-inspired greeting cards and party basics are already available, and soon to come are hip lines like French Bull, creator of cool, colorful melamine platters, as well as festive napkins and paper plates from Design Design.
So now you know just where to go when you're in the market for a nostalgic candy fix, a classic horn for your bike or a Whoopee cushion just for laughs.
If you have a shop, sale, event or great product tip you'd like to share, e-mail seattleshopping@nwsource.com.
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