Anastacia’s Antiques

This magical store is unquestionably of one my top 5 favorite places in Philadelphia. A tremendous enthusiast for Victorian and Edwardian furnishings, décor and artifacts of all kinds, I was immediately overcome with delight as I stepped in for the first time and, in love with the feeling of being transported to the 19^th century, must have lingered for over three hours. If you love Victorian or Edwardian things and/​or are partial to the eccentric, you must visit this store. There is nothing quite like it anywhere else in the city, as far as I can tell. One of the reasons I stayed for so long, then, was due to the fact that the majority of their items seem to hail from the Victorian and Edwardian periods, something unusual and wonderful. Another feature that lured me in was the fascinating and bizarre collection of Victorian and Edwardian medical paraphernalia that imparts a sinister, yet intriguing touch to an already intriguing atmosphere – one almost feels one is back in the Mütter museum! Anyone interested in medical history should visit not only the Mütter, but also Anastacia’s – there will most certainly be something to excite you, there! There is also eccentric religious paraphernalia in droves, some of which is odd or interesting enough to seem museum-​worthy. The last reason I stayed so long and have returned repeatedly has to do with the marvelous customer service I received. Every time I have spent time in Anastacia’s, I have been made to feel as though I was welcome and quite at home. Stacy and her husband are delightful and always ready to answer questions with generous insight and grace. Once, when I was interested in trying on a Victorian jacket, she even buttoned me into it (it had a LOT of buttons)! Furthermore, they do not madly mark up their merchandize as many antique stores do, allowing an impecunious student like myself the means to spice up her apartment with some trappings of the Belle Epoque. Excellently curated store – I highly recommend it!

Yes this place is fun and bizarre, but it is really so much more. It is an excellent antique store for serious shoppers too.
Their prices are extremely fair. I purchased from them a huge lighting fixture that I know would have been much more expensive elsewhere. It is so nice to spend money on antiques without feeling ripped off or resentment towards the dealer. Instead, the owners are super friendly and helpful. They seem to gain real pleasure out of answering your questions and sharing their knowledge, yet they still give you plenty of room to roam on your own.
They pack a whole lot into one space and arrange it in a way that is easy to see and I don’t have to worry about knocking something over and break it. And I find it unusual for a place to have such a wide ranging collection of both furniture, decorative items, hardware, lighting, and jewelery. They do it all and do it well.

Visited this place because of a recommendation from a family member and was so glad I did! The owners are friendly and very knowledgable. They do an amazing job at sourcing a varied and eclectic selection of antiques & oddities that range anywhere from medical tools, vintage hats, décor, rare victorian mourning pieces, circus signs, taxidermy and more. Some things can be pricey but I found some of their smaller items more than reasonable, especially considering the amount of rare and interesting pieces they have in stock. This place is a gem.

I LOVE this place! It’s big and intricate and has so many cool things. I must look pretty clumsy, because usually in antique shops I get followed around and given the stink eye. I’m glad the girl working (the owner, possibly? I’m not sure) put a little faith in me and let me browse unmonitored. My friends and I tried on hats and took pictures, browsed old books (SO awesome!!), and oohed and aahed over all the awesome merchandise.
The highlight of Anastacia’s for me was the medical display. The skeleton doctor is a REAL skeleton. I’m obsessed with skeletons, mummies, all that jazz (morbid, I know, but I can’t help it) so I couldn’t stop staring. I’ve decided that is absolutely what I want to happen to my skeleton after I die. Thanks, Anastacia’s, for a fun day and for giving me a really fantastic idea!

This is the go-​to place for anyone with an off center taste in décor, who are upset that ikea doesn’t sell wooden puppets. It’s as if they cleaned out a 100 year old house haunted by the ghost of a dead magician. Plus they’re always friendly and helpful there. And they have arcane medical instruments. Need I say more?

EDIT: August ³¹⁄₂₀₁₄
I didn’t see my first review after I posted it. I figured it had disappeared into wherever stuff we type goes to. The ethesphere? The Eyes of Big Gov?! So, basically, I stayed away, as I’d told them I was going to write a review. And I was ashamed that I’d failed. Yep, I’m like that!
So, the other day, my roomie and I went back there. It was as amazing as the first time, only I had the advantage over my roomie, in that I’d seen a few of the items before. She bought a chair which was as close to the chair she had in her mind for her drafting table. I was broke as usual and simply drooled. I have a bunch of photos to add, so I’m going to spend some quality time figuring out how to do that.
I don’t work at Anastacia’s, FYI. I wish I lived there, so that’s why I am effusive, verbose and have added so many photos. Here is my first review:
I wish I knew about this place years ago! It is an absolute gem, owned by the delightful and gracious Scott Evans and Anastacia «Stacy» Fahnestock. I’d read the previous reviews and, using a GENUINE IMITATION of an ANTIQUE OJECT D’ART I was looking to unload as an excuse, I popped in this weekend.
Oh, if the bloody Object D’Art hadn’t been so heavy, I would have stuck it back in the truck before I went in. The moment I stepped into this Eyecandy in Wonderland of a shop, I knew it was so wrong, wrong, wrong for this place. It is packed with seriously real and amazingly varied objects, things, bric-​à-​brac, knick-​knacks and authentic antique stuff, from furniture and taxidermy, to old restraints and beautiful jewelry. Still, Stacy was kind enough to look at my Object, as I nattered on in nervous excitement and yes, it was so not for this shop.
Still, I was entranced and wandered around, with my jaw literally dropped to the point where I didn’t even talk out loud to myself, as is my usual wont, when so intensely enthralled. If you have five bucks in your wallet, you could pick up (as I did) a small, cast iron (?) hammer, or an aerator for your window boxes. For a bit more, I glommed an automaton wooden skeleton, an actual full skeleton, a massive hanging of huge rings of church keys, various stained glass windows and oh, Jayzuz, Mary ‘n’ Joseph, more than I could ever have time to list here.
(I took a few photos, which I’ll attempt to post. This is my first review and so it may take some time for this Luddite to catch on!)
I popped back in today and we sorted a deal for an Authentic Antique/​Vintage Object D’Art that I brought in. When I’m a bit more employed (yep, I need a job), I plan on building some credit toward that full skeleton, rather than taking cash. A friend has her 50^th coming up in September and it’s something she’s always wanted and so doesn’t need; my idea of a perfect present.
You don’t know me, so you probably shouldn’t trust me… erm… Anyway, if I can figure out how to post the pictures, hopefully they’ll inspire you to stop by, even if my words don’t. I seriously think you’ll be thrilled that you did. Heck, I joined Unilocal just to give this review. Because Anastacia’s is worth it!

They are very helpful here. It is stocked full of antiques of all kinds. There is quite a bit of furniture, jewelry, and odds and ends sprinkled all around the store. The parking can be tricky, but que cera cera. Overall a really nice antique store.

I’m not much of an antique person, but this is a fun spot. I oohed and ahhed at the cameos in the jewelry case, was freaked out by some sort of creepy puppet, and found myself fascinated by an old poster describing the viscera of the human body. If you’re in the market for something old — particularly something that looks like it belongs in Downton Abbey — this is the place for you.

Anastacia’s has all the bizarre oddity antiques that you might want. For example, let’s say you have a friend who’s a dentist. Don’t know what to get him for a gift? Why not a set of dental strips, i.e. a strip of teeth that one would use like veneers. Or, your friend is a doctor. Get him or her an early 1900’s amputation kit with bone saw.
Now, I don’t want to paint the wrong picture of Anastacia’s. There are a number of neat items that would go in any jewelry box or well decorated room– maps of Philadelphia, furniture, apparel, etc. But, the sign outside does say curiosities, and they aren’t foolin’.

This is more than just an antique store. If Adam and Barbara Maitland from the movie «Beetlejuice» decided to open up a ghost version of a store post-​becoming ghosts, this is what it might look like: everything’s a little old and a little weird. I LOVE IT!!!
Do you need an old portrait of a relative you’ve never had? What about a an old portrait of a relative you’ve never had with a preserved tarantula mounted on the print? Or one of dozens of found photos from varying eras of time? Or a taxidermy bear that’s been mounted in the attack position? Yes? Then Anastacia’s is the place for you!
This isn’t the kind of place you go looking for something… it finds you. And I’m not exactly sure how many of these items are found «as is» or how many are helped along by the owners (for instance, was that ancient print of a scoliosis spine already in that super-​ornate wooden frame that’s probably an antique all on it’s own and did it previously hang in some creepy doctor’s office for a century, or did they decide to frame it, giving it a treasured and fancy presence behind the glass?), but every item is something special. I love the way they’ve curated so many bizarre items together without making the shopping experience overwhelming or fun-​house-​y. Everything here looks creep-​ily treasured, as it should be.

Wide selection of vintage items– feels like you stepped back in time for a moment, or are visiting some kind of museum. Interesting just to browse even if you’re not planning to buy anything. I picked up a straight razor here and I have a feeling I’ll be happy with my purchase. Also, the owners are very nice!

Stumbled on this hidden treasure last week. It was hard to pry myself away so I could go back to work. I literally was intrigued by everything I saw in this place. Vintage children’s mannequins, taxidermy, bear skins, antique sideshow posters, amazing art, mirrors, and furniture.
This place is finely curated like a museum of curiosities. The prices are fair and there is no junk to weed through– it’s all good stuff! I can’t wait to go back and buy gifts here for my friends and family!

I feel I’m not doing this place the justice it deserves if I don’t give it 5 stars and write a nice review. My horrible experience at another antique place (yeah, Antiquarian’s delight, I’m talking about U!) dragged me from being a Unilocal stalker to a real Unilocaler, and my way better experience with Anastacia shouldn’t get nothing, right?
As Sara P. mentioned, Stacy, one of the owners, is very helpful and knowledgeable, and you def get the sense that she is not in the business for money, but for her love of antiques. They have a huge selection of jewelry, furniture, deco, postcards, photos, etcetcetc… last year I found a very well made cameo pin here for my aunt’s 50^th birthday. She is a very picky person and the whole family gets really nervous when we need to get her something nice. But she loves the cameo pin. such a huge relief. Yay! If you wanna amaze someone, go to Anastacia’s Antiques!
And their price? Oh my sweet lord!
and I love Jason B’s idea about scattering ashes… shhhh…if too many people find this idea appealing, they’ll def notice!

More awesome than awesome.
When I die, someone please scatter my ashes in this store. I don’t think they’ll notice.
(Actually, they probably will. This is one of the cleanest, well maintained antique shops I’ve ever been inside. And I’ve been to more than quite a few.)

Amazing finds can be had here, and the prices are very good. Jewelry, furniture, mirrors, door knockers, PA Dutch pieces, animal skulls, oddities… this place has it all. Unintimidating for folks like me who aren’t avid antique collectors, but simply adventurous treasure finders. I’ll mos def be back.

«The Antique Store For People Who Even Hate The Word Antiquing»
I’ve never understood the desire to ‘go antiquing’ and the price I’ve paid for this is high, as a full half of single men in my age cohort place this activity at the tippy-​top of their hobbies lists on their internet profiles.
Now Anastacia’s has made me a giddy convert to the religion. And I love it!
Forget smelly upholstery and tedious art deco bedroom furniture. Instead think really cool curiosity museum. With incredibly friendly service, VERY AMAZING PRICES, a wicked soundtrack, and home delivery.
Not to mention a wonderfully wry sense of humor.
Today I was admiring a giant golden Gothic mirror for the mansion-​sized fireplace I don’t have. Struck by its castle-​like grandeur, I blurted to one of the owners, «I just feel like you have to do something very important in front of this mirror.»
«That’s up to you,» he replied.
I nearly peed myself laughing. Then with perfect comic timing, he diverted his attention to the neighboring display.
Did I mention I love this place?
Some of the many finds:
Spooky mannequin heads with Max Factor eyelashes
Ancient postcards
Antique linens in pristine condition
Shockingly nice onyx jewelry
Taxidermy
Skulls
Wire eyeglasses
Mirrors, mirrors, mirrors
Full range of Victoriana — including a great range of tile
Kooky books with amazing titles (a fave: How To Use Your New Vibrator)
Ceramic and metal planters
Pretty crystal candelabras
Door knob-​ery
Pendant lighting with glamorous fringe
Fans you would see in film noir
Signage you would see in a silent movie
Antique store display paraphernalia (a huge find: a Singer thread spool display case labeled Pantone-​style with sliding glass doors)
A concrete roaring lion for your front steps (which I really really need to buy)
***Mesmerizing *** person-​sized ventriloquist dummies
If you’re looking for a way to give your home a spruce-​me-​up that’ll garner compliment after compliment, or just need to look at something other than today’s West Elm World, take a bit of time and visit this amazing store. You’ll be glad you did.

Hands down, antique door knockers in the shapes of hands down in fact, my favorite antiques place in PHL. They always have new inventory and it is consistently awesome, inspiring, plain old inspiring and damn effing neat. There are things I’ve wanted here for years and there are things I snap up on sight, but I tend to treat this place like a museum. Things is, the prices are INCREDIBLY reasonable, particularly for the taxidermy!
Anastacia herself is incredibly sweet, helpful and knowledgeable. I adore her!

I had been looking for a nice simple cabinet to put in the living room for a while. Kind of moving beyond IKEA… (sorry, I still love you IKEA) but not really able to do Sotheby’s just yet (sorry Sotheby’s, I can’t afford to know if I like you), and then we found Anastacia’s. Found a really cool glass front cabinet for seriously about half what I would’ve expected, and half what we were seing elsewhere. And they were good enough to deliver it to us that same day for a discounted delivery price (can’t remember why they discounted it, but it was nice of them). Fantastic, would recommend it. We stop in once a month or so and also find something great. Check this place out! It’s great.

Anastacia’s is hands down, the best antique store in the city! I say that, because the selection and prices are unrivaled in this area. The owners are Victorian-​aholics, so definitely check out this store if that coordinates with your design aesthetic.
Stacy (Anastacia) is brimming with knowledge about anything and everything Victorian/​Art Nouveau/​Art Deco. I especially love just chatting with her about the jewelry. She’s not pushy, and you get the feeling that she’s not in the business for the money, but simply because she loves the hunt and the treasures she finds! I always see her husband around, doing the little fix-​it jobs and repairs that come with antiques, and I love how they work together to create this little Victorian wonderland!
My best finds: Two full sets of barkcloth curtains (6 in all) for $ 60, which was a steal! Also, a pair of beautiful cut glass and brass filigree dress clips (for my Mom) from the 1930s. Mom loves them!

Whenever I need an escape from everything normal and new, a trip to Anastacia’s is all it takes to have me feeling like I’m a Victorian inventor. This store is ah-​ma-​zing with its collection of oddities and antiques. I’m talking glass eyeballs, vintage purses, Balkan jewelery, old gas pumps, dolls, lamps. I could go on and on, but what you really need to know is, this is unlike any other antique shop out there.
With its countless collection of odds n ends, it’s almost like the gift shop for the Mütter Museum. The staff is earnest and friendly and I beg you to check them out. It’s a really fun shop, clearly.
When I own a proper house, I’m going to transform my bathroom with antiques from Anastacia’s. I think it’d be awesome if the wallpaper was comprised of Darwin’s animal sketches from the Galapagos and instead of contemporary reading material, I’d have Victorian feminist literature. Anastacia’s has what it takes to fulfill my awesome dreams, but don’t steal my idea, go make your own dreams.