Medium Bob’s Curiosity Shop: Geeky Kitsch & Curiousities in South Philly

Medium Bob’s is certainly a curiosity nestled snugly in South Philadelphia just off of Passayunk Ave. This little shop has a bit of everything, including an interesting story to tell.

Travis Kerestesy and Roey Levkowitz started up Medium Bob’s after Travis’s grandfather passed away. He left tons of unique knick-knacks and a plethora of clothes, all of which, if you bothered to look at the labels, were size medium. They had found a name for their store.

In addition to family trinkets, Travis and Roey comb through friends’ attics, yard sales, and anywhere else they might find a gem to polish and sell. The range of stuff in the tiny store is staggering. Everything from shoes to jumpsuits, records to vintage polaroid cameras (yes hipsters, start salivating). They also have vintage boardgames, old Nikon cameras, and unused 70’s kitchen appliances (the ones you unbox, look at, read the instructions, and still have no idea what they do). They even have Star Trek action figures for your geeky pleasure.

It is staggering the amount of clothes that are actually dead stock, that is to say old, but still with the original tags. Never used vintage clothes are a rare find indeed. You won’t have to deal with the smell of mothballs or stale coffee.

The record collection on sale is full of some definite buys. While I was there interviewing the owners, I scoped out and bought two albums from The Ventures. I couldn’t pass up a classic surf-rock album that featured the theme song to Batman.

Medium Bob’s is a curious shop with a lot to offer. Check them out at Medium Bob’s Curiosity Shop or at their shop of many things located at: 1223 Mifflin st., Philadelphia, PA 19145.