As I promised, I’m going to now tell you about my trip to the DHS Sell-Out Center. Have you guys been there? First of all, let’s deal with the parking lot.
The parking lot at the Moreland Shopping Center is insane. I know I say things are insane all the time, but this time I really mean it – that parking lot is literally mentally ill. Even in the shopping plaza’s heydey the parking lot size was completely unnecessary:
(photos via Atlanta Time Machine)
Despite the fact that there are thousands of empty parking spaces at the Moreland Shopping Center at any given time, all the fire lanes and curbs are full of illegally-parked cars, especially in front of the Value Village that is the source of 90% of items for sale in intown vintage shops.
But let’s get to the real showcase of this strip mall:
Second of all, before we get any further, I want to apologize for the terrible photos taken with my phone. The DHS Sell-Out Center is the kind of place where CLEARLY one or all of the staff are chain smoking indoors, but it seems like they would flip out if they caught me taking photos of their Eddie Murphy poster wall. So I had to be very covert.
Their “thing” is selling stuff from hotels that renovate or shut down. The primary source of their merchandise appears to be the Omni Hotel, so it’s a great place to see the deep cuts from Atlanta’s history, and also a great place to see low-quality dated hotel room furniture. There are some desirable items in stock, but the DHS people totally know it and give these products unreasonable prices. Here were lots of large glamorous stills from MGM films. These were like $250 each.
What follows are just some snapshots of merchandise that caught my eye, but I should note that these photos were taken a really long time ago so don’t get pissy if you make the drive down Moreland to DHS Sell-Out Center only to find that plush Tab can isn’t there anymore.
Isn’t there something like this baseball in the old World of Coke plaza? Giant baseballs with all the Braves’ caricatures painted on them used to be the coolest thing you could find in Atlanta until we learned you could make a Coke bottle entirely out of baseball bats and balls!!! We were so naive before Turner Field. 
Was there ever a real Dee Dee’s Diner in Atlanta or one of its hotels, or is this sign just something that ended up here by accident? It’s so cute.
Your Dragon*Con costume (ringworm treatment not included):
The perfect hand-stitched reminder for your party guests:
Here’s just a taste of some of the Atlanta memorabilia available.
Take a look at some of the hotel and vintage furniture available for purchase:
This isn’t the actual bedding section – it’s just a sign that says “Bedding,” and it’s for sale!
THIS is the bedding section:
There are so many items in this display that I want to own I can’t even talk about it.
This is the electronics department. 
1374 Moreland Ave, S.E.
Previously: Baubles, bangles, and beads
There used to be a DMV in that shopping center. My mom got her licence there when she turned 16. That will prolly explain the size of the parking lot.
And because the Mexican Discotheque Coco-Loco’s is in there as well. My moms never been there, but I’ve actually cut a rug once or twice in there.
I have been dying to try Coco-Loco’s! The Moreland Avenue nightlife is another world.
That side of Moreland is Dekalb Co. So they have the priveledge to pour till 4. I wrote a piece for CL a while back about the Mexican clubs on Buford Hwy. It’s the same as Co Co’s
Im down anytime you want roll the bones. Everyones very friendly.
http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/cribnotes/2009/05/29/dangerous-moves-viva-senor-selleck-%E2%80%94-mayor-of-ponce-bar-crawls-down-buford-hwy-pt-2/#more-7449
I concur. That parking lot is beyond comprehension. The sinkholes, the winding ramps, the SPACE. It hurts the brain [and the car tires].
I was at DHS past weekend and it really is a strange place, but fun to go and look. And that parking lot – it drives me crazy. If only the Edgewood Kroger had some of that parking goodness.
I’ve never understood why the prices are so insane at DHS. We went when we first moved into Atlanta, and lamps were like $100. And I feel like they had nothing this cool when we went. I’d go again, but we’d have to find a babysitter. Roxanne would tear that place up.
Oh, and I’ve seen people doing awesome stuff in that giant parking lot. Everything from using remote control cars, to impromptu car washes. Also, that’s where I taught Justin to drive a stick shift. *sniff*
I’ve spent way too many hours in that parking lot, waiting for the DMV to open during the summer of “lose my wallet eight times” (2004). I remember a long time ago someone posted a picture of “the sell-out store” on their fotolog (again, 2004) with the caption “where chris cornell shops” so that’s what I think of when I see it.
PLAY ON WORDS. Nice.
i dare you to go to Coco-Loco’s. seriously.
there are still plenty of those giant baseballs outside the Underground entrance at Johnny Rocket’s.
also, check out the parking lot just past the west end station. you can see it from the MARTA tracks. i would say it’s a good complement to the Moreland Ave on.
oh and one more thing. if you can get into the Live Oak landfill on Moreland, you should. we walked to the top and the views are AMAZING.
When the DMV had an office there they used to give road tests out of that truly mentally ill parking lot.
I cannot really tell, but is the bedding sign affixed to the sign with the list of cities? The sign with the list of cities looks like an old Delta or perhaps Eastern sign that one might see at the airport or a City Ticket Office (Before the Internet, one could go to an airline’s CTO and buy tickets without having to trek to the airport.).
Holy cow, my grandmother used to take me here when I was a child in the early 1970′s. Back then it was a JCPenney store.