(This shot taken after we visited)
which are housed at a local shell shop, a local landmark here in IB...
The south facing wall had a whimsical mural full of sea creatures. Looking closely, I could recognize familiar cartoon characters like Spongebob Squarepants, Perry the Platypus (from "Phineas and Ferb) and Patrick the Starfish's pink hut...
One of the inset walls had a fearsome shark. Now this has been here for awhile. I remember taking pix of TC and Bert by this wall in the past.
One of the other walls had these wooden chims and a mural of the Penguins of Madagascar. Those penguins are so funny!
Around the corner on the north facing wall were even more fanciful paintings featuring a jellyfish, the planets, and in the bubble, the character "Ponyo" from the Studio Ghibli anime movie...
an Octopus on the corner door...
Here is a closeup of Ponyo with Patrick the Starfish (Spongebob's best friend), along with Dory and the scary anglerfish from "Finding Nemo".
After a few shots in from this photoshoot, a guy walks out of the door (the owner, I presumed) and congenially greets me and without skipping a beat says, "Let me show you my favorite paintings...." and proceeded to tell me some anecdotes about certain sections of the mural.
Can you see the Lorax?
This fanciful section was painted by a young teen named "Eddie" (his signature was somewhere near this section) who the man (who turned out to be shell shop owner Mike Bibbey) said got in trouble for tagging or vandalizing buildings. A local arts group recognized the boy's artistic talent and allowed him to use his skills in a more creative rather than destructive manner. According to Mike, the kid is now a young adult and has been getting job offers for his paintings.
He told me that a group called Art Kids paints different murals every few months and that the locals like to see the latest developments on the wall. I think that is a fantastic idea and is something positive for students to express themselves.
Back to the south wall, you can see more of those little characters. The wierd looking fish on the lower left is a Tokidoki character from the Spiaggia print (which came out in 2007). I wonder which kid thought of that?
Meeting Mike was quite cool. He is very friendly and easy going guy. He immediately asked me if I was a Filipina to which I replied "yes". He said he was also Filipino but half "white" (his words). His father is Joe Bibbey, who, after I looked him up online, was one of the big names in the seashell industry. After his parents retired, Mike took over the shop where it has been for over 25 years.
He's a local guy and graduated from nearby Mar Vista High School in 1974. In fact, he knew several folks that I knew. Bert and I really enjoyed chatting with Mike. I can't get over how friendly he was. He even shared his vacation photos from the Philippines with us. During his travels, he also ends up buying shells for the shop. He has been to a lot of exotic locations and encouraged us to visit the Philippines one day.
Mike's favorite section of the mural was this little scene that the kids did especially for him. Do you recognize it? There are two pop culture references here...
It's Godzilla Island with Godzilla blasting his fiery breath onto Mothra! Sharp eyed viewers will also recognize the Imperial Star Destroyer from Star Wars. Of course Bert got that one. I knew about Godzilla and Mothra!
We couldn't leave without paying a visit to his store and looking inside. Below, a flyer for the local farmer's market which is steps away from his shop.
The girls enjoyed looking around at the different knick knacks on display and for sale. There were lots of interesting things to see at different price points for example, shell earrings that cost only $3 to fancy sea shells that cost more than $100.
Meanwhile, Mike was telling Bert about how he got a lot of attention in the Philippines because his name is similar to NBA player, Mike Bibby (recently of the NY Knicks), who is black. No relation, but the Filipinos got a kick out of his name.
We will have to visit his shop again in the near future so we can spend more time looking at all of the rare things he has.
Below were mini shark jaw bones! Interesting. I don't know what I'd do with one though! There were a few things I saw there that I'd like to pick up as gifts so we will definitely be coming back again.
If you're ever down in IB, stop by the shell shop. Mike is a seriously cool guy who knows his stuff. He reminded me of a "cool but geeky" Filipino uncle, with his longish hair and Iron Man t-shirt and easy going attitude. I'm sure you will hear some interesting stories from him!
Bibbey's Shells & Rocks
903 Seacoast Drive
Imperial Beach, CA 91932
(619) 423-5133
There is no website, but here are the overwhelmingly positive and favorable reviews from you know what.
Articles about Bibbey's and the Art Kids:
Shell sales by seashore suit owner - Resident now runs landmark shop run by his parents" - SD Union Tribune, Jan. 7, 2009.
"Art Kids add more to Bibbey Shell Shop face life - Examiner.com, March 24, 2012.
"The Art Kids of San Diego County send 52 art pieces to the SD Fair" - The Imperial Beach Patch, May 9, 2013,
plus a cool little article by Mike himself,"Underwater parks may provide treasures for region" - Imperial Beach Patch, Dec. 23, 2011
as well as various images of the murals here.
Here is a cool video I found from News 8 (dated 2009):
The feeling is small town here and lots of positive and friendly vibes. The owner is a great guy who really takes the time to talk to his customers. You will find so many different kinds of shells here from really inexpensive trinkets to rare seashells for the serious collectors. I'm glad we stopped in and that Mike stepped out to chat with us.
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