The Cusp of Extinction in
Kensington (MD)

Normally, I’m not one to shop for trinkets a lot, but the moment that I came across this beautiful Japanese drauma doll at The Cusp of Extinction, I felt that I had to get it. Partly because I’m trying to get back my confidence in making art (writing especially, which was what kept me in spirits when I couldn’t find any acting gigs). Partly because I’ll be teaming up with a calligrapher soon on hosting origami and calligraphy nights in Rockville. Partly because I know that at least from my point of view, such trinkets usually aren’t brought back to the United States. It might be because America has a weird relationship with art. I’m so glad that I came across Tim Green and his establishment. Tim has a wide range of knowledge in just about anything that you can throw at him. He also has good hospitality skills, which I can appreciate having lived in Memphis from 2011 to 2023. I miss sellers who know how to keep you in a store for hours, haha. I wouldn’t have taken my chances on the drauma brush if it wasn’t for Tim. 谢谢！ありがとう！ If the shop was a little bigger, then I wouldn’t mind hosting origami classes and have tea and snacks available. Otherwise, I could do with having Tim as good company. It helps that he knows how to price his items fairly too. By the way, he really appreciates having customers bring in cash so if you can, make your purchases that way. If ever my boyfriend, Fernando, wishes to tag along, then I would be more than happy to have him pay The Cusp of Extinction a visit. Heck, if any of you are in historic Kensington, please stop by and pay Tim a visit. I promise that ya’ll would come out with more than just an antique to take home.

Stopped in to peruse and had such a lovely time chatting to the owner! He was knowledgeable and friendly, letting us handle whatever took our fancy and was more than willing to show us anything that caught our eye. He's a delight and a pleasure, and my experience there made my entire day!

The antiques are great but the owners are the best part of this experience!! My girlfriend and I stopped in, and got to learn the history behind the antiques we were buying, like match box holders and the history of a black (English?) vase. The prices are very reasonable, and they have made great use out of a small space. We loved the old guys at this shop (don’t worry, they said we could use that).