Old Town Trading Post

This store is a riot, it takes you back to an era where this country was going down hill fast. Fortunately we can laugh about it now

If you read the reviews on this place, you find Unilocalers who seem almost offended by this store merchandise and theme. I say relax it is just a souvenir store and not meant to be a representation of high fashion. I also wouldn’t get too upset about a cardboard cutout of Palin or Romney; if it offends you, I say buy it as a reminder of what some would say were the RNC’s biggest blunders. No, it is all just trinkets for the tourist that all of us have purchased on our trips to such exotic locals as Atlantic City, Myrtle Beach, or Dollywood, Hell, even Paris, France has stands selling cheap miniatures of the Eiffel Tower.
It is hard get upset with a place for just being what it is, a quirky tourist store with cheap trinkets for one and all. It is like going to Vegas and being shocked that there is gambling there. My one and only purchase from this store, a pair of hand knit slipper socks ($ 10), is still worn by my mother 10 years later. Yup, every Xmas she breaks out those tacky wonders that it is really hard to hate on Old Town Trading Post.

Walking into this store is like walking into an alternate history novel. One where Barack Obama won’t be inaugurated again in a week and Mitt Romney won the election. And this store is the official inauguration store for a Romney presidency. About all that was missing, in this reality, was talk radio blowhards blasting from massive speakers.
I should have known its political biases from the window display and the giant cutouts of George Bush and Sarah Palin as I walked in. But I wandered in anyway. At first the McCain campaign buttons and the straight out of Fox News propaganda t-​shirts were vaguely funny. But there’s some truly racist and sexists stuff in here as you get toward the back of the store. I guess the owner figures if you got that far, you’re «one of the club.» Now this store might be able to claim to be «fair and balanced» since there’s about 25% pro-​left souvenirs, but it would be a lie.
Truth be told, I didn’t vote for Barack Obama either (Jill Stein is my president), but even I was offended.
That’s not why I’m rating this place so lowly, however. It’s the prices and the cleanliness. Sure the George Bush war hero playing cards are collectable (though who knows why), but I’m not sure they’re almost $ 10.00 collectable. And they were kind of dusty — like everything else in the store.
I think this place’s target audience are those people who stay in Alexandria because they think D.C. is a «big scary» city. But even if this place doesn’t sell a single thing, I see how they can stay in business. They’re probably funded by the Koch brothers.

If those tacky t-​shirt trucks you see curbside downtown — you know the ones: they sell the shirts that say «FBI: Female Body Inspector» and «You Don’t Know Me, Witness Protection Program» — were housed in the ashtray of your chain-​smoking grandma’s Seville, you’d have Old Town Trading Post.
With the addition of beads and Peruvian ear-​flap hats.

Cheap souvenirs made in China. Most of the crap over priced and covered in dust. Don’t waste your time here.

Please note the sign located at the back of the store «Shoplifters will be cursed» — I thought it was hilarious and had to share with everyone :-D
Interesting little store full of touristy items and gobs of handmade jewelry. The thing that caught my eye (aside from the «viriginia is for lovers» tshirts and politcal toys, was the wall of jewelry. The style of the jewelry was nothing I“d find at the mall, but very similiar to the pair of earrings I purchased while I was in Panama. Of course, they had bracelets ($ 7.95−12.95), necklaces ($ 9.95−15.95), AND earrings ($ 4.99) all in the same style. Pretty, and would have bought something, but didnt’ really need more jewelry in that style. THe store also sells beads and such, but nothing of any great quality. Other than that — feel free to peruse the shot glasses, slippers, tees, and other touristy items.