San Francisco pirate supplies and writing lab

The Mission District in San Francisco offers a wide variety of sights, smells, stores and galleries.  One block might have an auto parts store, a hot new bar, a vintage furniture store and an art gallery.

The 800 block of Valencia has a pirate store and it is one of the best things I've seen in a long time.  I had heard about this pirate store from Dave Eggers (yes, the author and, in this case, store owner) and thought it would have a selection of plastic swords, a few masks and eye patches from China.  How wrong I was.

The store is a haven of imaginative things.  One wall features a strange selection of drawers with lettered labels that demand to be opened.  Catering to the needs of your professional pirate, the store offers everything from peg legs (real ones), trap doors in the floor, a vat of lard, and a few well placed mops (not really for swabbing the decks).

In case the shopping pirate gets a craving for some sea life, the store has a fish theater where I sat transfixed for a few hours.  It's amazing what a few theater seats, a fish tank and a good curtain can do to entertain the kid inside my head.

For pirates under 14 years old, there is a bin of water, sand and other surprises.  As the sign states, you can bring your own green gloves or use the ones provided.

Over in the corner you'll find a few books that remind you how pirates get through their down time and also offer a small hint to the vocation of the store's owner.  The wood flooring reminds you of a ship's deck and if you follow it toward the back (aft) of the store, you will see a stable of computers, chairs and other non-pirate devices to encourage writing.

The writing lab may garner the most acclaim for the organization, but for those of us who are limited to writing a resume cover letter, or fields of e-mails, the store is really where we can play.

Stop in for a few hours and find your inner Peter Pan or Captain Hook.  Buy a souvenir and tell a friend about it.  Better yet, tell a kid about the writing lab and ask them about their work.

826 Valencia, San Francisco.  Open 12 - 7 Tuesday through Sunday.

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