Entry No. 2 — the Austin file — filed under: oddities
Uncommon Objects
Twenty-four antique dealers share one warehouse-scale floor of what's been called "your eccentric uncle's attic on steroids" — booths stacked with wall-mounted antlers, boxes of old photographs, pinball machines, and, in one recent haul, a taxidermied terrier that was a dead ringer for Toto.
The story
Steve Wiman opened Uncommon Objects on South Congress back in 1991, when the neighborhood was still cheap, quiet, and rough around the edges. Wiman—a found-object assemblage artist with a 1986 MFA from the University of Texas—built the space less like a traditional retail venue and more like a sprawling, collective art installation. After gentrification and rising rents pushed the store south in 2017 to a warehouse on Fortview Road near Ben White and Menchaca, the underlying model remained intact: 24 independent antique dealers pooling their oddest, most specific finds under one roof.
What separates this store from a standard suburban antique mall isn't just the sheer volume of objects—it's the visual rigor. Wiman treats retail layout as an art form, color-blocking inventory and grouping disparate items into tight, deliberate vignettes. Instead of chaotic junk piles, you encounter organized tableaux where early 20th-century anatomical charts sit alongside Victorian mourning jewelry made of human hair, glass eyes, pinball machine parts, taxidermied animals, and boxes filled with unsorted black-and-white family portraits.
What it's like
Stepping into the warehouse off Fortview Road, you're hit with the dry scent of old paper, worn leather, and aged wood. Browsing the grid of 24 dealer booths feels like walking through a museum where everything happens to have a price tag attached. Expect narrow, high-density aisles arranged by color tone or subject matter rather than era. Items are tagged and curated, meaning prices reflect collector market value rather than estate-sale steals. Off-street parking is available directly in front of the building, and visiting on a quiet weekday afternoon gives you space to look closely without bumping elbows in the tighter corners.
The move: Split up to hunt the aisles solo for ten minutes, then meet back at the register to show off the strangest thing each of you found.
- 📍 South Austin (Ben White/Menchaca), Austin
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Up for anything
- 🌗 Indoors
Where: 1602 Fortview Rd, Austin, TX 78704
Hours: Added 2026-07-20 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Cathedral of Junk — Pair browsing curated antique oddities with exploring a 30-foot backyard tower constructed from 50 tons of raw salvaged materials just a mile away.
- Martinez Brothers Taxidermists — Follow up the taxidermy inside Uncommon Objects by visiting South Austin's oldest working taxidermy shop, operating under its hand-painted jaguar sign on South Lamar since 1962.
- Curia Arcanum's House of Curiosities — Contrast the 24-dealer warehouse scale on Fortview with a tightly focused, macabre curio shop open just three afternoons a week on South Congress.
Good to know
Where is Uncommon Objects located in Austin?
It is located at 1602 Fortview Rd in South Austin, near the intersection of Ben White Boulevard and Menchaca Road, having relocated from South Congress Avenue in 2017.
Who owns and operates the store?
Found-object artist Steve Wiman co-founded Uncommon Objects in 1991 and has been sole proprietor since 2006, managing the floor alongside 24 independent antique dealers.
What kind of items are for sale inside?
Inventory varies daily but includes vintage taxidermy, early 20th-century medical charts, mourning jewelry, retro signs, pinball machine components, anatomical models, and old photographs.
Do I need tickets or reservations to visit?
No tickets or reservations are required to browse, though you should confirm current operating hours before head south.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · Atlas Obscura · YouTube
last checked: 2026-07-20