The Ridge Antiques and Collectables

More collectables anymore and very few antiques. I don’t think 2 – 3 booths of true antiques qualifies as an antique mall. There was more vintage stuff here than in Nellie & Nico’s for sure, but it still felt more flea-​markety. I won’t be going back anytime soon.

First off, I can’t wait to go back! There really is an incredible amount of stuff packed into this place. From records, wall décor, Disney and McDonald’s memorabilia, dolls, jewelry, furniture, you name it. The two older gentleman (owners, I believe?) who assisted me couldn’t have been nicer, loading everything into my car with great care. Give yourself a couple hours to go thru everything!

Great store, fabulous people, fair prices for both selling and buying!

So, we have seen this place advertised on different publications. The advertisements made the shop seem trendy and gave us hope for something fantastic. We got there a few hours before it closed, and the front door advertised a wine tasting. This should have been our first red flag, but we are adventurous people. The first couple of booths were promising. But, then the wine tasters started to get a little loud. We wandered around more of the booths, and the wine tasters started to really get in the way. They would stand in multiple booths while talking across to the others. There was a spot back where the wine was being distributed that had several tables and chairs, where the socializing could have been contained.
Will we go back? I’m sure we will. My parents went before, and they spoke very highly of it. We will just avoid the wine tasting evenings so we can concentrate on the antiques and not on avoiding the people who were way too loud, who might assist in breaking antiques.

If you’ve discovered the vintage extravaganza in the West Bottoms the first weekend of the month, you’re used to the crowds, the markups, and the quick decision making.
If you’re like me, that’s the one weekend you devote an afternoon to antiquing and thrifting, and you forget about the original antique store: the one that’s there every week, all seven days.
And if you’re like me, when you get here, you’re giddy with Pinterest inspiration when you remember regular antique stores exist. The prices are right, there are less «repurposed» items, and more kitchen wares, more average furniture for the fixing up, and more eclectic hodgepodge. And you kick yourself for forgetting — the prices are more affordable than the first weekend shops!
Luckily I came in here about thirty minutes before they closed (6 o’clock on Sunday), or I might have bought another armload of stuff. In a half hour, I’d grabbed a sifter, metal wall art, a book about the Beatles, another about the Rolling Stones, a sparkly women’s scarf, and a fall dish shaped like a leaf. It took a lot of willpower not to grab the small trophy with a simple plaque, «Queen,» with an ascending goddess on top — it would have been fabulous on my desk. Who knows, I might go back another day to see if it’s still there.
This store has plenty of spaces to wander around, bigger than you’d guess from the outside. They even have a small café in the back, though I’ve never tried anything. I spied a player piano, which looked like it would play you a tune for just a quarter; for twenty five cents, an arcade-​like machine would tell me my mood on the «wheel of love,» which ranged from «frigid» to «dangerous.» I’ll have to go back with coins.
Employees were very friendly, and I’m still excited about all the goodies I found. I’m looking forward to going back when I have more time.

If you like searching for fun old antiques, this place is great. Al, the owner is so friendly and welcoming each time I stop in. I can always find something exciting and unique (I’ve gotten a cool picnic basket, cookie jar and necklaces). Twice a year they do a customer appreciation event and offer free wine tasting and cheese sampling (which I didn’t know about until I «liked» them on their facebook page and got updates). Check it out if you like old stuff!