Grand Avenue in Des Moines has long been a strip where old houses meet new small businesses, and Funky Finds Vintage and Retro fits right into that mix at 1731 Grand Ave. The shop deals almost entirely in decades-past finds: mid-century clothing, furniture, and household goods that have been pulled from estates, basements, and closets around central Iowa rather than mass-produced reproductions. Racks of retro apparel sit alongside curated furniture pieces and smaller houseware items, the kind of mixed inventory that rewards browsing rather than a quick in-and-out visit.
Funky Finds has been operating in Des Moines since 2012, which puts it among the longer-running vintage retailers in the metro. Over more than a decade the shop has built relationships with local sellers, and it actively solicits new inventory from the public, inviting people to email photos of items they want to sell or to schedule an in-person appointment to bring pieces in. That steady sourcing model is part of what keeps the sales floor rotating with fresh mid-century pieces rather than the same handful of items sitting for months.
The shop is open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m., with holiday hours posted separately when the calendar shifts. Beyond the regular retail hours, Funky Finds hosts seasonal events that draw extra foot traffic and additional vendors, including a Funky Finds Holiday Open House around the winter shopping season and a Mid Mod Market that leans specifically into the mid-century modern design crowd. Those events give the shop a chance to bring in guest vendors and expand its usual footprint of furniture and clothing into a broader vintage marketplace for a day or weekend.
What sets Funky Finds apart from a general resale store is its focus: this is not a catch-all thrift shop sorting through whatever donations arrive, but a specifically vintage and retro operation where mid-century design sensibility runs through the clothing racks as much as the furniture floor. Customers looking for a single credenza or barware set can find it here, but so can shoppers hunting for a complete decade-specific wardrobe piece or a retro kitchen item to round out a themed room. The shop also maintains a presence on Etsy, extending its reach to buyers outside the immediate Des Moines area who want to browse online before or instead of visiting in person.
Customer reviews featured on the shop’s own site point to a consistent reputation for friendly service and a well-curated selection, the kind of word-of-mouth that keeps a niche vintage shop afloat over multiple years in a competitive resale market. For anyone furnishing a home with genuine mid-century character, dressing for a retro-themed event, or simply hunting for a well-made piece with some history behind it, Funky Finds Vintage and Retro offers a Grand Avenue storefront built specifically around that decades-past aesthetic. Shoppers can reach the store by phone at 515-777-0667 or by email to arrange consignment drop-offs or ask about current inventory before making the trip.
In short, Funky Finds Vintage and Retro is a Des Moines vintage and retro shop on Grand Avenue specializing in mid-century clothing, furniture, and housewares, open Wednesday through Saturday and known locally for its curated selection and recurring vintage-focused shopping events.
