I spy with my little eye ...

some new masks and other ephemera in the front window of Taylor's.

A single light bulb burning in J. Taylor's antique shop on capital square this morning lit this strange scene.

I've rarely seen J. Tayor's open for business. Every so often the proprietor posts a sign in the door saying he'll soon have regular shop hours, but I've been inside just three times in the three years I've lived here, and I walk past it a lot. Nearly every day, in fact. Sometimes I wonder if he rents the space just to have a place to keep all the great attic treasures he collects, not that I would blame him. I'd do the same thing if I had that kind of extra money.

Window of J.Taylor's on Carroll St

Taylor's window has been a jumble these past couple weeks.

Okay, it's always been a jumble, but lately more so than before.

Mr. Taylor has recently posted signs promising that the store is undergoing a re-design and will open next week.

Time to share a few more photos of the interior of Taylor's antique store, on Carroll Street in capital square (next to Shakespeare's book store). I wandered in today to see the newly-arranged selection of trinkets and baubles. The assortment is dizzying.

The shop resembles nothing so much as your very rich aunt's eclectic collection of mementos and knick-knacks, spanning 180 years and overflowing from every showcase, dresser-drawer and shelf in her thirteen-room Victorian mansion. You can visit the shop every day of the week and find something new each day.

Their specialty is maps, which explains the globes and framed prints on the walls.

Taylor's on North Carroll Street in downtown Madison has decorated their front window with a dizzying display of old-time toys. It's more than I can do justice to in a few snapshots, but perhaps I can capture a tiny bit of the fun to be had looking in the window.

A close-up of a few of the items in the window: clowns on top of the merry-go-round, marionettes hanging in the background, the detail from a carnival bench ...

... a shooting gallery, a marble-in-the-cups game, a pinball table, and a wonderful assortment of circus posters.