It's every thriftaholic's dream to discover an overlooked junk shop, thrift store or antique emporium that hasn't been picked over by dealers, designers or collectors. Especially for those of us living in a city (I'm in Chicago), it seems like there are no 'hidden' spots left so we turn to farflung suburbs or smaller towns in bordering states in our search of RUSTY GOLD (in the words of American Pickers).Albert & I followed the siren's call of vintage to Indianapolis and Columbus, Ohio on a recent 3-day road trip. Unfortunately we did not find Mecca but had a memorable journey anyways and picked up a few treasures along the way.
This is part 1 of 3 posts about the trip, I didn't think I took many pictures (as we had limited time at each locale) but after editing them into collages realized there were more than enough to share with you.
DAY 1: INDIANAPOLIS
Unfortunately Indianapolis seems to be in bad shape-- anyone out there living there? Have most people/businesses moved to the suburbs? The city proper is compact which made exploring the neighborhoods efficient. Fountain Square had been billed as THE antiquing area but we were disappointed to find only 1 very overpriced, conservative (ie china, 19th century furniture) antique mall and 1 vintage clothing store (mainly 1970s or newer items) there. Three of the stores I'd looked up had closed so recently that the stock hadn't been cleared out yet.The only location we found that had wares that suited our tastes (1920s-1970s Midcentury Modern/Industrial/Rural Chic) was the Midlands Antique Mall. The four photos above with the cafeteria lady was but one of the many creative displays we saw in the mall. They definitely knew how to merchandise their wares and if I owned a home (and if we had driven a van), there was plenty to be tempted by including flatfile metal cabinets, library card catalogues and wood post office sorting cubbies. The prices weren't cheap but were reasonable.
All the collaged images are made up of pictures taken on my iphone. Since we were on the move I decided to take sneaky pics on my phone rather than dealing with my bulky SLR. I wish I didn't have to sacrifice quality for convenience but I've had incidences in stores before when owners don't want me to take photos so this helps to get around it (yes, I'm a rebel).
On the way to an antique mall we saw this giant sign placed to lure travelers into a 10,000 square foot candle emporium. It reminded me of those classic Americana roadside traps like the World's Largest Ball of String. By the way I'm rubbish at jumping shots, mainly because my hair flies in my face, oops.
Albert is much better at the jumping shot, look at the air he got in these pictures!While Indianapolis has tons of thrift stores (we went to 3 of them), there mostly seemed to be new or 80s items, the clothing selection was especially disappointing. No, we didn't make it to either location of the famed Goodwill Bins.
For dinner we ate at 3 Sisters Restaurant in Broadripple Village, which seems to be their quaint dining/shopping district. The restaurant scored points for being located in a Victorian house and for being featured on the Food Network's Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. The food was unfortunately lackluster and seemed like it would have been a better brunch option.
DAY 2: COLUMBUS, OHIO
I'd never been to Ohio before and after our dismal experience in Indianapolis I didn't know what to expect. Being the capitol of the state, however, and being home to the largest college campus in the nation meant that it was definitely hipper than Indy. Another advantage was that I was able to get some recommendations from fellow vintage blogger, Mitzi, who lives in Columbus. Unfortunately we were too busy for a meetup but I definitely am grateful for her help.
There's an antiques district in the town of Clintonville, just outside of Columbus on High Street. The most happenin' area was the Short North neighborhood of Columbus, which contained several vintage stores, cafes and coffee shops.
Again prices were higher than were expected, even in junkier shops (which I actually prefer) where items were unorganized and serious digging was involved in finding items.
The highlight of Columbus was being able to visit Jeni's Ice Cream shop. There are several in the Columbus area and a few upscale cafes sell it by the pint here in Chicago (it's gourmet so costs $12 a pint!). I just ordered a small and did a scoop of honey butter cake and violets and meringue. The violets and meringue was amazing, it was something I'd never would have thought would work as an ice cream but Jeni is definitely a genius at what she does. Please open a shop in Chicago soon!Okay, not much writing today. I've been sick the past few days and am feeling sleepy from the rain. Tomorrow I'll post photos from the third day of the trip and on Sunday look for photos of 'the haul'. Hope you are having a good start to your weekend so far!