Like the wild love child of a Las Vegas casino and a Los Angeles strip mall, Nick Metropolis Collectible Furniture is filled to the brim with pop-culture relics. Owner Nick Metropolis—indeed his real name—refers to himself as the king of collectibles, and it’s difficult to dispute that title as you navigate a tent filled with a jumble of illuminated letters and a teetering tangle of Hollywood Sign knockoffs in this tight corner lot.
Prop houses are living silver-screen museums. Chances are any time an actor dials a rotary phone or digs up a piece of forensic evidence, the thing in their hand originated from a warehouse in North Hollywood or a vintage store in Hollywood. But you don’t need to be a film buff or set designer to appreciate a trip to a prop house; the overwhelming accumulation of stuff, from the historical to the terrifying, makes these holdings of collectibles and cultural curios worth a visit—for everyone.
