AKICIF: Antique stores

[lydy]

Somehow, that acronym looks wrong. Too many eyes or something.

Does anyone know of any real antique shops in the Twin Cities. Not the boutique antique stores, but the ones of my youth that are part flea market and part invaluable 18th century silver service. What I want are little skeleton keys, like those that fit lap boxes from the turn of the century. They exist out there, and I'd be utterly happy to play with dozens of them to get the lap box open, but at a boutique antique shop they'd be considered so quaint and cost $5 each. Besides, grubbing around in a real antique shop is endless fun. Or do they not exist anymore? Ebay might well have pushed them out of business. Ebay, the world's biggest flea market -- with a search engine. What more could you ask?

Comments

[bohemiancoast.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I would have expected your box to have a very simple lock, amenable to your local geek with a hairpin. Have you checked?

[buttonlass.livejournal.com]

I wandered into a couple in Stillwater on Main street. However, I think this weekend there is a antique/flea market at the state fair grounds in St. Paul which may be just the thing.

[kalmn.livejournal.com]

my personal favorite is sophie joe's emporium, on west seventh street, other side of the block from day by day cafe.

however, you may want something more like wescott station, further up west seventh towards downtown. full of dirt, spiderwebs, crowding, and nifty things that want searching out.

[fiddledragon]

There's one in Burnsville - it really is like walking into an oversized flea market, though..

[mizzlaurajean.livejournal.com]

There's a huge flee Market at the State fair this weekend, it's really a good mix of antiques and junk or has been in the past. It might cost $5 to get in can't remember.

The only place I've ever seen skeleton keys that didn't cost real money are in small towns in Northern Mn before antiques seemed so trendy.

I've got a few you could try but can't have as they are family keys or still in furniture I use.

[lydy.livejournal.com]

That sounds fun. Wanna go? Anybody else?

[mom23cats.livejournal.com]

I would love to go to a real antique store. the ones around here are the boutiques that cater to NYC $$$

[sraun]

There was one a few store-fronts down from 38th and Grand (just south of, or skip one storefront south of, Grand Bakery) - the last time I looked I saw it there. There's another 'claims to be an antique store' on 38th a few blocks west of Hiawatha - it shares a building with a model railroad museum. I've been in the first, although it was several years ago, and we keep meaning to stop in at the second.