Woolloongabba Antique Centre

This huge place has it all. From jewellery, furniture, books, clothes, glass wares, pictures to even its own in-​house 50s café. Go back into history as you see, smell and feel elements of the past.

The WAC is by far my favourite antique centre in Brisbane. While I’ve always been a fan of the Paddington Antique Centre, I love WAC for it’s mix between old and new, and the affordable prices.
WAC is split into a bunch of different little stores/​vendors, with a little café added on so you can grab a snack or coffee. So cute!
Each vendor has their own style going on — some vintage clothing, some vintage furniture, industrial furniture, newer furniture redone to look old, knick knacks, art deco stuff, old prints of Brisbane… There’s a nice variety and that’s what I love!
Along with their own style each vendor has their own price range as well — some more affordable than others. I’ve picked up a few pieces of furniture here over the past couple of years — two bedside tables, a bookshelf and a hall table — all for under $ 150. Love it!
This is also the perfect place to search for a gift for a friend or that person who has everything.

I came for the café, not so much for the antiques. If you’re looking for a place to escape the modernities of our era and not be seen by the multitudes walking by, then this is the place to be! Back we go to the days of Frank Sinatra and candy cane barber shops. Old school. All of it.
Though satisfying and well-​presented, the menu isn’t particularly diverse. But that’s not the attraction here anyway. You’re here for the vibes and stomach-​fillers, not Brisbane’s best delicacies. So it’s a win really.
While munching on afternoon tea, my appetite for all things pre-​2000s started peaking. Couldn’t help myself. We ended up wandering through every aisle, touching just about every bit of fabric and shiny thing in sight, and YES we did score a bargain. The range of items here is wild! This isn’t the place to hunt for huge pieces of furniture though, it’s more about the small things with pretty details — clothes, jewellery, art, door knobs, home décor etc.
All in all, this isn’t just a café or just a treasure shed. It’s an entire experience and I’ve got a feeling you’ll like it :)

Meh. I had really been looking forward to visiting the café and poking around in the antiques for a casual Sunday morning outing, so it was disappointing to finally get here and feel so uncomfortable and unwelcome. Maybe I’m not in the right demographic for this business, I went with no makeup and casual clothes — minimal effort. I walked into a hipster hell. Age ranges of other customers varied from 20s to 60s, but all had a high and easy coolness factor about them, dressed in that way that looks like it takes no effort but is probably the result of several hours of reviewing and planning. Service staff served, that’s it. No smiling and looked mildly irritated at my interruption to order breakfast. Couldn’t wait to leave.

I have been wanting to check out this place for ages, and finally popped in last weekend.
The WAC is AMAZING! you could literally spend hours sorting through all the various knicknacks, books, records, furniture, light fittings and jewellery available. Its the perfect place to spend a rainy day.
Most of the goods verge more on being retro rather than being officially antique. They range from the incredibly awesome to the strange and kooky. I saw plenty of various objects/​appliances that I remember from my childhood which brought back a few nostalgic feelings.
The warehouse is actually divided up into stalls which are different little vendors. There is a café inside as well, which we didn’t get around to sampling but looks really cool decked out with retro furniture.
One day when I finally get around to fitting out my entire house in a Mad Men-​esque style (seriously, some of the furniture here is totally cool and seems straight out the show), I shall know where to come.

The WAC is my happy place.
On paper, The Woolloongabba Antique Centre sounds beyond dull. It sounds like a place that houses «the furniture and junk of dead people».
Visiting the WAC is not just simply shopping, it’s a cultural experience. As trite as that may sound, it’s extremely true.
I have a soft spot for the kitsch and kooky and the Woolloongabba Antique Centre is the official headquarters of all things quirky.
The staff are magnificent and the café offers a range of delicious foods and beverages. I had a juice there recently and am still trying to find a similarly delicious concoction.
The Centre regularly plays host to a pop-​up barber shop that is the definition of adorable.
I wish I were there now…

I should have checked out the reviews for WAC before I visited, because I WAS NOT EXPECTING what I encountered! For years I’ve known about the lumbering beast on the corner, but I’d never stepped inside… until last Friday.
I had no idea that the big warehouse space in WAC is full of over 60 different shops, each in their own little nook and selling their own take on the vintage scene. There’s a shop that focuses on Trader Vic’s style tiki wares, more than a couple that are riffing on the white-​washed shabby chic style, plenty of clothing racks, and more antique and vintage stuff than you could poke a stick at. I’d love to see some more specifically-​themed spaces (particularly if they’re aligned to my tastes, of course) but I can understand that sourcing true vintage can be an effort, so sourcing true vintage for a specific theme must be far more challenging. (Look, someone please just start a vintage cocktail bar shop and a plus-​size fashion nook and I’ll be happy.)
The prices definitely vary from the affordable to the «I’ll just put that on my Christmas list», but I was over the moon to find a set of coupe glasses to add to my home bar collection for an absolute steal. (Not literally. I didn’t ACTUALLY steal them.) Oh, and I can guarantee that just when you think you’ve checked out everything, you’ll spot something new. This particularly applies to when you’re marching toward the payment counter with determination. «RIGHT, I AM OUT OF HE – ooh look at those old wooden fruit boxes.»
The staff are friendly and helpful, and it’s definitely worth taking a pit-​stop in the café for some sort of delicious treat and a coffee before you continue on your journey (be it back inside or out the door). The WAC also holds somewhat regular events, from classic movie screenings to pop-​up barber shops to in-​house jazz performances. Speaking of music, catch some classic tunes piping through the speakers while you browse, for a bonus treat.
P. S. You may notice that there’s a wifi spot called «WAC» but according to the café girls, it’s not for customers and it’s not even for them — nobody knows the password. Sure, sure.

The antique centre is on my way home from work and its hard not to stop in every time I visit. There are dozens of stalls with a wide range of goods, from the fabulous to the frightening (there are a few horrifying puppets I’m pretty sure are possessed). Due to the large variety of sellers, there is a large range of prices too — I’ve spotted the same cottage teapot in the same condition at two different stalls with a price difference of $ 50. It’s good for a rummage and I wouldn’t go to the centre with a particular purchase in mind– just see where the place takes you. I find it’s best for homewares, china, luggage, jewellery etc rather than clothes. While i does have a large range they’re mostly 80s or newer, or very, very expensive (but beautiful and deadstock often, so probably worth it).

Love it, though beware of those who pass off really modern stuff — ie 2012 — as antique. It’s groovy and trendy, sure, it’s just not antique, or vintage, or even classic. I do like the really old stuff and I really like the rockabilly stuff too. Nice friendly staff and cute café. Give yourself at least an hour to get through, probably more if you’re like me.

Searching through more than 60 antique vendors can be thirsty work! Good thing the café adjoining this antique mecca has quality Merlo coffee and a range of café noms at the ready. Enjoy a flat white or old-​school milkshake in the café’s 50s booths. A great pit-​stop café.

Woolloongabba Antiques is a beautiful place to get lost on a cloudy afternoon. There are so many dresses, trinkets, and pieces of furniture to see that you can expect to spend at least an hour (if you’re moving fast) there. There is a lovely little café inside the centre if you need sustenance. Unfortunately we got there just as they were closing, which I was quite upset about as the retro booths are very cool and the milkshakes looked amazing. We did, however, ooh and aah over plenty of things. I fell in love with an antique writing desk while my friend stared longingly at a vintage clutch. If you’re looking for something specific you’ll probably find it there, but I think the best way to see places like Woolloongabba Antique Centre is to go with no goals or expectations in mind and let your imagination run wild.

Once I spent three hours in here. I left with numerous things on that visit, but my favourite find was a vintage Pepsi-​Cola waste bin from America. I was so pleased about that purchase because I’d been looking for a non-​boring waste paper basket for my room for ages and I also happen to be a Cola fiend. I bought that bin almost a year ago and every day when I chuck tissues and gum wrappers into it I think about how much I love it. It has a really rad 60s font and design and even says Don’t Litter.
So here I am waxing lyrical about a bin, but that’s why WAC is so cool. You’ll find something unusual, rare, old, quirky, crazy, shiny, rusty or whatever that will be JUST the thing you want and you’ll treasure it because you’re the only person who has one. Because the WAC is basically a big warehouse made up of little separate sections owned by different people there is so much variety in the kind of things you’ll find. Some stallholders’s sections are dedicated to vintage toys or crockery, others to American diner-​style memorabilia, others to Australiana, and others to clothing. There’s no way you could go in there and not find something you love, and there’s also no way you could ever see everything. The sheer volume of stuff is overwhelming and exciting and you really need to spend at least an hour there to even begin to take it in. Luckily they have a cute little café so you can have a break and a snack before getting back to hunting for your dream item.

My seemingly endless quest for the perfect vintage luggage resulted in the happiest of endings at the Woolloongabba Antique Centre. I’ve been to my fair share of antique centres and vintage shops, but now I can say with confidence that I have a favourite above all others. The Woolloongabba Antique Centre lives, breathes, and IS history, vintage, and everything wonderfully antique rolled up into a giant ball of happiness and lovely things. Walking in here makes you feel so happy for reasons you cannot even explain, and once I visited, I didn’t ever want to leave — although after two hours, I thought it might be time.
This place is wall-​to-​wall history with all the usual expectations like vintage jewellery and clothing and homewares, but then they also have truly exquisite items that make you realise how marvellously singular this place really is. For instance, they sell older seasons of Tiffany’s jewellery and a collection of picture frames that surpasses any shop I’ve seen. And when you wander down into the belly of the beast, you find a maze of antiques that are just pleading with you to take them home.
Many sections are modelled to make them look like they’ve been lifted straight out of a 50s home setting or a scenario equally as charming. There’s one area with old printed advertisements with your usual hilarious but borderline sexist campaigns, but there are also old movie posters in frames ready for your wall! Down in the back corner they even show movies in an old cinema environment with rows of chairs you can hire.
Then there’s a café you can slump into after your feet get weary from all the exploring you’ve been doing — in the style of a classic 50s diner complete with booths of course.
I walked away with a vintage suitcase I couldn’t be more happy with. After months of searching, the Woolloongabba Antique Centre answered my prayers. Plus, I also got some gorgeous shoes and a lovely little dress. I think Woolloongabba Antique Centre is an ideal setting for younger vintage hunters who haven’t found a favourite place in which to while away an afternoon. Don’t get me wrong, it has something for everybody whether young or old, but I think this place speaks to young people more than any other antique shop I’ve been to. This place is by far the greatest place for vintage and antique wares, furniture, and clothing. I’ll definitely be back to waste many more hours here.

One could spend days, if not weeks, trolling through the treasure trove that is the Woolloongabba Antique Centre. The warehouse is a maze of nooks and crannies that all hide an assortment of adorable knick knacks and glamorous retro fashions. I was quite surprised at the prices of most items as compared to many antique stores its quite affordable. The store is an amalgamation of dozens of antique collectors and sellers each with their own little corner and as you walk around you will most likely spot several of them taking inventories and replenishing their collections. The sections vary wildly in eras, style and items with so many different sellers so there is something to suit everyone’s taste.

Ever since I discovered an old almanac of Woman’s fashions in the 30’s,
I became convinced I am living in the wrong era.
And what better way for me to step back than with an entire warehouse
dedicated to those bygone day’s.
Woolloongabba Antique centre is more of a museum in my mind.
but forget the stuffy display cages,
here you can lift history into your arm’s have a twirl around in them
and take them home.
This place is definitely a collectors dream with retro fashion
from the 40’s, 50’s, 60’s, 70 & 80’s available.
They also have an exhausting stock of costume jewellery and accessories,
shoes, handbags, home wares, furniture, art, glassware, curios and knick knacks.
(I have definitely spent whole day’s just combing the stalls.)
Insiders tip.
After all your hard shopping
Be sure to unwind with a cup of joe at their 50’s style café!