Take a quick look inside the new As Time Goes Buy store on Norfolk Avenue, and something is bound to catch your eye.
There are clocks, tables, small sculptures, airplane propellors and a host of other Art Deco-era collectibles and antiques that make the new design shop at 7920 Norfolk Ave. pretty unique on a street dominated by restaurants and office space.
“There isn’t anything else like it here,” said store manager Nancy Reynaud.
The store, which opened last month, will close on or about Jan. 2, Reynaud said, making it a true pop-up opportunity to snag some rare collectibles from London, France and New York City — plus some more contemporary pieces.
Pieces range from $15 to $15,000, according to a store pamphlet, which advertises “a collection of historic artifacts as seen through the artistry of many of the most famous artists of the period.”
That period, of course, saw its heyday in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s. Art Deco waned in popularity after that, though for a look at Art Deco in Bethesda, one only needs to walk a few blocks to the 1938 Bethesda Theater on Wisconsin Avenue.
Reynaud said the owner of the shop (who, for now, doesn’t want his name publicized) collected the items over decades and wanted to open a store in Bethesda.
Most items include a description to give a deeper sense of the object. Many are original works. The store will be available for private fundraising events for nonprofit groups while it’s open and says a portion of its sales will go to the National Rehabilitation Hospital.
