The tiny storefronts along Henderson Avenue can be deceiving. Most of its mom-and-pop shops are packed with merchandise in spaces much bigger than they appear from the street. On a recent Friday, we visited to find out what customers were hunting for.

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Pandemonium, Ltd.
Just about anything vintage, from garments to posters to party favors, can be found in Leslie Daum and Debbie Cardenas’ resale shop.

THE SHOPPER: Cait Penson
THE FIND: Late ’50s black chiffon party dress
THE PRICETAG: $45
THE DRAW: “I’ve been here only twice, but I’ve bought so many things — like tall platform shoes. Today, I’m shopping for a Patsy Cline dress for an audition. I’m going to sing ‘Crazy.’”

Another Time & Place
The store is sometimes viewed as a Turkish bazaar, perhaps because of its popular Turkish pottery, but the owners say they aim to embrace every religion, culture and part of the universe with their merchandise.

THE SHOPPER: Christiane Roehrborn
THE FIND: Putumayo world music CDs
THE PRICETAG: $15.98 each
THE DRAW: “I come to this store often. I love their clothes, I love their incense, I like ethnic things. It’s different from your regular mall, and I like that. It makes me feel like I’m stepping into another world.”

Cierra Furniture
Filled with imports from , South America, , and — plus handcrafted designs from Texas artisans — the fun of this store is letting your eyes rove.

THE SHOPPER: Holly Church
THE FIND: Scalloped floor lamp
THE PRICETAG: $149
THE DRAW: “I love this place for accessories. To me, it just has an old world ambience, which I love. I probably wander around here once every two months.”

The Whimsey Shoppe
Getting lost in the maze of rooms is half the fun of shopping at this antique shop. The other half is admiring the finds that owners Suzie and Wendell Patterson handpicked in the French countryside.

THE SHOPPER: Katrina Slovak
THE FIND: Nineteenth century hand-blown glass bottle in a hand-woven wicker basket
THE PRICETAG: $185
THE DRAW: “I bought my dining room furniture here, and I saw the new shipments and thought I’d see what they brought back.”

Needless Necessities
Hence the name, it’s hard to pass up the home furnishings and accessories in Don Hatfield and Sam Stidham’s store, where you can customize with more than 3,000 fabrics.

THE SHOPPER: Rochelle Ubinas
THE FIND: “Provence Fountain” framed photograph
THE PRICETAG: $465
THE DRAW: “We just moved into a new house, and it’s bigger with lots of empty space, so we’re trying to fill it up.”