About My Antique Shop
I've wandered Kansas City and beyond for curious antiques & collectibles for 30 years!History, Collectibles, Antiques and Wiener Dogs Found in Kansas City
When I was growing up in Lawrence, KS, my Mom and I went to garage sales, thrift stores, antique malls and even pawn shops in sketchy neighborhoods to find deals. While most kids waited for summer vacation just to get out of school, I was excited knowing we’d take day trips looking for antiques!
I’ve had many collections over the years. From coins and old toy cars to Hardy Boys books and a kick-butt baseball memorabilia collection, I’ve collected it all. I’ve found historic items belonging to the first dentist in the state of Kansas (who just happened to be related to John D. Rockefeller), to the personal childhood bible of one of Kansas’ first senators, which was personally signed years before Kansas was a state.
Now, 30+ years later, I love wandering all over Kansas City and beyond looking for the next bargain. Of course, a little profit is nice. But I really love the hunt, the history and never knowing what I might find next.
I hope I find something great for you while I wander!
Lester the Wandering Wiener
I adopted Lester way back in 2003. He was tiny, frisky and full of life. A mini-dachshund, there was nothing mini about his personality. He loved going for walks, chewing on a stuffed duck and was quick to stare me down during every meal, hoping for some pizza or even a taco!
He saw me through some tough times, including the death of my Grandpa in 2003, my Mom in 2005 and a divorce in 2010. With everything that happened, Lester was there every day wagging when I came home.
His loyalty lead me to collect wiener dog figurines of any kind. My collection consists of vintage wiener dog bookends to new corn on the cob holders, and it’s nearly 500 pieces strong.
When I first named my business Wandering Wiener Antiques in 2019, he was starting to show signs of his age. He had lost most of his teeth and his tongue flopped out of his mouth all day long. Still, he was there every day, wagging in my general direction even though he was going blind.
In the Fall of 2019, he really started slowing down and he crossed the Rainbow Bridge in November. Lester is the inspiration behind my collection, my logo and the name of my business. He will live on in these pages.
The All-Too-Brief Milo Era
Since early grade school, I have never not had a dog in my life. As each of my friends aged, I’ve added another pup to the household. So, for the past four decades, my canine buddies have overlapped at some point in their lives, creating an ever-lasting string of companionship. Fast forward to 2025, as our other (non-wiener) pup aged, my wife and I began looking for a new friend to carry on the traditon. We found a middle-aged wiener dog about 3 hours away in central Kansas.
Milo was 6 and had a curious, blue eye that pierced into your soul. He had found his way to a local rescue after his Dad’s work visa expired and was forced to return to his home country of Sri Lanka. We adopted Milo in the summer and he quickly stole our hearts with his deep, growly sighs, double-barks and zest for wiener dog life. We made the pair their own Facebook and Instagram page, and kept in touch with his first Dad, who was now 9,000 miles away, sending him regular photo updates.
Then, after four short months, everything changed the morning before Thanksgiving. Milo woke up unable to move his back legs. His trip to the ER Vet revealed disc damage that was causing him pain. Being so close to the holiday, the surgeon was out of town and unavailable. We checked with nearby vet schools, universities and other clinics in a 4-state area. Same story. Knowing Milo was in pain, and with no guarantees of a successful surgery that at best might happen 2 days later, we made the terrible decision to help him cross the Rainbow Bridge 11-26-25.
Introducing Pringle Dorito Johnson
While no dog could replace Milo, the house was way too quiet. Molly was moping, as were we. So, a few short weeks later, we found a pup 2 hours away at a shelter near where my wife grew up. Pringle had been an outside dog for the first year of his life, but with cold weather approaching, his owners were good enough to bring him to the shelter where he could stay warm. He first appeared at the shelter the same day Milo passed, making him an obvious choice. The shelter listed him as a Chiweenie, so he now carries on the tradition of wandering here in Kansas City.