Great Vintage Finds for Any Collector

The Antique Hunt

During the holidays, this would be a great time to support local businesses. While some shoppers are chasing great deals online, there are hidden treasures sitting inside your local antique shops. I have been reading stories of people going to some vintage stores and picking up an item worth thousands of dollars. There even was a kid who brought a book and when they opened it, they found $500. I’m not saying this will always happen, but some items may hold a hidden treasure.

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When I go into an antique shop, my first hunt is to find my favorite collection, elephants. I think it’s not about what you’re looking for, but what jumps out at you. Are you decorating your home and looking for a specific piece of furniture? Maybe there’s an old record from your youth that pops out at you and brings back memories. You will find the most amazing jewelry too. I remember when I was a child, my mother had a cookie tin can with her mother’s jewelry in it. I would play in it and wear it around the house. I wish, I still had that jewelry, with moving a few times, those items were lost.

Now that, I’m older, I have a few beautiful cookie tins cans with some of my jewelry. Funny that this memory came to me. I love costume jewelry, but you can find some of the most beautiful stones embedded in rings, broaches, or necklaces. The following stores I listed below have items in all price ranges. They also support good causes if you’re looking to donate. Please practice social distancing and wear your mask! Enjoy finding your next hidden treasure.

Scranberry Coop

Vintage, Antique, and Collector Shop, all have several names. As some of you may know, I love getting out to find hidden treasures. I went to Google and typed in vintage shops. There were several to choose from, so I picked the one closest to my house. I was delighted to visit Scranberry Coop, located at 42 Main Street, Rt 206 Andover, NJ 07821. (973)786-6414 https://scranberrycoop.com

The drive was 15 minutes from my house and when I walked in, I was amazed at how much they had. I asked if it was okay for me to photograph some things and I was told to speak with the owner. I walked around for over an hour. I am a collector of elephants and walked out with 4 new elephant statues!

Some items reminded me of my childhood. From comic books, music albums, toys, board games, and home decorations. They have many antiques and pricing is in every budget. Scranberry Coop is a nice treasure trove to find something. I saw some beautifully decorated wood dressers as well.

Valley Vintage

I was leaving an appointment when I passed a shop that said, Valley Vintage. Valley Vintage is located, at 68 South Valley Rd, West Orange, NJ 07052, (973) 323-1711.

https://www.valleyvintage168.com/ My antennas went up when I saw the word vintage, so I turned the car around and went in. I parked in front of the store, but there is plenty of parking in the back. I didn’t capture the man’s name that was there, but he was so kind and had his cute quiet dog sitting next to him.

When I visit a vintage store, I always look to see if they have any elephants and they did. I fell in love with this vintage Indian brass metal elephant on wheels. I spent almost two hours here. The shop has two floors full of great items. They had so many music albums, I started thinking about buying a record player to start collecting.

Valley Vintage is a wonderful vintage store with lovely jewelry. I always wonder about the person who wore the amazing pieces and what events they went to. Records, comic books, furniture, antique collectibles, and my favorite piece is the A.P.C. dress I brought. I came back after a week and purchased this dress. When I was there, I saw it. This beautiful orange rust color corduroy dress was on a hanging and caught my eye.

I tell everyone it reminds me of when I was a kid and had a dress like this. The material is thick, the dress looked like it was never worn. I called the store and asked if the dress was still there and a nice woman on the other end said, “yes, I’m looking at it right now.” I told her to hold it and I would be there to pick it up. I love this dress and get so many compliments.

When I left Valley Vintage I saw a brochure of a directory of Antique Shops across the United States. https://www.sundaydriver.com/ I will be making plans for a road trip to find more hidden gems. This summer, I plan on going on an antique shopping road trip across, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. If I visit some other cities, I will stop at some shops to see, if I can find my next piece of treasure.

Happy Hunting!