Armstrong & Fitzgerald’s

Unfortunately this wonderful antique shop burnt down October 2013 and has merged with Not Too Shabby to reopen as Most Wanted Vintage on Auckland Street. What a horrible loss for the community. Front Street is one of New Westminster’s most charming heritage locations and the fire raged through 2 buildings destroying several vibrant businesses. So good to see Amanda and Gary back in business at their new location. They carry an eclectic assortment of sports memorabilia, mid century furniture and Victorian antiques. Pricing is very reasonable.

I like this place a lot. They have a tonne of stuff from furniture, vinyl, sports memorabilia to vintage collectibles and posters. It’s a little less organized and a little more rough around the edges but still definitely worth a look. I’ve always found the owner to be really nice, and the prices fair.

This business is a bit of a hidden gem, you would probably have had no idea it was there. It isn’t marked by a large sign, just a small neon one. The articles in this antique store can feel a bit pawn shop at times, but there are truly a lot of great old items in here. The man that I spoke to at the shop came off a little like a swindler, but I guess in the business of buying and selling, you have to be. If you’re a true music fan, looking for vinyl: You will find it here. You just may have to pay an arm and a leg.

This antique shop has some interesting stuff, but it seems to suffer from split personality. First impressions upon entering the shop are that it’s a bit of a junk palace — the most prominently displayed items are cassette tapes from the 70s and 80s and sports memorabilia. Not being a sports fan and long having since discarded my tape deck (though I do still think fondly of my first, bright yellow Walkman), I was about to walk out when I noticed an umbilically connected second half to the store. This half is filled with some lovely antique furniture. A big china cabinet displayed figurines and crystal, and there were some suitably ornate chests, side tables, chairs, and dining sets.
I’m noticing, in my tour of New West’s antique alley, that good vintage sofas are hard to come by. However, china sets and figurines, such as those fake-​flower things my grandma likes, are all over the place. While this store doesn’t have a huge selection of old furniture, it does have some interesting pieces, and finer furniture than some other shops in the area. If your taste is more traditional, you might like this store.