Well-made objects bought in the good times were kept through the bad. Now, in the new, shiny post-Communist age, it is time to sell. These two shops stand out among the many of their kind in Prague because of the owners' genuine love of the articles. Bric a Brac 1 is a dim, exciting cave which is the haunt of collectors of small objects such as thimbles, scissors and sets of scales. Like the rest of Amsterdam, this is a shop at ease with pleasure.
People come in briefly just to sniff the perfumed air.
The building has a dignified opulence. There is a a cigar library at the back, and the shop staff conduct cigar-smoking lessons to show novices how to keep the cigar at the right temperature.