Entry No. 16 — the Anchorage file — filed under: records
Rusty Raven Uniques
A cluttered, no-system 'treasure hunt' antique shop tucked in a nondescript Midtown strip mall, run for over a decade. Among the snow globes and 1950s postcards it keeps a soft spot for preserved wildlife and an oddities-and-curiosities corner, with mounts and antique medical-looking instruments turning up amid the vintage clutter. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am to 6pm.
The story
You didn't hear it from us, but Anchorage's most unvarnished oddities cabinet isn't hiding in a historic barn—it’s sitting inside unit 18 of the Bering Village Mall, a low-slung Midtown strip complex off 36th Avenue. Run for over a decade by Jeryll Steige, a former cake artist who once competed on the Food Network before shifting to vintage salvage, Rusty Raven Uniques throws modern retail layout out the window. Don't come expecting categorized aisles or manicured display cases; floor space here is surrendered to high-density clutter where 1950s postcards, snow globes, and mid-century furniture sit piled shoulder-to-shoulder.
The real reason to lose an hour here is tucked in the back: an oddities and curiosities corner crammed with preserved wildlife mounts, animal specimens, and cold, metallic antique medical-looking instruments. Steige keeps retro tunes playing over the speakers and keeps prices malleable if you're serious about taking something strange home. It’s the sort of chaotic local treasure hunt where half the fun is digging past ordinary kitchenware to pull out a piece of dark Alaskana that everyone else walked right past.
What it's like
Drive past the Bering Village Mall sign on 36th Avenue and you'll easily overshoot it—watch specifically for suite #18 in the low strip off the Seward Highway corridor. Inside, the shop smells of old paper and aged wood, with zero system to the layout and narrow aisles framed by floor-to-ceiling clutter. The trick here is patience; plan your visit between Tuesday and Saturday from 11 am to 6 pm (they're strictly dark Sunday and Monday) and give yourselves real time to dig through the lower crates rather than doing a quick sweep. Park for free out front, bring a partner, and treat it like a scavenger hunt: split up in the aisles to see who can unearth the most unsettling medical tool or strange mount before meeting back at the counter.
The move: Treat it as a scavenger hunt for two: split up, dig through the disorganized piles, and challenge each other to find the single strangest taxidermy mount or creepiest antique gadget in the oddities corner before you leave.
📍 Before you go It sits at 601 W 36th Avenue, a numbered unit tucked inside a low Midtown strip mall (the Bering Village Mall) just off the Seward Highway corridor — easy to drive right past, so watch the suite numbers and use the free lot out front. The shop keeps a midweek-through-Saturday rhythm and is dark at the start of the week, so plan a Tuesday-to-Saturday visit and confirm the day before you commit. Give yourselves real time to dig rather than a quick pop-in. Midtown's coffee shops and Spenard's other vintage and oddity stores are only minutes away if you want to pair the stop.
- 📍 Midtown Anchorage
- 💸 $
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Pair it with
- Alaska Fur Exchange — Doubles down on Alaska's cabinet-of-curiosities vibe just down Old Seward Highway with raw hides, taxidermy mounts, and mastodon bones.
- Bear Tooth Theatrepub — Offers a lively Spenard spot minutes away to grab a reserved booth, fresh pizza, and house-brewed beer after digging through dusty piles.
- Dos Manos Gallery — Complements the vintage hunt with a winding gallery nearby showing funky, handcrafted artwork from over 100 Alaskan artists.
- "Spen" — the Spam Can & Raven Sculpture — Keeps the raven theme going just down the road in Spenard with a giant bronze Spam can topped by a cast bird.
Good to know
Where is Rusty Raven Uniques located in Anchorage?
It sits at 601 W 36th Avenue, Suite 18, inside the Bering Village Mall strip complex in Midtown Anchorage, just off the Seward Highway corridor.
What are the store's regular hours?
The shop is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, and is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
What kind of items can I expect to find?
Inventory ranges from 1950s postcards, snow globes, and vintage furniture to preserved wildlife taxidermy and an oddities corner filled with antique medical-style instruments.
Is parking available at the venue?
Yes, there is a free parking lot directly in front of the strip mall unit.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Yelp · familydestinationsguide.com
last checked: 2026-06-06