About Us

Raccoon Forks Trading Company is an authentic antique store located at 621 Des Moines Street (in the northeast corner of Des Moines' East Village).

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Our mission is to acquire and sell high quality, well-curated antiques, vintage items and collectibles and display them in a creative and attractive environment. Our vision is to become the best and most highly regarded antique and collectible retailer in Iowa.

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The name Raccoon Forks refers to the point of convergence of the Des Moines River and Raccoon River (by Principal Park), the site of the original Des Moines settlement and significant to the city's layout and development. 

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After starts and stops at a few locations (mostly around the East Village and downtown area) since we first opened in 2009, we moved to our current building in 2015. Visitors can feel a strong sense of place and history upon entering RFTC, and not only because of our antiques. 

  

Our building, built in 1920, was first used as a warehouse for the Railway Express Agency. REA travelled to train stations, collected parcels and delivered them throughout central Iowa. With plenty of room for horses, carts, and motorcades, the building was built on a steep incline to allow horses easy access through the rear garage doors. But horse-drawn transportation soon fell out of style, and REA sold the building in 1928.

Northland Dairy Co. employed horses as their primary transportation well into the 20th century, which made the buidling ideal for its warehouse. Northland Dairy operated out of the building until 1960, when they sold to Plain Talk Printing Co.
 

Plain Talk Printing Co. also used the building as a warehouse, with printing presses, book binders, pallets of paper and ink replacing horses, wagons and feed. While Plain Talk Printing went out of business long ago, their namesake lives on through Plain Talk Books & Coffee, located at the corner of E. 6th and Grand Ave.