Columbia, MO

Last weekend, we made a trip to Columbia, Missouri (and surrounding area) to go to some of their antique stores and flea markets.  This, by no means, was uncharted territory for us, but it is a location we don't frequent since it is a quite a drive from our home.

Our first stop was Artichoke Annie's, a favorite spot for the wives of the trip.  It is a clean location which opens at 8am, which gets the morning to a early start.  It should also be noted that it stays open until 8pm, so it actually makes a better ending to a trip since most shops only stay open as late as 7pm.  My dad always claims that Artichoke Annie's is set up for the women shoppers, which is probably fairly accurate.  It is a fun shop to look through, but I have never found anything to purchase on the trips there.  My wife and mother have purchased things from there on several occasions (this occasion was no different).  The shop is a great place to find quilts, glassware, kitchen oddities, and doilies/handkerchiefs.  Guys, you will find something to look at, so don't avoid this place.  They have comic books, vinyl albums, and odd gadgets scattered throughout the shop.

Next, we traveled down I-70 to a shop called Apple Wagon.  I will admit that this is not my favorite place at all, but we still always go since we are in the neighborhood.  The part that puts me off about this place is that half of the location is Fiesta factory seconds and "home decor".  We ignore this section of the store and walk through the other side.  This place is a little more disorganized than the other shops, but they still have some interesting vendors.  The vendor that sticks out to me is the antique fishing vendor.  The shop has depression glass, antique toys, and odds 'n' ends.  The wife and I have never purchased anything, but we have seen some things to keep in mind for when we move out to the "farm".


 Veranda Antique Mall was the next stop.  I'm not sure why, but I love this antique store.  It isn't packed to the brim with stuff, but it does have some interesting items.  One thing I always love to see is the antique pinball machines (added bonus: There were five or six on display which included a button on each to have a free play).  This store has quite a bit of furniture, which is becoming rarer to find in the antique stores.  There is a vendor who is selling vinyl albums.  Most of them looked to be in decent condition, which is a plus when looking for vinyl.  I did wind up making a purchase at this store.  I purchased a Riddler glass and a Penguin glass from the 1970s' Pepsi promotion.  I also snagged a box of 42 vinyl albums for $2.  They are not in the greatest condition, but $2 is not a huge risk when the box contains albums from Marty Robbins, Lawrence Welk, George Carlin, Eddy Arnold, Al Hirt, and several compilations.

It was then lunch time, and a wrong turn led us to Itchy's Flea Market.  This is a shop to make a quick run through to see what kind of buried treasures can be found at bargain prices.  This is a shop where you never know what you will find, and it is surprisingly large.  It is not as antique-filled as the other shops, but it takes on the feeling of a large garage sale.  However, that is a chance to find some amazing deals, which I did.  I picked up a Robin glass and Aquaman glass at a fraction of the cost found in other shops.

The next shop we went to was Market Place, and I like this shop even though they do have the "home decor" corner at the front of the store and the random pool/hot tub corner at the back of the store.  There is no real flow path either.  See, so logically, I should dislike it.... but I still enjoy it.  They have stuff for the ladies and stuff for the gents.  It is a good mixture, and the prices seem to be very reasonable.  The only purchases made from there this trip was a Dukes of Dixieland album and a Reader's Digest compilation album.  My dad purchased a Polka Party album.  All three albums were $1 each.

The final stop was Midway Antique Mall, which is part of the travel center that was featured on Truck Stop Missouri on the Travel Channel.  The antique mall has been expanded and has two sections.  The second section does not have air conditioning (not that it was needed this trip but much needed when my wife and I went last June).  The goal was to find more of my superhero glasses since I saw them in June, before I was actually buying the glasses.  The vendor I was hoping to be my honey hole was actually rather disappointing.  However, I was able to find a Superman glass and a Flash glass from another vendor.  My wife also found some blue Ball jars complete with the lids at a great price, which will be used in her brother's wedding.  I also bought a Jim Reeves double album for $1.

It made for a long day, but a fun day.  Until next time... Happy Hunting!