Known as “Atlanta’s Alternative Super Store,” the Junkman’s Daughter is Atlanta’s premiere purveyor of unusual goods. The store was opened in 1982 by Pam Majors, whose father was a junkman who owned several salvage yards and spent years buying, trading, and collecting items that others considered useless. Majors needed retail space to sell the items that her parents had accumulated. She also added items that catered to her own personal taste, and her unusual collection started gaining followers. The store quickly gained a following among Atlanta’s college students and alternative community.
In 1994, the store moved to its present location inside a former grocery store. It now has over 10,000 square feet of merchandise that ranges from clothing and housewares to art and collectibles. The distinctive mural adorning the front of the store was created by a local tattoo artist named Watson Atkinson, whose first tattoo parlor was located in what is now one of the store’s storage closets. Originally the storefront had an extraterrestrial theme, and the new mural retained the crashed UFO embedded above the entrance. Vibrant murals surround the building and reflect the unique character of the store.
Pam Majors passed away in December 2016, and now the store lives on with her son Moss Mills at the helm.
The Little Five Points neighborhood where the store is located is home to a collection of restaurants, vintage shops, galleries, and music venues, and the Junkman’s Daughter is the heart of the area. The store’s popularity is evidenced by its growing list of famous clientele, which includes Steven Tyler, Bono, Cyndi Lauper, ZZ Top, members of The Clash, Betsey Johnson, Lenny Kravitz, Alice Cooper, Outkast, Courtney Love, Usher, Tura Santana, Debbie Harry, Rick James, and Alanis Morrisette.
Visitors to the store are often greeted by a cat or two that live in the store. The staff frequently adopts kittens to raise and find homes for as a part of their participation in the surrounding community.
Junkman's Daughter is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day. The store offers a parking lot with free parking for customers. If you choose to explore the neighborhood, the parking lot attendants may ask you to pay a fee.
Photography is prohibited inside the store.
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