WArehouse
#303
Written by Nicole Bianchi
Photographed by Chloee Blair
May 20, 2026
It’s good to keep things in the family, to hold onto that in-house work ethic, personality, perseverance and authenticity carried over from a bloodline’s varied pasts - lives spent dedicated to their trades and their crafts.
That conglomeration of passion and pride oozes out and seeps into my soul every time I step into Eyelandtime – a warehouse shop tucked away, easy to miss, just off U.S. 1 South, full of vintage collectibles and rare finds accumulated from decades of curation.
The spectrum of items is hard to categorize. It’s not your typical “thrift” store and I’ve stopped referring to it that way, as each time I visit, I see things that are definitely not of the thrifty nature. A Pachinko machine? I only recognized it because I had one as a kid. An antique Singer sewing machine? How I wish I still had that. Not because of the monetary value, but because of the memory of my mom sewing our clothes on that Singer. A Corona collectible typewriter – what a find!
All of these beauties come from a family lineage of love for the spaces and places we occupy.
Bill Oktavec, a fisherman, surfer and the “shopkeeper,” as he refers to himself, opened the warehouse store - owned by his father, Dr. Bill Oktavec, a local ophthalmologist - three years ago.
On Saturdays, he offers free lunch and refreshments while you look around, pointing out things as he listens to your likes and lived experiences – a turtle pillow, an old wooden sled, Lionel train sets, a mounted blue marlin, mountains of records, a beach sign painted on canvas.
On the walls of the warehouse shop are stunning paintings of ships and the sea, on the tables a variety of nautical pieces and shells and sailboats – pieces showcasing the family’s Baltimore roots to the wild coast of Maine to St. Augustine, where the store’s collection began in the 1990s.
As a young man, Bill traveled to Italy to apprentice with a craftsman in carpentry. His later construction of an oversized crate for a pair of 6’, 200-pound custom-made wooden ship’s wheels harkens of a time gone by, when the passion, blood, sweat and tears of a person - a human being - making something with their bare hands fills your heart.
And it’s this passion you feel at Eyelandtime – Bill and his family showcasing their love for art and special things, possessions seeking a home. As one goes, another one is quickly replaced - the floor, tables, walls, bookshelves bursting with joy.
When the shopkeeper opens the warehouse door to his wondrous collection of antiques, vintage collectibles and things, you may also say to yourself - oh I had that when I was a kid! I wish I had kept it.
You can check out Eyelandtime's collection on Ebay or Facebook Marketplace, or stop by 4425 U.S. 1 South, #303 (around back), open Saturdays, 9am - 5:30pm.
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