This past Saturday, the hubby & I woke up & decided to take a break from the never ending house projects & do a mini adventure to lil ole Allen, Michigan! For those that don't know - Allen often is nicknamed the 'Antique Capital' of Michigan! You'll know when you've reached the right place because you'll see signs & malls everywhere! There's dozens of antique booths & malls making for a great day trip! We usually drive out for the day, grab lunch somewhere local & search for treasures in all the booths! On Instagram I shared a few of my finds from Allen - mostly asking for y'all's opinion because I felt like I need more than just my husbands 😜 But I wanted to share the treasures I found this time & some of my favorite spots!
Allen Antique Mall
So there are several antique stores with similar names, but I really enjoy the Allen Antique Mall! Lots of shabby chic & chippy goodies which is right up my alley! I found some incredible light fixtures for great prices & a ton of goodies I would have loved to have brought home with me!
Hogs Creek
The antique mall Hogs Creek is my favorite spot in Allen & always my first stop! It's very rare I don't find something there & some prices are high - really depends on the vendor - but I find the majority of them to be very reasonable! When I get indecisive on items because it's our first stop & I don't wanna go over my budget if I find something else I'd rather have at another shop - I simply ask the front counter to hold my items till the end of the day & usually have no issue!
Those are just my top favorites, but when it comes to the antique world - any shop that has that treasure I'm looking for can easily move into my top favorite spot!! 😝 Few tips I have when it comes to Allen or any large antique area -
1. Make a list of what it is your looking for - Sometimes I don't have anything I want or need - I just wander in & out of the shops & let my eyes find the treasures that appeal to me. Other times though, I may have found an inspo pic on Pinterest with a rusty old bucket for example & that's a piece I'm trying to find so I make a note before going shopping. With so many booths & malls - it's very easy to get overwhelmed & exhausted even for a pro-antiquer like myself 😘 jk I'm far from a pro 🙃🤓
2. Shop around! - That rusty bucket might be $30 at the 1st shop you go to & $10 at another one! Shop around before busting out your wallet! With so many vendors - prices can be competitive because they need to be to make sales! Simply ask the front counter if they'll hold the item you're interested in until close & if you find don't better deal go back for it!
3. Understand antiquing isn't like shopping at Hobby Lobby. - Many people go antiquing & get very disappointed because the prices
aren’t 50% off like Hobby Lobby therefore you don't get as much, but that's not the point of antiquing! The point is to enjoy the thrill of the hunt & search for that treasure you can't just buy at a big box store! Now more so than ever, our house is small & I've already got a ton of decor so I'm very selective on the pieces I purchase & really look for unique ones. There have been times I've left huge antique areas like Allen completely empty handed! That all comes with it!
Slide through the photos & check out some of the goodies that caught my eye!
Anddddd finally - here's what I got on our mini day adventure!:
- I got a vintage panoramic photo! I loved the frame & the photo featured all women from Battle Creek, Michigan! These types of photos with large groups of women are very hard to find! My goal is to have a big collage wall with these someday soon!
-Y'all know my love for French Toile - I couldn't resist this blur french toile vase for spring decor next year!
-Ghost stem - sneak peek, but for the first time ever, I'm decorating for Halloween this year! Stay tuned for more of that 🥳 This little guy was $2 & I thought he would be great in my decor!
-The vintage scissors, mason jar & dollies all were from some garage sales we stopped at on our way to Allen! Some very cheap, fun finds that area great additives in decor!
- I found this chippy, white box & thought it would be super cozy with a candle in the center on our coffee table!
Sorry for such a lengthy post, but when it comes to antiques - I can't help but share my love & tips I've found to be successful over the years! If you're looking for a quick trip to get out of the house - I highly recommend loading up & heading to Allen, Michigan! Thanks for reading! XOXOXO Mrs. Northern Belle