Painted Lady Trashions | Rust Belt Market
22801 Woodward Ave., Ferndale
734.934.3568
rustbeltmarket.com
facebook.com/paintedladytrashions
Open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday
What is an oddities shop and what does it sell? To say it sells “curiosities” is too vague, but to say it sells things like, old medical instruments, anatomical models of vaginas, taxidermied baby ducks, and broken dolls is too off-putting. Owner of Painted Lady Trashions Heather Rhea-Wright says that, “There’s something there for everyone, but everybody responds in a different way.” Rhea-Wright’s shop is a booth, tucked away in the Rust Belt Market in Ferndale and no matter what time you pass by it, it’s packed with people fascinated by her collection of wares. Painted Lady Trashions is a rescuer of the past and a reminder that “art” can be a collection of oddities. Rhea-Wright’s favorite find is an X-ray of a two-headed baby from 1942. She found it at a flea market for 50 cents and now she sells framed copies. She has a waiting list of people who want two-headed piglets in jars. Rhea-Wright’s shop speaks to the inquisitive side in all of us. Her tag line: “I’m creepy, but in a good way.”
In some ways, it’s a universal truth.
This article appears in May 14-20, 2014.
