Another man's treasure: The art of 'mantiquing'

Jason Koenig winced at people using taxidermy as decor until he did so himself. Now the St. Paul real estate agent has a 4-foot barracuda mounted above his stone fireplace, along with life-size teal-and-yellow bulldog statues flanking the staircase.

"I never thought I'd own a fish mount," Koenig said. "But it's so cool. I had to have it."

Koenig's living room conversation pieces were purchased at the Bearded Mermaid Bazaar on W. 7th Street in St. Paul. The hodgepodge vintage style shop belongs to an emerging segment of the antiquing market that's tailoring its inventory to men. This movement of guys who sift through trash to find their treasure even has its own name — "mantiquing."

Thanks to the popularity of TV shows like "American Pickers" and "Storage Wars," antiquing and junking among men is surging. As the American home grows in size, family members have spaces of their own, and collectibles that were once relegated to the garage or wood shop are finding space on walls and bookshelves in the basement bar or in the proverbial man cave.

For some mantiquers, the more offbeat the better. The Bearded Mermaid's collection of oddities has included a stuffed raccoon with its paw on a Schmidt beer can (it now resides in a local barbershop).

"This isn't your typical grandma's antique store," said Bearded Mermaid owner Nick Soderstrom. "I have what guys are looking for — good American-made stuff."

The store's current centerpiece? An 8-foot-tall taxidermy giraffe — which may or may not be American-made.

"There's not too many guys dealing in dishes," said Bailey. "But I don't know a guy who wouldn't want a moose head on his wall."

Sue Whitney, editor and founder of Junk Market Style magazine, admits she searches specifically for those collectibles that appeal to the masculine sex and makes sure they're visible from the window of her shop, Get Fresh Vintage in Lanesboro, Minn.

"Junk," as Whitney proudly puts it, is becoming more acceptable in general. That's why more antique stores are morphing into vintage shops.

"I'm very attracted to things that would be in a mantique section of a store," she said. "Mantiques can help take the lacy edge off a feminine look."

Male shoppers outnumbered women on a recent afternoon at Hunt and Gather, a mantiquing mecca in south Minneapolis.

Lee Fisher, 31, of Minneapolis, was looking for a unique wedding gift; Tamer Schiller, 17, of Minneapolis, hunted down items to display in his college dorm room; and Cory Meyer, 45, of Minneapolis, was prowling for unusual pieces to spruce up his wholesale furniture showroom displays.

"This is the antiquing for the new generation," Meyer said.

Veteran mantiquers advise spending with discretion. Too much mantiquing could earn you a night or two of sleeping on the couch.

"Much to my wife's chagrin, I'm usually looking for old, heavy things," said Jim Kitchen, 45, of Woodbury, who bought four lathes in one month. "I also have a fairly good sized G.I. Joe collection."

Here's another tip. When scouring for junk with your friends, be prepared for some tough bartering — both for your rare finds and with the partner in your life.

Kitchen has since gotten rid of three of the lathes. But he's holding on to the G.I. Joe collection.

Aimee Blanchette • 612-673-1715