Treasure Chest Antique Shop - Seoul, Korea

One of the best things that can happen to you in a new place is you can get lost. Or at least you can make your way through side streets and alleyways, following your wits and sense of direction instead of a dot on a screen. After all, when you get off the beaten path, you never know what you will find!

Recently in Seoul, I had such an experience while searching for the Hwanghok-dong flea market. I was walking down a riverside street that was lined with shops selling pipes and sink fittings, when I saw an unusual mural on the side of a building. Then I spotted a dark stairwell that could have been the portal to a furry love den for all I knew (which would have led to an entirely different blog post).

I took a closer look and noticed it was the entrance to an antique store. It was dimly lit, and I'm no fan of steep stairs, but I took a shot and headed down. And then - WOW!  I found myself inside the cavernous Treasure Chest. It was like going into the Tardis and losing your sense of space and time. Hands down, this unlikely space at the bottom of a dark stairwell is the best western antique shop I've seen in Asia.

Admittedly, outside of vintage toys and collectibles, I'm not much of an antiquer. It's a hobby that calls for a different skill set and knowledge base. But though I may not collect old phones, helmets, and cameras, I can definitely appreciate them. The Treasure Chest was an exciting shop, so I took some shots to share.

 More after the jump:

The store has so many vintage goods, signs, and pieces of furniture that you could put together a general store, living room, or totally happening furry cave with a fraction of what's in there.

Sometimes I stopped and wondered where they got so many cool things!

Man cave heaven

I wonder who signed that ball...

If you find yourself in Seoul and have a heart of vintage, or if you just enjoy a good look at stuff from decades past, the Treasure Chest is well worth a look.

To visit the shop, you can check out this map from their site. But you'll need Korean skills. Everything on the page is a JPG, so I can't put together a Google Map for you. But if you make your way to Dongmyo station, it's less than a 10 minute walk, and you might enlist a local or two to help you find the stairwell. Adventure awaits!