Interiors-Exteriors: A Couple's Collector Paradise

What do He-Man, Dracula and a hot dog phone have in common? They all reside in Nick Mayor’s and Jen Lemasters’ Logan Square apartment. Owners of Bric-a-Brac Records & Collectibles, Nick and Jen found themselves in direct contrast of Jen’s former coworker, Steven Stojak, featured for his minimalist style in a previous Interiors article.

Self-proclaimed “collectors of things,”Nick and Jen would not describe themselves as minimalists. Rather, they enjoy collecting one-of-a-kind promotional pieces, unique paraphernalia and the stories that go with them. They have both been collecting things since childhood and their combined collection is quite incredible.

“We really like promotional items, anything done peripheral to a product is … kind of more exciting and feels like a direct connection to a piece.”

The coffee table
Nick and Jen’s living room

Photos: Paulina Fadrowska

The Art of Collecting

Nick and Jen have traveled all over—even as far as Tokyo—collecting things with a specific aesthetic in mind. Every time they are traveling, Jen will hop on Craigslist (where they have found a good chunk of their furniture!) and see if there is anything worth picking up while they are in the area. Most of their collectibles are from the 80s and 90s, while a few things go back to the 60s or 70s.

When asked what the oldest thing in their collection was, it was an item that has stayed in the family for quite a while. Jen’s father’s Planet of the Apes slippers from 1967–68 were his as a kid and they now hang proudly on the house wall.

Their oldest item: Jen’s father’s Planet of the Apes slippers. Photo: Paulina Fadrowska

Other than that, their oldest items would be found in their extensive record collection—some dating back to the 50s.

The True Meaning of Value

As Nick showed his and Jen’s most treasured items, he talked about the elusive definition of value and how it takes on many different meanings to different people. The two of them were actually approached to be on a TV show about collectors, one that ended up focusing on monetary value over anything else. However, he explained value can come in many shapes and forms and that expensive things aren’t necessarily the most valuable.

Expensive things aren’t necessarily the most valuable.
Nick Mayor

Value could come in the form of the history the item has shared, such as an item passed down through the family, or the story behind an autographed photograph or poster. Something the couple values a lot is their sofa, which was a find at their first ever estate sale! They were second in line, at 4:30 a.m., and ended up beating out a few other people for it.

One thing that I found very admirable about the couple’s collectible prowess is their ability to know the price they are willing to spend on an item and walk away if the price is too high. For example, their almost-complete set of glassware is missing a Creature of the Black Lagoon tumbler, but when a shop owner wouldn’t budge on his crazy price they decided to wait until they found one at a reasonable price.

A collectible Frankenstein glass—they’re searching for the Creature of the Black Lagoon one! Photo: Paulina Fadrowska

Pee-Wee’s Big Underpants

After showing us around the whole apartment, we gave Nick the impossible task of figuring out which spot in their apartment is his favorite. The Pee-Wee Herman corner at the top of the stairs ended up being the winner.

“It just fits so perfectly,” Nick said. And when I stopped by Bric-a-Brac to ask Jen the same question, she gave the same answer without knowing Nick agreed.

A Love all Their Own

To say their love for collecting and sharing experiences brings them closer together, would be an understatement. Not only did Nick and Jen open up a store around the idea, one unlike any other in the city, but they have many items in their collection with quite personal meanings.

When Nick proposed, he co-wrote a song with Ty Segall and performed it in front of more than 300 musician friends on a cruise to the Bahamas. While they were traveling, he had the song pressed onto a record and they have it sitting amidst their collection! Their wedding was filled with tons of personal touches, seen below.

Jen and Nick’s wedding invitation, designed from a show flier Jen had found in Canada.
Dandelo, Jen and Nick in button form, one of the many favors at their wedding.
The record of Nick’s wedding proposal song.

Photos: Paulina Fadrowska

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, we invite you to take a peek at the rest of the photos and see the awesomeness that is Nick and Jen’s apartment!

If you want to hear more from Nick and Jen, make sure you stop by our LoganSquarist Neighbor Meetup at Bric-a-Brac (3156 W. Diversey Ave.) tomorrow, Feb. 20 from 7 – 9 p.m.