Antique-Hunting in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic (B)

I promised a friend back home that I would find him an ushanka – one of those Soviet era fur hats. If you’ve ever been to Prague, you know those are a dime a dozen, but all the ones they sell in souvenir shops are reproductions. Determined to find an old, original one, I went all over the city looking through consignment shops and thrift stores.

I didn’t find the hat. But while in search of communist era relics, I found so much more. If you’re looking to buy a really unique souvenir, or you just like rifling through old stuff, Prague is a treasure trove.

Finding something so specific is very difficult because though there are antique stores everywhere in Prague, you’ll quickly realize that most of them specialize in gaudy decor from the mid-18th century like marble sculptures and ornate china. And like me, you might be looking for the kind of antiques that are from the 20th century.

If you try to Google it, you’ll find a lot of secondhand and consignment shops, but for the most part, these sell only clothes. And most of the businesses don’t have an informative online listing. So unfortunately, it’s impossible to figure out in many cases what they actually carry unless you go there. So I’ve done the leg work for you. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).