The Fruit Shop III Antiques and Miscellanea - a place for unique finds!

Among the countless bakeries, markets, and vendors in Oakland's Latin Quarter, you can now also find a Black-owned business filled with charming decor and trinkets. It's called III Antiques & Thangs - a vintage shop and boutique located at the intersection of Fruitvale Avenue and 13th Street.

Inside the purple building, you will find a variety of goods: ceramics, small trays, traditional African wooden masks, handmade earrings, thick wool-acrylic blankets from Ecuador, pagoda table lamps, and much more. Behind the white door at the back of the store is a fully equipped kitchen overlooking a small courtyard with open tables and a mini-garden for fresh herbs and vegetables. "A lot of smoking grass and drinking bourbon has gone into this place," said Phillip Gams III, the owner of III Antiques & Thangs, which opened about a quarter mile northwest of the Fruitvale BART station last December. This is his third project - he also runs a modeling agency called Three Model Management, based in Berkeley and representing models throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as the 3 Talent Agency, which focuses on casting and booking actors and models for TV shows, films, fashion shows, and editorial shoots around the world.

Gams is primarily an artist, and III Antiques & Thangs is a continuation of his creative work. "Being in the fashion industry, I have a good eye for aesthetics and the ability to combine different things," he said, describing his unique style as "a love for different things." From model to chef and small business owner.

Born and raised in Sacramento, Gams lived several lives before settling in Oakland and opening his antique shop. On the eve of New Year's 1989, Gams flew to Italy on one of the flights to start his modeling career without any knowledge of the industry or connections in it. "I went there because I wanted to learn about different cultures, study different languages, meet women from all over the world, and have fun," he said, laughing. "And I got swept away there." The glitz and glamour of Italy were appealing but often out of reach, and Gams says he experienced homelessness, but that didn't stop him from pursuing his passions. From his "base" inMilan, he used the money he earned from modeling to travel and book more work in France, Spain, Austria, England, and other European countries. After two and a half years, he returned to California - this time to Oakland - and continued his modeling career in the Bay Area, eventually launching Three Model Management in August 2003.

When he wasn't in front of the camera, Gams dedicated his time to perfecting another craft - the culinary arts. He was a chef of sorts and would cross the bay bridge to conduct cooking demonstrations at Bloomingdale's in San Francisco. In 2013, during one of his classes, a scout noticed Gams and encouraged him to audition for the show "Worst Cooks in America" - a limited series on Food Network where 16 cooking enthusiasts from across the country compete for the titular title. He got the opportunity. "I was sent to New York to stay in Chelsea near the Food Network studio, and I was on top of the world until they served dessert," Gams said. "I don't make desserts, so I got knocked out because of that damn dessert."

After the show aired in 2014, Gams's wife told him that he needed to find something else he was passionate about. He remembered the hikes from his childhood when he, his mother, and grandmother would go to flea markets and sales. "I always collected things, and I always had in mind to have a store with an adjoining area and a kitchen," Gams said.

After he rented the building, Gams brought items from his home, found things at garage and yard sales, and received random vintage goods from friends. To involve his family, he also set aside corners of the store for items sold by his eight-year-old son River and his mother Katie. River's section is decorated with shelves filled with children's books, Hot Wheels cars, and Pokémon souvenirs, while "Katie's Corner" is filled with kitchenware, clothing, and accessories. "He's just like me - he's a hard worker," Gams said, speaking about his son. "But he has to give me 10% of his earnings."

Gams has many ideas for future events at the store, including a dinner. He envisions creating a menu for the dinner, posting it on the store's Instagram page, and inviting interested people to send their mailing addresses via direct messages. "We will select 15 random people and send them a physical invitation, and they won't be able to bring a guest," he said. "So it will be all strangers, and then we will have dinner, and I will make my signature cocktail, and they can pay whatever they want."

He also sees III Antiques & Thangs as a "prop house" where anyone can rent items for television, film, or other media - something that, according to Gams, is currently lacking in the Bay Area, as well as a public space for hosting special events, meeting friends, or just relaxing. "It's really a magical area," Gams said. "So many different things have happened here that make me know this is the right thing to do."

III Antiques & Thangs, 1232 Fruitvale Ave. Open Thursday to Sunday from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Donations are accepted.