Eddie’s Iron Horse

As I mentioned previously, I thought that Eddie’s Iron Horse Second-hand Store deserved its own recognition in a separate post.

Mom and I stopped in to Eddie’s this past Tuesday, and it was packed with cooool stuff that you wouldn’t expect to find. This is the kind of store that makes antique collectors salivate.

Eddie carries home decor, western motif items, collectibles, antiques, furniture, and various clothing and memorabilia. You can’t help but feel creative when you spend time shopping there, and Eddie himself is one of the nicest guys you could hope to meet. A true Bend icon who’s still chugging along, selling his wares, and creating a store that is unlike any you’ve ever been to.

We ended up buying a very heavy eagle head and bell to mount on the wall at the pizzeria to use as a tip jar bell. Mom had also picked out some various old beer steins to use on the soffits above the big-screen TV. At only $5 bucks a piece, they were a heck of a lot less expensive than the steins found on eBay.

Something that bugged the heck out of me while I was there was seeing the graffiti tagged on the side of Eddie’s building. It faces the parking lot, and is just straight up UGLY:

Dear Mister Graffiti Man,

If you’re going to spend money on spray-paint, sneak out in the middle of the night, and deface someones property, why not make it artistic? Do something that people will stop and say Wow, now that’s talent!

What kind of mentality does it take to do something like this?

I made a comment about it to Eddie as he helped to load our things into the car. The problem with painting over it, he said, is that they’ll just do it again. Not only that, but you’d have to paint the entire side of the building, otherwise it would look exactly like what it is; a patch job covering ugly graffiti. So lame.

On a happier note, let’s take a look around inside the store.

These were iron pieces in various shapes to use as coat hooks. I got one that looks like a rusted Bull.

Whew! Now that’s a photo post!

If you’re in Bend, be sure to check the Iron Horse on a regular basis for cool stuff. It’s located at 210 NW Congress Street, kind of hidden in a residential neighborhood.