Poised on the corner of East Travis Street and Broadway in historic downtown San Antonio, a building frozen in time transports visitors to a bygone era the minute they lay eyes upon it.
Alamo Antique Mall is home to many unique things that can only belong in a time before ours. They sell a variety of artifacts from genuine fine china sets to real Victorian furniture. From antique Coke signs to just about every vinyl album, Alamo Antique Mall has it all.
”[Alamo Antique Mall] was inherited,” owner Linda Brantley said. “It was my mother’s childhood passion to own and run a business, she always loved antiques because she came from Europe.”
The story of this iconic shop starts in the 1800s. Two brothers immigrated to Galveston from Ireland to start their piano business. One brother moved out to San Antonio and bought the soon-to-be antique store. Following his exit in the 1920s, the building would be bought by Paul Anderson Office Supplies. There, the people of San Antonio could furnish their offices, get stationery prints and stock up on general office supplies until 1992 — when Alamo Antique Mall moved in.
Since its opening, the store has become a staple of San Antonio’s rich downtown culture. It has over 20 dealers that keep its inventory fresh and full of new treasures, with one in particular standing out from the rest.
“I have over 20 dealers, dealers meaning they rent space and feed it by bringing their merchandise. They come every two weeks to update their stock and so I have great dealers that definitely supply the store with great merchandise,” Brantley said.
Nestled on the third floor of Alamo Antique Mall rests one of the most vast record stores in San Antonio. Alamo Antique Records, operated by dealer Will Day, is home to one of the most diverse record collections you will ever see. From 50s doo-wop classics like Johnny Ace and Elvis Presley to 90’s anthems such as Mariah Carey, Alamo Antique Records has everything one’s ears will crave.
“I like to learn about different artists, and discover new songs,” Day said. “In ‘03, I had a problem with the people I was with, and the woman who owned that store knew the woman who owns this place so I started moving out. It took two weeks, two guys and three to $4,000 to move all those records down just one block.”
During the move, Day would start his battle with leukemia. He would go on to undergo four rounds of chemotherapy while moving over 100,000 records to his new suite.
“In the middle of the move, I started getting short of breath and I knew something was wrong,” he said. “So I went down to Methodist and I had leukemia. I had to take four chemos, I lost all my hair and had weird dreams, but finally, I got out after the fourth chemo and thankfully it didn’t relapse. But that was a rough thing, moving and coming down with leukemia in the middle of a move of this magnitude.”
Fortunately, Day would survive his battle with cancer and successfully complete his move onto the third floor of the mall. Talk to Day himself and listen to all of his incredible stories right there on the third floor, or talk to Brantley and the rest of her staff and hear the amazing antique stories they have to tell.
“I have to give it to the customers; they’re the ones that keep this store alive,” she said. “It’s a great building. It’s a great store. We have three floors so there’s lots to look at. It’s a big mall so you’re never bored, and there’s always something for a child, man, woman, everything.”
Alamo Antique Mall is located at 125 Broadway St. They are open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
From Victorian bed sets to World War II memorabilia, and from vintage Time Magazines to toys from the 1930s, take a step back in time at Alamo Antique Mall. It is definitely the place to see it all.
