Museum of Obsolete Technology
Museum of Obsolete Technology
Wagging Tails Thrift Store
1300 East Gude Drive
Rockville, Maryland
I was in Rockville last Friday for a meeting. As it happened, I accidentally found a “wonder” when I got frustrated with traffic and decided to reroute my trip home. I turned around in a little unassuming strip mall and noticed that there was a thrift store a few doors down. I spotted a few items in the front window and thought that I would run inside quickly to browse.
Wagging Tails Thrifts & Gifts supports the Montgomery County Humane Society via the sale of donated items. It’s a nice little store but not very distinctive UNTIL YOU FIND THE BACK WALL of the store. There … (cue Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries) you will find the glorious Museum of Obsolete Technology (M.O.O.T.)!
In a nutshell, M.O.O.T. is a several shelves bursting at the seems with pop culture kitsch. Some of the displays are obscured by storage boxes and bins; but that just makes it feel like you have discovered an attic full of childhood memories. Nothing on the M.O.O.T. shelves is available for purchase. I tested the theory because I really wanted to add one of their cameras to my collection. I asked politely to no avail.
I remembered this photo of Bobby Sherman. I thought that my older sister had it in her bedroom; but she has informed me that she had the cereal box record – not the poster. Cereal Box records … so sad that I missed that era! Look at Babs’ glorious hair (probably a wig; but awesome nonetheless).
Everything from Liberace to The Bay City Rollers! I wish that the Badfinger poster didn’t have such a glare on it because it was fantastic and I can only find the truncated version of it online.
I totally dig that little red tv set. Plus, any shelf that has Batman ’66 on it is okay in my book. How cute it that aqua record case?
This is the camera that I tried to talk them out of … no dice 🙁
Your Plumber’s Butt Problems Are Over!
If you ever find yourself in the Rockville area, it’s definitely worth a quick side-trip to see M.O.O.T. in all of its messy, tacky, glory!
Wow, what a treasure trove! I could spend eternity in there! Love the plumber’s helper and the Impeach Nixon sticker! Nice find and great photos!
I even saw things that I “missed” when I was going through the pics. Stupid-crazy fun find 🙂
Wow! What a find! Hidden at the back of an unassuming thrift shop. It’s almost as if Greater Forces drew you there. … I do find it amazing that they are so aggressive about not having their best and coolest items for sale, but I reckon that’s why it’s a museum and not a the MOOT Gift Shop. … While you gawk at the cameras, I’ll be drooling over the radios and tiny TVs. And look, an old tape recorder! … Someone has obviously put a lot of love and effort into this. What a fun wall they’ve created, and a fun Wonder to discover.
Chris, I actually missed photos of a lot of things back there because there are also stacks of various store “whatnots” in front of everything. It actually kind of adds to the experience, though 🙂
Clearly that calls for a return trip. 😀
Nice find! I’m disappointed since I used to live near there and never discovered this jem.
I think I liked it even better because I found it “accidentally” 🙂
Wow and I do mean wow. Never underestimate the value of a thrift store. You should volunteer to be a docent!
If it weren’t 2 hours away, I would wear a smock and give “tours”. I could even bust out an 80s aerobic move or 3. 🙂