Things from Mom’s Basement is most likely the coolest store in Peterborough. The store is a haven for collectors, and a paradise for anyone looking for odd, cult, or nostalgic items. Located on Charlotte Street just a few doors down from McThirsty’s pub, and close to a variety of other shops, Things from Mom’s Basement stands out. The windows show a few choice items of interest, just enough to get you to peak or slip inside. Once you’re in the store, however, it is a totally different story. Unopened action figures abound. Board games, video games, and records are stacked around. Vintage cups and glasses line some of the walls.
Owner Gregory Knowles described the shop’s merchandise, saying, “We stock a lot of things, from the mid-1800s to today. Yes, a lot of it is toys of a TV and movie theme. But we also have a good amount of antiques and collectibles. Swords/knives, comics, lighters, weird items, records, books, radios, advertising, bar ware, signs, dolls, models, home video games, bottles, pinball, and arcade machines…” The list goes on. It is truly a sight to be seen.
The first step inside may be a little bit overwhelming. I know that the first time I went inside, I felt exhausted by the amount of cool things I wanted to buy, and touch, and hold. If you truly want to experience every facet of this shop, make sure to set aside a couple of hours.
The amount of things that you will want to buy is frightening. If I had $1,000 to blow, I would probably do it in there.
The store has been around for four years, and the owners have recently celebrated their relocation from a basement-style shop to an upstairs set-up. The origins of the store are quite simple. Knowles had this to say about its opening:
“We opened Mom’s Basement as kind of a storage for all my stuff I have bought in the past seven years. It is the third time I have had to sell off my collection. It happened before due to moving. I have arcade machines and when I move, I can’t take it all. So I either sell off my toys or machines.”
Whoever said moving sucks was wrong. Sometimes it can spurn a business.
The store is said to be a “go-to for your Mancave or Femcave needs.” However, if you don’t have a cave of some sort, you should really make sure to check out this place anyway. You will find something, I guarantee it. But even if you don’t, you will surely have a good time looking at all the cool pop-culture artefacts and collectibles. I mean, where else can you find opium scales and Saddam Hussein condoms within a couple feet?
