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What’s Old Is New
Antiques are new again! According to predictions from Pinterest, mixing antique and modern furniture will be one of 2023’s biggest trends. Words like “eclectic,” “vintage,” “antique” and “repurposed” dramatically increased in searches for furniture and interior decorations on the site in the past year. Sellers at antique and vintage stores are noticing an influx of younger shoppers. There are plenty of reasons for this, from appreciation of the higher quality of older furnishings to concern about the waste generated by current production methods (not to mention by simply throwing away older items that could still be used!), saving money or simply the desire to have something unlike the mass-produced items you can find anywhere.
On the Road: Antique Malls, Thrifting Offers Fabulous Finds
There is nothing more satisfying than combining planned trips with unplanned antiques shopping and thrifting. On a recent trip to southern Ohio, I found a 10,000-square-foot venue called Spring Street Antique Mall, about 40 minutes north of Athens. Once in Athens, I found another treasure trove of browsing and shopping located in a previously empty old shopping mall. It is called Peddler’s Junction.
We ended up squeezing in three visits to the Spring Street store, which was surrounded by other stores such as an Amish furniture store, two clothing stores and an ice cream parlor. There was so much to see.
Top items of interest included: Polish Pottery, $54 for a platter; Fiestaware, various prices, but ranging from $24 for a creamer, $10 coffee mugs, $8 plates, $24 for bowls and $39 for a lapis-colored tree-shaped platter; a white cast iron garden bench, $140; and a birds-eye maple child’s pewter cupboard for $129.
I ended up being drawn to the colorful dinnerware and bought six plates and six bowls.
At the indoor mall in Athens — a great use for an empty shopping area — there were vintage typewriters, $19.50; Madame Alexander dolls still in their original boxes, $8 ; and a Fisher-Price Tick Tock Learning Clock, also $8. The clock was purely a nostalgia purchase. I owned the wind-up learning clock, which played the song “Grandfather’s Clock” when wound up. My parents gave it away when I was in college. I mourned it, but now have it back.
Above are some items from the Spring Street Antique Mall, 26782 US-33 #9604, Rockbridge, Ohio, and the Peddler’s Junction, 1002 E. State St., Athens, Ohio.
