We have been living in Makati for more than a year now, but I have never visited Makati Cinema Square. From what I’ve heard from people and read online, it is a treasure trove for secondhand goods – from clothes to home decoration. While our original plan was to visit the streets of Bangkal for used home stuff, the weather was too hot to to deal with and it was best to just stay in one place. I had to first ship a couple of items via JRS Express, and I was surprised that the branch was asking me for 4% additional payment for the declared value of the items. I would have foregone using their services, but one buyer specifically asked to have her items be picked-up in a JRS Express branch. Anyway, I was already itching to look around the ukays to see if maybe I’d get lucky with a couple of things.
If I were to assess the ukays in this building compared to the one in Anonas, the latter was easier to navigate since it was a single area dedicated to secondhand stores. We had a harder time jumping from one ukay to another because it was also like Farmers Plaza, with food stalls and pirated DVD stores in the mix. It was also unfortunate that the larger stores with airconditioning had new arrivals, hence had higher price for their items. LOL I love a good challenge on the heavily discounted ones, and it breaks my heart to pay “full price” for them.
Sounds like a Kris Aquino movie
Getting lost inside this labyrinth of vintage and secondhand home trinkets in Makati Cinema Square
The only store, I guess, which has home decors was the one pictured above. But on our first round roaming, it was still closed except for the ukay area. Then before lunch time, when we agreed to eat in Jollibee (everywhere else was full), Mon noticed that the furniture store was already open. Right after eating, we beelined to the store and I fell in love with the assortment of trinkets inside. From the get-go, I knew that the prices of things for sale would be slightly higher than MSM Surplus from Cubao because it was less hodgepodgey (i.e. strictly home decors). Also, I couldn’t help but feel inspired of the pieces because of their otherworldly feels. It was like stepping into a time machine (or for some, a horror movie). Most of things look really old for at least three-decades-ago old but still in good condition, or in need of a bit of imagination for restoration.
At first, it was a bit too much for the senses. It was overwhelming and we had no idea where to start. I think part of the charm of the place was the partially-merchandised arrangement of the decors for sale. You’d never know what to see in every nook and cranny. For instance, there was a pair of Spanish conquistadores wall hangings by Universal Statuary Corporation on top of these Victorian chairs. There was also an ornately decorated Kintaro doll behind a glass case. Kintaro is a Japanese folklore boy hero and it is customary to have a doll like this one on Children’s Day to wish little boys everywhere to grow as strong and brave as he is. Aside from the French cabinets and Edwardian dining sets, there was one locked, glass shelf with lots of designer bags inside. I quickly looked at the Louis Vuitton bags (monogram, epi, multicolor, taiga, etc.) and a vinyl Chanel tote before moving on with what we came there for.
Vintage Spanish Conquistador wall hangings (out of focus shot, shaky hands LOL)
A Japanese Kintaro Doll
Louis Vuitton Monceau and Louis Vuitton Multicolor Lodge GM
We were presented with different lamp diffusers by two helpful ladies. Our primary concerns were the weight and size of the glass, as we have a slanting ceiling with the lowest part almost at my arm’s reach. We don’t want anything dangling too dangerously, given how clumsy I could be on some days. I’m not too sure if the ones sold there were of better quality than those sold on MSM Surplus, but the prices were definitely higher. We narrowed down our choices to two because they were the cheapest among the lot. Looks can be really deceiving because the more ornate one was lighter than the other with the simpler design. They also have these globe-shaped lamp diffusers, which Faye were hoping to put on her ceiling. I just took note of their prices if she were to drop by for reference.
Another set of light diffusers
A round, glass diffuser
As I was not sure if they’d work with our light sockets, we did not buy anything. It was also difficult to commit because I still think they were quite pricey. I am now thinking that a better idea would be to make my own light diffusers, and I love another DIY project! But before I dive deeply into this new prospect, it would be best to try looking at what Bangkal has in store for us and maybe that could save me frustrating hours of trying to make a diffuser of our own.
