North Texas Daily

Christina Ulsh / Senior Staff Writer

Walking into the Downtown Mini Mall, is like crawling through a storage unit of the past ten decades. Stuff is nonsensically stacked in, on and around more stuff.

Located on the Square next to Jupiter House Coffee, this 32-year-old mall provides Dentonites with an immense place to escape boredom and explore stuff to buy.

“If you’re looking for random, this is the place,” studio arts senior Katherine Heidt said.

Wicker furniture, VHS tapes, porcelain pirate heads, fashion hats and ball caps, salt and pepper shakers, wind chimes, 50-year-old radios, landline telephones, Star Wars paraphernalia—it’s all there.

Heidt and her friend came to the mini mall to find eyes for a stuffed animal they are making. Heidt returns every three to four weeks to keep up with the ever-changing inventory here. She often uses what she finds for art projects.

Matt Nakos and his wife Jessica, who was holding heeled wooden sandals, came into the Downtown Mini Mall for something to do while keeping out of the Texas heat.

The Denton mini mall is located on the eastern strip of the historic downtown Square on Locust Street. - Photo by Aidan Barrett / Senior Staff Photographer

Half the time the two come here, they walk away with something, Matt Nakos said.

“Most of the time, it’s an all day thing,” Jessica Nakos said.

The two-story mini mall began when the property was bought in 1980, clerk Nina Mallinix said.

Each slightly distinguishable section is rented by a dealer. The dealer gets commission from what is bought in his section, determined by his identifiable price tag, she said.

Mallinix said these dealers probably get their goods from garage sales, estate sales, or “from home because Mammy died.”

All three clerks at the counter often buy goods here. One clerk had a stack of things behind the register he was going to take home after his shift.

“It’s a weakness,” Mallinix said. “My house will end up looking like this [place] when I’m gone.”

Elvis action figures, frames, posters, costumes, antiquated instruments, nightstands, books, buttons and fake plants—if you need (or don’t need) anything, it will probably be here.

The Downtown Mini Mall II, which is a couple doors north, was bought 15 years after the first one was, Mallinix said. It is run the same as the original and is owned by the same man, Leo Will. The only differences are the location, the dealers and the single level on which you can peruse things.

“There’s a value in the merchandising here, but you can always buy cheap,” clerk Linda Powles said.

The mini mall is two stories and has a large amount of local vendors who sell unique artifacts out of their spots. - Photo by Aidan Barrett / Senior Staff Photographer

Downtown Mini Mall I & II are located at 108 and 118 N. Locust St. They are open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.