Category: Stores

Country Bumpkin Antiques – Gardner MA

My travel companion lives in RI and I live in Southern NH and if I am capable I generally go down to Rhode Island, a two and a half hour drive, once a week so we can go adventuring. Lately we’ve been going to A LOT of antique stores and quite a few fish stores as well, mostly because it’s still over 80 degrees out during the day and he doesn’t want to kill me. (He’s fine in the heat, should really apply as Satan’s apprentice. He’d do great in Hell – heatwise anyway.) But all this means we have been scraping the bottom of the barrel for places to go close to Rhode Island. We’ve been to all the antique stores in RI, most throughout the Boston area, and a good deal in Connecticut too.

And that’s how I ended up driving back to about 20 minutes from where I live to check out an antique store in a church that didn’t exist anymore. I was… annoyed. And then while googling places nearby he came up with this place in Gardner – the city where a good amount of my extended family lives and none of them have ever had anything good to say about it. I was dubious.

But sometimes when you expect nothing you get a lovely surprise and that’s what happened on this particular day. The first thing we saw was a huge swarm of animals made from repurposed metal. One or two of these can be cute. A swarm just looks… junk yard-y. I raised my eye brow. Where we about to relive another Cookie’s moment wandering haplessly into what could be a serial killer’s den? I wasn’t ruling it out.

We walked inside and it was more or less like the decorative section of a feed store. Lots of things for your lawn and so many house plants. I thought this was an antique store? It took us a minute to wander fully in and we found out this place was much larger than it looked on the outside and downstairs were indeed all the antiques as well as more plants, metal animals, knitted plushies, bad taxidermy, modern Halloween decorations, and homemade soaps. This place had no idea what it was! Which made it charming to me. I was far less annoyed leaving the place than I was going in and to be honest I might be back to take a more serious look at all those delightful cacti and succulents when I feel ready to try house plants again.

Anyway…. if you’re in the area and looking for a…. different…. experience you should totally check it out!

0

Avery & Dash Collections – Stamford Connecticut

Avery & Dash Collections was so affluent an establishment that they use an ampersand (this little guy &) instead of the word and. We were greeted warmly at the door where I said a cheerful hello to an older lady. Despite my drab appearance that day I usually can pretend I fit in just about anywhere and women in particular are generally happy to accept that I do. Men on the other hand….

There was a very articulately dressed young man in his twenties, tall and lean, who looked at us coming in like we were shit-covered rats. Oh God they let in the Poors. His whole body literally tensed up at the thought and I have never in my life wanted so badly to invade someone’s personal space as I did in that moment. You know, just run up and give him a big bear hug, rub some of those destitution cooties all over his silk shirt. Not wishing to be escorted off the property via cop I behaved, though I did make sure to pass unreasonably close as we walked by.

This place was chic. So fancy! Just… overtly so. But it was more than that. It was playful. Here mixed in with the fine china were crystal dinosaurs set on the table. OK, if you’re the kind of rich that puts crystal dinosaurs out for the dinner guests you’re OK in my book. That’s just hilarious. Obviously, there were pieces of real dinosaurs and other fossils here and there including a sea scorpion which had to have been locally found. I’d never set eyes on one before but I always wanted to.

Here the leopard spot pillows were made of actual leopards. Now I do not condone in any way the hunting of leopards or the use of their gorgeous pelts but when else would I ever get a chance to touch a real goddamn leopard fur? I pet it. It was super course lacking in any softness whatsoever.

This place also had a lot of paintings and other things you’d hang on the wall. Things you’d normally see in a museum. And then a few things that were OBVIOUSLY clever poor people fleecing the rich for all they were worth including a bell jar full of ordinary sea shells for SIX HUNDRED AND NINETY FIVE DOLLARS. Clearly, I’m in the wrong profession. I wanted to meet whoever sold that piece to a place like this. You, my dear, are mypersonal hero.

Onward we went getting more and more engrossed with this place with every breath. It did however have a possibly haunted bathroom. I say this because there wasn’t really anything in it but when I went to leave it there was a HUGE bang like someone had just thrown a dresser at the wall. I looked back, horrified something may have fallen, but there was nothing to fall in this little one stall bathroom. We left soon after. I can take a hint.

If you are fortunate enough to be haplessly sitting on a mountain of cold hard cash this place would be well worth a good poke. And if you’re a Dicken’s styled street urchin like myself you still might have fun seeing just how big the wage gap in the US really is not to mention seeing a lot of things that should live in a museum! I very much enjoyed this place.

0

The Antique & Artisan Gallery – Stamford Connecticut

Earlier on in the day we had decided to take the long drive to Connecticut to check out an “antique store” that had one review which seemed to be talking about a hiking trail and had a photo of a little dog. This intrigued my travel companion but when we showed up at the listed address it was CLEARLY just someone’s swank driveway. A second choice ended up actually being a super pricey little furniture store that had a big sign reading, “No photography.” Their loss – they would have gotten free publicity from this blog.

Not wanting to have wasted two and a half hours of driving time he picked a third destination which ended up being the Antique and Artisian Gallery and this WAS WORTH IT. It did not look from the outside to be an antique store but looks can be deceiving. In front of a giant artificial hedge wall there was a bunch of garden statuary – most Grecco Roman in style, all with a gorgeous patina, some purposely with missing limbs or heads to be perfect replicas of real statues. It was the sort of thing you might find in a well-manicured hedge maze or flower garden in front of a mansion. Still, we didn’t know just how rich this antique store was, that’d take a few moments more.

The initial room at the entrance still didn’t belie where we had ended up. The antiques here were a continuation of garden statuary and seemed more or less normal faire but beyond that we found a hallway of mirrors and on the wall an intricately painted medieval era wagon back. I had NO IDEA people ever painted wagons with motifs or that they were just as beautiful as actual paintings of the time. It was startling to realize that some parts of the dark ages were… colorful. But who had kept this wooden panel for several hundred years?!?

Beyond this was an absolutely enormous sprawling antique mall with artifacts I was afraid to even breathe on. Above us were chandeliers of every variety, most exactly what you’d think of when the word chandelier comes up, but then there was one in the shape of a ship so obviously I was drawn to it. That’s weird. Turns out it was $36,000 worth of weird. I gasped. I had mentioned earlier that this part of Connecticut is where rich folks from NYC come to be in mansions among the trees but lord, I didn’t realize just how wealthy. I stopped looking at price tags. I didn’t want to jinx myself and break something worth a college education!

I was absolutely delighted that one whole booth and smattered about there was a series of absolutely pristine wooden Victorian birdcages that were just as exquisitely huge and eccentric as the mansions that probably once housed them. Some were even in the shape of castles and this delighted my sense of whimsy. A single live and solitary female Glouster canary moped around in one – surrounded by luxury but lacking any companions she seemed a sad and depressed little creature but not nearly as much as the taxidermized birds under bell jars we started to find!

The fads of the super wealthy often revolve around the “exotic” – that is artifacts from far off lands and or a great distance in the past. This place was a better representation of this than usual with an enormous amount of Chinese pottery. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if there were Ming dynasty vases in there! I didn’t breathe on any of them!

Not to be outdone there were medieval European artifacts of various kinds, a number of Asian religious statues, everything from Buddhas to Vishnu, as well as a bunch of scary masks from around the world. Dolls too. Swanky creepy ethnically diverse dolls from God knows where. Probably deeply cursed. I mean wouldn’t anything with these prices be?

This place was WILD to poke through. It was just soooooo out there to be amongst so much stuff from the likely unreasonably affluent. Like a completely different world. But I mean I do think it’s a good thing to explore things so different from your own existence. You never know what you are going to see or learn. So, if you happen to have Scrooge McDuck level finances or you just want a glimpse into this world check it out! As well as the antique store right next door at Avery & Dash Collections.

0

Wrentham Country Store – Wrentham MA

After poking around Under the Bed Antiques we continued onward to another antique store which we found out we’d already been to before. Not really wanting to go home with just one measly blog entry my navigator chose a third and final location – a country store.

Keep in mind I am used to the country stores in Vermont and Upstate NY which are… hard to beat. I was dubious about a country store being in such a populous location in Massachusetts and was delighted to see the store itself seemed to also have this attitude. Although it seemed to be made from an old barn and farmhouse there was a sign out front basically stating in a tongue-in-cheek way this place had all the charm of the country and none of the mess. No barn, no animals, just chic. Country chic. And indeed if you live in the area and that is your vibe you absolutely have to check this place out.

Sadly, I don’t have a home to decorate all nice and pretty so this was mostly a bust for me, until that is I found a very decently priced jar of marbles for $28. I can’t believe how the price of marbles just skyrocketed the second I decided I needed to use them for this blog but you know – it is what it is. Anywhere else would be charging $50 for a mason jar of marbles. Or $80 if we’re somewhere swank.

As I was checking out the two women at the counter sure had a ball selling them to me.

“Oh great, you’re buying her marbles. Now she’s lost them!” An apt pun for this blog. REALLY APT.

They continued to burble and talk about how every jar of marbles is counted. No reason. Just a compulsion. They then asked if I collected marbles. I didn’t know what to say because yes and no..? Seemed odd to say yes, I occasionally buy marbles so I can spread them around like glitter to make my blog more gimmicky. Instead, I said it was for my photography. I was wandering around with a camera after all…

“Ah! Like staging and stuff!”

Sure, why not.

It was a cute encounter. The people at this place definitely added to the experience.

0

Under the Bed Antiques – Stoughton MA

Under the Bed Antiques was a fun little adventure. Admittedly I had a hard time finding it. It was much easier to find the mattress store which is above it – which I guess explains the adorable store name! But anyway, it was around the corner and in the basement where there was a few parking spaces and a modest sign.

I have been to so many antique stores by now that I am sort of running out of descriptive words but this place? It had its own feel, and that feel was punk! Punk to the max with a mixing of Kitch and nostalgia. The first thing that greeted us was a Home Alone doll that I am sure was up to something. I mean look at the expression on that face!

Beyond that was a fairly decently sized antique mall with all sorts of delightfully quirky vendors. I was just having so much fun here. Of course there was the usual fare of potentially possessed dolls and creepy clowns but it was absolutely lacking in racist bullshit! And in its place it had some fucking weird music related antiques. Truely bizarre records (which I didn’t look through because I know I’d want them all!) As well as retro clothes ranging from Grateful Dead Bear swimming trunks to punky drainpipes. And then we found the prettiest damn accordion I have ever seen nestled in a corner with a two-foot-tall Joe Camel plushie. Just mental. My companion also noted that every booth was playing different contradictory music which really soothes the chaos demons.

What this place lacked in size it made up in character and I LOVED it. Well worth a visit!

0

Stanley Mill Antiques – Uxbridge MA

Another antique mall in a mill! And it’s in the same town as our last pick Bernat Antiques.

This place at first seemed very desolate. It has a huge parking lot which was so empty we weren’t even sure if the place was open. But it was… and it was sufficiently large and weird enough for a very satisfying poke.

I always love the places that have surprise extra floors or a basement full of cheaper oddities. This place didn’t disappoint in that department! Mixed in with the usual assortment of cute little glass bottles there was a joyous mixture of ill-titled books, locally created art, some bizarre cast iron banks, tiny pans, and even a dish that looked like an ammonite.

The Wizard of Oz collectable Jack in the boxes were absolute nightmare fuel and I’m all for that. As well as the child sized pantaloons because well, where else are you going to find that?? This place had a real nice mix of things and price ranges depending on the booth that caught your eye. And interestingly enough it also was lacking in racist bullshit. I mean there was some but not nearly as much as I’d expected…

1

Bernat Antiques – Uxbridge MA

What do I love more than an antique store? An antique store in an old mill! And this one was super close to where I used to live a few years ago. And I had no idea! Why? Because it’s not in the center of town, it’s kind of off in a residential area which honestly makes it more lovable.

I was also happy this place was big with a bunch of different vendors, none of which seemed be shying on the cursed doll scale. Obviously loved that. Still hope someday I’ll live somewhere where I can have my own terrifying doll display. I’m not going to guarantee it won’t just be a tree in the front yard with old naked dolls just hanging from it to distress passers by and let it be known I’d never live within an HOA.

In addition to whole dolls they also had baskets of random parts as well as witchy booth with all sorts of weird potions like Bat Drool. I don’t know what Bat Drool is but I am intrigued. There was also a great deal of things you could buy to put in a nursery and scar your children for life mostly of the clown variety but here too I use the term clown with great lenience. Oh, and a lot of dubious wall art that gave off a bit of that uncomfortable ick feeling including two toddlers engaged in what appears to be a nonconsensual kiss! Is it cute, awkward, or just ewe? You decide.

Yup, this was a fun adventure.

0

Another Man’s Treasure – Salem CT

After checking out Nathan Hall’s Antique Center we still didn’t have enough for the day and were far enough from home to want to slip yet one more little exploration in there, so we ended up not too far away at Another Man’s Treasure which was our second pick after the first turned out to be an obsolete store… Anyway, it’s in a little plaza, in the corner store at the back.

And I must say the displays in this place were really nice. They even somehow made a couple jars of pickled god-knows-what from god-knows-when look amazing! And they somehow managed to make a couple closets into displays as well. All and all though this was a rather small shop and didn’t have much in the way of the usual things I am drawn too. It was all a bit… sanitized… but hey, if that’s the sort of thing you’re into check it out if you find yourself in the area!

1

Nathan Hale Antique Center – Coventry CT

The Nathan Hale Antique Center was one of our more unique adventures. We had travelled all the way out to Connecticut after getting a lead from an antiques pamphlet having no idea that this particular shop was in an old church. I admit the outside looked pretty run down and we had our doubts but upon wandering the whole perimeter looking for an entrance we found a little shop in the basement selling all sorts of Christmasy things (as it was December) mixed among the antiques. It was small, charming, and sweet, and we were told all of the upstairs was also an antique store if we wanted to wander back outside to the front entrance.

And we were happily surprised by this recycled church! Here there were several stalls with different kinds of antiques, all very well displayed for the most part. It was cozy and warm and everything I hadn’t previously associated with an old church. There was even a few vendors who’d set up on the podium. Obviously, all the pews were gone. I was surprised to see more medieval looking art in a few nooks and corners as well as a lot of country chic type decor. It was all very cozy.

And another great thing about this place was that there was another antique store right across the road and another still just down the street a little ways although that one was closed on that particular day.

0

OSA Aquarium Superstore and Services – Seekonk MA

The antique stores we had chosen earlier on in the day were kind of meh so we decided a change it up a little bit and check out another fish store. I’m still looking for places I can buy healthy plants and maybe more for my own freshwater tank. It’d be nice to be able to help support one of these little stores instead of continuing to buy plants online.

When we drove up I noticed their logo was a piece of coral and I wondered if we hadn’t accidentally ended up at another saltwater store. The storefront windows were all blocked with posters, I am sure to keep algae growth down, and DAMN were these some clean tanks! And quite a few of them! Every single one of them was fresh water so I have no idea what the logo was about. There was a pretty sweet collection of larger fish – cichlids, angels, discus, and an adorable catfish that was swimming upside-down for some reason. Everyone looked healthy and they even and some snails and freshwater shrimp! The range of nano fish was also decent. They even had some rainbow fish.

But what really made me smile was a big set of shelves full of various driftwood. You’d think a store with driftwood would have plants but alas no, every tank I noticed with plants had garish plastic ones. Oh well, at least now I know. Otherwise this place looks like a great place for fish or driftwood. They even had a little river tank that kept the fish on the move. It was sweet.

0

Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: Baskerville 2 by Anders Noren.

Up ↑