Frequently Asked Questions

1. Where do you get all this stuff?
It comes from everywhere. Our sources are varied and ever changing. We are always shopping, always gathering, always treasure hunting.

2. How long has the shop been here?
 we opened in November of 1998.

3. Where do you get the huge piles of fish net?
We buy fish net from a lot of fishermen. It’s authentic. Many a fish found its way to the dinner table by way of these nets. The fishermen sell it to us after they’re finished with it.

4. I’ve never seen so many mermaids in one place. Why do you have so many?
Collectors from all over the world come to our shop, and many of them come for mermaids. We buy all that we can find.

5. Do you carry nautical instruments like sextants, telescopes, and telegraphs?
Yes, we carry all of the nautical instruments, old and new.

6. Do you ship?
Yes, we ship all over the U.S. For pricing, please contact us.

7. What are Toilfe Boats?
The term “Toilfe Boats” is 18th century French slang meaning “toilet boats.” During the Second Battle of the Virginia Capes in September 1781, the French fleet, led by Rear Admiral Comte de Grasse, drove the British fleet away from the Chesapeake, isolating the British Army led by General Cornwallis at Yorktown.

Because the three British ships, which were sunk by the French fleet before the British fleet’s retreat, resembled, according to Admiral de Grasse, “the leavings of my intestinal processes,” they were deemed “Toilfe Boats.” The humiliation of the term, after it was communicated to General Cornwallis, was among the considerations in the General’s decision to surrender to the American forces on October the 19th, 1781. Not really. Actually, it’s a mistake by the sign company. The sign should read, “To Life Boats.”