Brocki Nassacker (Schlieren)

My brocki binge of late continues, and I've had the opportunity to visit (and review) Brocki Nassacker in Schlieren for the first time.

An unassuming, small-looking brocki from the outside, displaying racks of simply terrible clothing which partially obscured windows jamb-packed with all sorts of antique treasures. There are two separate shop fronts (no connecting passageway), but both are the Brocki Nassacker. The till (kasse) is located in the left hand shop (what I would call the 'main' shop).

The neighbourhood itself is nice - small, quiet and friendly. But most friendly of all is the soft-spoken, smiling Catalina who (presumably) runs the place full-time. A lovely lady with a long, grey and white ponytail, she lovingly packages purchases in a bag (and then an second outer bag, if you so wish), and knows her wares inside and out.

Which is quite the feat. This place is absolutely PACKED, which is not represented at all in their websites' photos!  If you're a wide person, you might have trouble not bumping things over in here (I wouldn't take a large bag in with me!). If you're claustrophobic, then I recommend any other brocki (HIOB would be a good choice, as would Brocki Limmattal). If you're drunk, or dizzy, or clumsy - I wouldn't go in here, either! It would be easy to feel like a bull in a china shop.

For me, the best part was the sewing section. The boxes and boxes of spools and needles and fasteners and bands and tools.... the unopened sewing kits stacked on the shelves that I could rifle through; the button box; the complete set of shiny, silken threads in every colour of the rainbow; the high-quality, old-fashioned spun wool... the boxes and boxes of pastel-coloured knitting needles, some as sets...! There was an entire box of perforated seam-markers (the pointy wheels that look like horse spurs on a stick). It was almost too much. I can't believe I only bought the seam marker from there! There was banding from the 1970s, still in the package, labelled as 'jeans trim' and a photo of it applied to the hem of bell-bottoms. Digging through the boxes prompted the usual blood-letting (thanks to a rogue pin), but also quite a good deal of satisfaction.

Sewing treasures await at Brocki Nassacker! (Seashells and crystals on the top shelf)

There's a constant, pleasing tick-tock of many clocks, wound and set. At noon, at least one sounded the bells (on time). One gets the sense that Catalina has lovingly adopted each and every item in the store, and has spent a great deal of time thinking as to how best display it. Each box contains carefully (and thoughtfully) grouped items; for example, a little sack full of toy horse saddles for the horses on display. A tray of rose-quartz crystals. A box of ribbon for gift wrapping (separate from the velvet ribbon in the sewing section). 

Unfortunately, she's run out of space. A long time ago, too. It's not possible to see everything. In fact, there's a lot you can't see, buried. An awful lot. It seems, sadly, as if the proprietors themselves suffer from a hoarding disease. On top of the carefully sorted boxes and baskets are often other boxes of unsorted stuff, just plunked on top.... and listing something dreadful. These last-minute, haphazard piles made it difficult and unpleasant to peruse the shop.

It's actually a pretty clean, not-as-dusty-as-you'd-fear shop, all things considered. But they really need to hold a '50% off sale' and/or a parking lot 'BOGO' (by one, get one) sale and clear out half (or more!) of their stock. And soon.

This is the 'left' side of the shop - it's the least crowded side!

Why come here?

• You want to buy Swiss souvenirs (antiques or new) - she has everything from framed and pressed edelweiss, to Trachtenmode (no dirndls, however), to wooden nutcrackers, painted call-horns, Swiss figurines, carved Swiss... I don't know... wooden tchotchkes, little Alpine houses, painted cowbells, gentian-painted wall plates, wooden cheese boards....! If you want to send home an antique Swiss souvenir, make sure you come to Brocki Nassacker!
• You need a chandelier, an old wall-mounted clock, a full vintage tea set, or art for your walls (of which there is a good and varied selection of everything, some of which I even liked!)
• You want to browse in an antique shop, but you can't afford the prices. This lies somewhere between a Brockenhaus and a legit antiques shop

Overall, a pretty, interesting shopping experience. The lady was just so sweet and helpful, but also laid-back enough to let you dig to your heart's content. A really lovely little neighbourhood Brocki - worth checking out if you're in the Limmattal for any reason!

Sorry - low light and shaky exposure. Still - lots of crystal stemware, eh?

What memorable things did I see there on my visit?

• Seashells and crystals and pretty rocks
• Glass marbles
• Iron horseshoes and old clothing irons
• Hummel figurines and lots of cut-crystal vases in glass display cases
• Bierkrugs and hand-pained steins (quite a few!)
• Miniature steel replicas of bierkrugs and pitchers
• Antique furniture (buried), including an elaborately carved, dark-wood chest
• Naughty nudie drinking glasses
• Some lovely light fixtures from all eras
• Globes
• Crystal stem ware
• Duck figurines. Lots of those.
• Costume jewelry, though close to the till and hard to see (from either side)
• Tea sets, tea pots (not my favourite one, yet! I'll find it someday!)
• Copper watering cans and pots
• An enormous haberdashery section
• Swiss-stuff. Loads of Swiss souvenirs!
• Wooden handmade pull-toys for children (rather sweet)
• Vintage irons and sewing machines
• Two matching (bridemaids'?) polka dot 80s dresses at 20.- apiece

There was so much to see. I really wish she'd clear it out a little - the backroom where the clothing and linens are was dark and piled with laundry baskets and cases and garbage bags still full of clothing. That's more digging than I want to do, if even I'm welcome to do it, which it didn't feel as if I was.

I peeked in the no-access 'back room', and it looked almost exactly identical. I don't know how she walks back there. I inquired as to whether or not she had a hobnail glass vase in pink or yellow glass (for a friend), hoping she'd produce one from out of the back room, but she only seemed to know about what was already on display. Shame. Was hoping for some un-shelved goodies. There's a lot back there!
  
And the summary of Brocki Nassacker:

Pros:

• Sweet and friendly lady running it
• HUGE selection despite very small space
• A rummager's delight, provided you're small, agile, and not clumsy!
• A nice balance between a mad Brocki with all sorts of interesting junk and an antique store (with reasonable prices: 2 spools of decorator's ribbon (one quite generous) and a sewing implement (the rotary seam-marker) cost in total 5 Fr., which is probably the same or just slightly more than what I'd get at Brockiland downtown).

Cons:

• It's in Schlieren, and totally out of the way of everything else!
• You CANNOT swing a cat in there!
• It's a claustrophobe's and klutz's worst nightmare.
• Totally overwhelmed with stock - they could really sell a lot more if they had a lot less, paradoxically!
• No shopping baskets (I didn't think?), no through-door to the otherside (have to go in and out of the main entrances), and no changeroom, but I doubt you'd find clothing you'd want to try anyway!

Tips:

• Be prepared to spend a lot of time looking up, down, under, underneath (i.e. sometimes the furniture is buried under smaller things displayed on top), inside, around, and over. It was very cramped, but there is a lot to see.
• Ask for something in particular - she seems to know where everything is, and is very charming and helpful.
• Make sure you check out the window displays from the outside looking in - you can hardly reach through to the window from the inside, there's so much stuff.

All in all, a lovely little shop. I would put it on your hit list if you're looking for light fixtures, wall art, vases or figurines, and definitely if you're into vintage buttons and sewing gear.

And I think I've probably exhausted my enthusiasm for thrifting this month (we'll see!)!

COMING UP: 5 September, Geroldstrasse Heils-Armee - the WINTER KLEIDER SALE! Don't miss it! :)

TiZ