Tucked away on a side street off Steinway is a fascinating little shop. Sparr’s Military and Antiques has been opened since 1946, and while you will definitely find a wealth of war memorabilia, the shop has some other beautiful hidden treasures. Just walking by one day I popped in and got to talk to Oliver Sparr who took over his fathers shop in the 70’s.

The stories here are told not just in the unique items that cascade from the shelfs, but from Oliver as well who is an accidental custodian of true Astoria Queens history. Regardless of how you feel about war memorabilia its amazing to me that all these items came from men and women that risked their lives  to protect their families right here in Astoria just like my own grandfather did. Making Sparr’s more like a museum not just to antiquity, but to a part of Astoria seen less and less. 


Thank you Oliver for this interesting window into the past, and Russell Dreher for helping me produce this segment.