Now when I use the term ANTIQUING, I use it very loosely. I don't necessarily go out looking for "antiques" per se, but I am just looking for stuff I would love for my home. Many times it is not in fact an antique, but may be considered a collectable or just vintage inspired. So when I say I am antiquing, I consider that going out with my friends and perusing the local antique shops.
Glendale, AZ has some fun shops in the downtown area. It is a fun place to walk around and at Christmas they have some great lights in the area. One of my favorite shops in Glendale was Larry's. A few years back, Larry moved his extensive collection to Cottonwood, AZ. I was devastated. Until I was able to go to Sedona with a friend, and we made a detour to Cottonwood just to check out Larry's again. Come to find out that Larry had retired, but he found another Larry to take over his legacy.
Larry's
Larry's in now located at 796 N. Main St. in Cottonwood, AZ It is right in the heart of downtown Cottonwood. It is on 2 acres of land and covers 5 buildings. This is a fun place to take your time while looking around.
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| The 2 acres of land filled with fun! |
Inside the main house the shelves are packed. There are some vendors who sell here, but 70% of what is at Larry's is Larry's.
Here is the new Larry. Having the name Larry was crucial for the sale of the store, but Larry didn't have to change his name, it just worked out. :)
The large shed is 2 stories and the upper floor does get quite warm. Here is were we found some very fun stuff. I did not see as many old doors and windows that I remember old Larry having in Glendale, but other than that, I was very pleased with what we saw and the prices.
If you are looking for a fun day trip to go antiquing, it is fun to head up to Cottonwood, and while you are there I would strongly recommend taking a slight detour to Jerome, AZ.
Jerome is a former little mining town about 20 min outside of Cottonwood. it is very quaint and draws quite the diverse crowd. The streets are steep an narrow and have shops all down main street. They aren't necessarily antique shops, but it is a unique atmosphere. My friend and I ate at the Asylum at the Jerome Grand Hotel. It was alright....I wasn't too impressed with my meal, but my friend loved hers and another friend always eats here at dinner and LOVES it. But it is right on the top of the hill and the hotel is a former hospital that over 10,000 people died in so it attracts ghost hunters and has been on the ghost hunter cable TV shows. I do love the architecture and the history of the town. In many ways it doesn't even feel like AZ. I have had multiple friends tell me they love the Haunted Burger there, so next time I will try that!
The view from the top of the hill where the hotel is, and a side view of the hotel.
My finds from that weekend:
Phoenix
If you reside in the Phoenix area there are some great places to check out for antiquing. One day while driving down 7th Avenue in Phoenix I came across a slew of antique stores. I knew I had to come back with my friends. So another day we drove down this way for the day and found many delightful and not so delightful shops. There is a part of 7th Ave called the Melrose district and they have some very fun shops. They were very fun to look through. One was remarkable with what they carried, but the prices were VERY high. I would never pay what they were asking, but it was a joy to walk through. I would like to share a couple of my favorites from that day.Antiques on Camelback
Antiques on Camelback is a large retail building that houses many vendors with very interesting finds. It is at 4955 N 7th Ave, Phoenix. For the most part the prices are very reasonable, and the selections were very fun to look through. It is here where I found my Betty. I had been wanting a body form for YEARS and came across the perfect one for me! I love her and had to take her home!
Charlie's House
Charlie's house is a great little shop on 7th Avenue in Phoenix. (4431 N. 7th Ave, Phoenix, AZ) They are open 10 am-6 pm daily. Charlie and Isaac run the store and are very hospitable. Many time you will come in to find fresh goodies complementary to their guests. A true little treasure in Phoenix. What makes Charlie's different from many other antique/collectable shops today, is that he is the sole owner of shop. He does not open his shop to vendors and his merchandise is shipped in from his home state of Wisconsin by his sister. The prices are very reasonable and Charlie and Isaac are so nice and approachable.
Outside at Charlie's
Outside you can find many windows and a few doors. If you are looking for some barn wood for signs, note the pile on the picture on the left.
Charlie does an exceptional job on reupholstery of furniture. He was even so kind to give me some pointers on reupholstering my new rocking chair. He was showing me some of the chairs he had done. If you would like to have him reupholster something for you, you would need to be patient, he has a few month wait time. He has such a great perspective on redoing old furniture. He loves to see people save a great piece of furniture from going to the dump and giving it new life.
If you are looking for some miscellaneous old hardware, be sure to check this out. There is a very good selection here.
Globe/Miami AZ-
Miami Arizona is an active mining town just 30 minutes east of the Phoenix metro area. It is a little town that has some fun little antique shops and some dang good mexican food.
On your drive up to Miami/Globe be sure to stop at Top of The World, AZ. there's not much there any more, but sometimes this little antique place is open. When you get to the top of the mountains while driving to Miami don't blink or you may miss this place.
This is for sure a weekend trip. The shops are only open on the weekend.
The Pickle Barrel is a shop just up the road in Globe. They have a fun place worth checking out there. I loved their collection of outdoor iron fencing and outdoor decor.
After antiquing you will work up a mean hunger and you can try El Rey Cafe in Globe, or The Burger House in Miami. As deceiving as it may sound the burger house has some fine Mexican food!
I have found it is always fun in your travels to stop at fun little off the road places. When we drove across the country for work a few summers back my husband was kind enough to let me stop at places along the way. We were hauling a big trailer, so I took advantage. :) We loved driving through Kentucky and meeting so many nice people. I found some fun stuff at a thrift store there. At a little shop along highway 68 we ran into The Junque Man and I came home with some fun junk including lockers.
I know in June there is a big sale along that highway called the 400 Mile Sale that would be fun to check out one year. I have heard of a big sale in Texas every summer at the Big Red Barn that would be fun as well. A friend of mine moved to Oregon a while back and every summer they do a big sale up there at The Barn House that I need to go to one of these years. There really is so much to do where ever you are. This summer we will be driving back east again and I am hoping I can get a little antiquing time in. As I search things high and low I find that some of the best places are off the beaten path. The more retail places can be higher priced and geared more toward tourists. I enjoy meeting new people and more times than not, the people you meet when going off the beaten path are just good down to earth people.
All of my goodies from the road trip.
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If you have a fabulous antique store in the Phoenix area that you would love to tell me about please email me at itsashabbything@gmail.com and I would love to come check it out. I will delete any comments that solicit and will only give advice to those reading this blog that I would give to my close friends. So I will only endorse what I personally can attest to. Thank you :)
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