I drive by Peoria Lock & Safe all the time on my way to my night job and I always think the same thing: “I bet they’ve got some cool shit to look at in there.” But I never stop. Today I thought that this would be the day that we finally stop and find an answer to the question that’s gnawed on my brain like a like a blood tick on a choice piece of scalp for the last year and seven months: Is there any cool shit to look at in The Peoria Lock & Safe?

Here we go...Jesus Christ, it’s brighter than fuck-all out here! I really need to look into getting some prescription sunglasses.

There it is, Peoria Lock & Safe, let’s park and start today’s adventure.

I wanted to take a picture of the side of the building, not only because I like that sign, but also to showcase one of the last outside payphones in town. Those things are almost extinct, in fact I wonder if this is the last outside payphone in town? Anybody out there know of any others?

There’s the store front, let’s take a peek in the windows.

That troll and jar of marbles lead me to believe that yes, there is going to be some cool shit in here to look at in here.

It’s...sombrero time!

Okay, let’s go inside and see if there’s any cool shit to look at in here. The time is now!

Let’s go say hi to this gentleman behind the counter...

This is Dave, a friendly fellow who told me he’s worked here off and on for over 25 years. Dave said the building has been here for over 125 years and it’s been the Peoria Lock & Safe Service since 1977. I asked Dave if I could wander around and take some photos and he told me I was more than welcome to. This is what I love about doing this blog, you can just stumble in somewhere and find out just how gracious and nice most people are. Okay, let’s take a look around and I can tell you already, there’s some cool-ass shit in here.

There’s everything from a wall to put you in a Georgia O’Keeffe mood...

To Barney Fife—not much gets by him...

To a Jesus clock on the wall opposite the counter. I love it in here!

The shelves are loaded with tins, bottles and jars from retail shopping expeditions from days gone by.

A bottle of Sloan’s ointment sits next to a tin of chocolate flavor syrup. Five point five ounces. Decades ago Sloan wondered what in the world had happened to his ointment. The question haunted him till his dying day and little did he know it was here all along. Poor Sloan, nothing worse than dying an ointmentless death.

Wow, an original can of Pringle’s Newfangled Potato Chips. I remember being stoned out of my gourd back in the '70's and seeing how big of a stack of those things I could fit into my mouth. It was usually a pretty big stack. I have a fairly big mouth.

Let’s see what’s in this case...

I love that Budweiser mug and the Jim Beam pitcher is cool too.

When you’re in a place that has cool old shit in it, eventually you’re going to come across a vintage Coke bottle and here’s two of them. That's just the way it goes. And check out the unintentional obligatory mirror thing going on in the back of the photo. I love it when that happens!

I asked Dave if I could check out the back room and he said I was more than welcome to. I love it in here!

I call this wall, “Bobby.” If you get that reference, then you’re definitely a Rolling Stones fan.

Dave said he’s taken many naps in this chair. He told me he’s had many offers to buy it, but he’d never sell it. It looks pretty comfortable to me.

A gun and a pack of cigarettes. Dave had the quote of the day when he said: “If one doesn’t kill you, the other one will.” Ha ha ha!

I always like to buy something when I visit a store and I saw this display on the counter. Dave told me he was selling them for a friend who’s trying to help out the Washington Youth Baseball League. All the Leagues equipment was destroyed in last years tornadoes...

So I bought three of them.

Uh, oh...a bulletin board with business cards! And you know what that means...another exciting edition of Dueling Business Cards Between MBIP and All Smiles Dental Care!

Ha! Two to one, I win! Better luck next time, All Smiles Dental Care! We’ll see you all tomorrow!

Peoria Lock & Safe Services
1419 NE Jefferson Street
Peoria
309-674-7854

Its a safe as milk, it's a safe as milk,
I never heard it put quite that way,
The shape I'm in is a gone a way,
They called a day, they called a day.

Surprise link, click on it...I dare you!