Weird Stuff You Used to be Able to Buy at West Michigan Malls

Malls are slowly becoming a thing of the past but there is something weird you used to be able to buy at West Michigan Malls.

The Mall

When I was a kid there was no internet and online stores we had "The Mall." Going to the mall was a big deal if mom loaded the car with my sister and me to shop because we knew we were getting something that normal department stores didn't have.

👇BELOW: See Mall of America in 1992👇

When we were kids most malls didn't have a second level but Sears or JCPenney's were two floors which meant they had an escalator. I couldn't wait to get near the escalator to ride up and down. Things were much simpler back then.

I remember before malls had food courts but was glad when they added them. Kids used to hang out at the mall and the food court was a great place to socialize. The mall is where I discovered oriental food. Sometimes I would go to the mall to get a plate of Chinese food and do no shopping at all.

Read More: How Early is Too Early to Shovel?

I've seen different things come and go at the mall but let's look at some weird stuff malls used to sell.

Weird Stuff You Used to be Able to Buy at West Michigan Malls

According to the Grand Rapids Reddit page, people used to be able to buy hermit crabs at Rivertown Mall in the late 90s and early 2000s. Let's find out if anyone else had a hermit crab experience

I never saw a hermit crab in the mall but I see how a kid would want one. Show & Tell at school would have been epic with a crazy hermit crab.

A stray hermit crab taking a stroll in the mall would freak me but if it were heading to the food court I wouldn't blame it, oh the smells of the food court.

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I didn't know that hermit crabs took off their shells.