The reporter’s questions prove their usefulness once again.

When I first sat down to list the kinds of places where we avid collectors find new treasures to add to our collections, I thought that I, the committed collector, would easily come up with a dozen or so places to include.

However, after asking myself two little questions—“Where do I go to shop around Rochester?” and “Where do my collecting friends find new additions for their collections?”—I’ve been able to come up with more than six times the number I expected.

Indeed, the Western New York area offers us serious collectors a plethora of places where we can find things new and old worth collecting. Of course, some places might not have what we specifically collect, yet others might just have more than we would expect to find.

One thing I’ve discovered as a longtime collector is that you always have to be looking for whatever it is you collect. It’s amazing how often the best things turn up in the most unlikely places.

For example, an acquaintance, who is an avid scrapbooker, once found teatime stickers at a convenience store at a Thruway rest stop. Upscale jewelry stores, with mostly new designs, often sell estate jewelry (which is the high-end term for second-hand stuff), and I once saw pieces by Syracuse China in a booth featuring silverware.

Although I personally haven’t shopped in each of the following places—and a few are admittedly outside our area—if you’re looking for new, different, or unusual places where you might be able to pick up an item or two for your collection, here are several dozen options:

Events

  • Auctions
  • Festivals
  • Craft fairs
  • Juried art shows
  • Student art exhibits
  • “Starving Artist” sales
  • Holiday sales
  • Concerts and plays
  • Games and other sporting events
  • Antiques or collectibles shows and sales
  • Collectors’ and hobby-club conventions
  • Association and organization meetings
  • Swap meets

Shopping Districts

  • Small towns, tourist destinations, and vacation spots
  • Souvenir shops and stands
  • Amusement parks and other attractions
  • Hotels, inns, and B&Bs
  • Resorts, spas, and retreats
  • Casinos
  • Campgrounds, cruise ships, and train stations
  • Breweries, wineries, and distilleries
  • Restaurants, diners, and pubs
  • Museum shops
  • Historic sites

Retail Stores with New Merchandise

  • Shopping malls
  • Department stores
  • Kiosks
  • Grocery stores
  • Gourmet and specialty food shops
  • Drug stores
  • Outlet malls
  • Discount department stores
  • Dollar stores
  • Wholesale clubs

Specialty Shops with New Merchandise

  • Art galleries
  • Designer boutiques
  • Jewelry stores
  • Liquor stores
  • Florists
  • Card, stationery, and gift stores
  • Hospital gift shops
  • Nurseries and garden centers
  • Hardware and home improvement stores
  • Automotive stores
  • Athletic and sporting goods stores
  • Pro shops
  • Clock, lamp, vacuum, sewing machine repair and supply shops
  • Book stores
  • College and university book stores
  • Music and record shops
  • Piano, organ, and musical instrument stores
  • Craft stores and hobby and model shops
  • Fabric, quilt, yarn, and bead shops
  • Woodworking shops

Secondhand Venues with Used Items

  • Antiques shops
  • Antiques co-ops or malls
  • Consignment shops
  • Used book stores
  • Vintage record shops
  • Used furniture stores
  • Thrift stores
  • Architectural salvage stores
  • Scrap yards
  • Garage sales, yard sales, moving sales, downsizing sales, divorce sales
  • Estate sales
  • Barn sales
  • Church, school, and library sales
  • Pawn shops

Venues with New and Used Merchandise

  • Year-round indoor flea markets
  • Seasonal outdoor flea markets
  • Holiday markets

In Print, Online, and at Home

  • Catalogs and websites
  • Classified ads and postings
  • Newspaper, magazine, and website display ads
  • Home shopping parties
  • Gift exchanges

That’s some list, even if I do say so myself. Imagine how much trouble we could get into if we worked our way through it. Oh, but what fun that would be!

Indeed, the Western New York area offers more places to shop—as well as more varied ones—than I realized—so I can’t wait for my next antiquing trip.

Happy Shopping!

Patti
The Committed Collector

How about you? Do you have a favorite place to shop or a recommendation where we might go to find treasures for our collections? If so, please leave a comment; we’d love to hear from you.

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