Pier3

By Monica Lin Translated by Ann Lee
Photos by Jimmy

(07) 281-8181
3, Lane 20, YuZhu 1st St, XinXing District, Kaohsiung City
Hours: 1 pm-9 pm

On a tiny alley of YuJhu 1st Street in the WuFu Hsin-Jyue shopping district shoppers will find Pier 3. This place sells a variety of Western-style collectables. The owner, Corney, is a big fan of collectables and he wanted to share his hobby with customers.
Some time before, Pier 3's on-line shopping started off in Los Angeles, when Corney and his wife Joyce worked together to collect different kinds of treasures available throughout the U.S. From antiques to rare books to you-name-it, they have been selling collectables for the past decade, and they've now decided to open up the very first Pier 3 in Taiwan. Unlike many other antique shops out there, Pier 3's merchandise puts a special focus on old-time radios, video cameras, cash registers, telephones, fans, refrigerators, and scooters. They also deal in antique electronic appliances and Coca-Cola collectables. At Pier 3, you can find an old-time record player made in the 1900s, and hear it play music from 100 years ago! Another unique item at Pier 3 is a magnetite telephone, which has its own battery and works without electricity from other sources.
Every season (three months), Corney goes abroad to the U.S. and Europe and purchase new products for the shop. Ninety-eight percent of the merchandise you see is authentic; each antique piece is priced according to its year—the older the antique, the higher the price. For many of us who cannot afford expensive, authentic antiques, two percent of the merchandise is imitation. For example, an authentic wall-hanging style telephone is normally priced at about NT$20,000, but an imitation will only cost about NT$3,000 to NT$4,000. Product maintenance is also available; just return it to the store.