Going to antique stores can be like a treasure hunt. You might be looking for something in particular and need to scour different stores and estate sales, or you might have the pleasure of just browsing to see what you might find that you love. With antique and vintage stores, it might be a toy from your parents’ childhood, or a weird kitchen implement you have no idea how to use. Whatever it is you find in an antique store, it’s likely to be a rare and unusual item that most people will never own. Here is a local’s guide to antique and vintage stores in Marion County.
Salem Antique Stores
Engelberg Antiks
148 Liberty Street NE, Salem
503.464.8155
Engelberg Antiks fills two floors of a downtown building, and if you love to browse, you can spend a seriously long time here. Whether you’re looking for a replica weapon from the video game “Halo,” Oregon memorabilia, vintage toys, or antique porcelain, Engelberg Antiks will have something for you. Organized into areas by vendors, each section has a different feel and specializes in different items. They advertise themselves as “Oregon’s Largest Antique Mall,” so you know that it’s going to be stuffed with antique and vintage items.
Aunt Bee’s House
2679 Commercial Street SE, Salem
Aunt Bee’s House is another antique mall with a devoted following. The focus is on antiques and vintage items, and the overall vibe is furniture, gifts, and housewares. There is less funky stuff that one can see at Engelberg Antiks, but they have some truly beautiful items for sale. The store does have some gifts and plants for sale (which are clearly not vintage), but the bulk of the stock is from the twentieth century.
Stuart’s Hollywood Collectibles
2690 Portland Road NE, Salem
503.375.6109
Stuart’s Hollywood Collectibles spreads out over a store with 3,000 square feet on Portland Road. They have old movie posters (thus the name), but many other classic items as well, from Depression glass and vintage clothing to midcentury pottery. Unlike most other Salem stores, it’s not an antique mall, so the owners are knowledgeable about all the items they sell. Stuart’s also has an area in the parking lot with old farm implements and tools for sale.
Antique Stores in Aurora
Aurora is a lovely village in Marion County, founded by German immigrants in the 1850s. It’s a mecca for antique lovers, with more than ten antique and vintage stores, most of them walkable from the center of town.
Aurora Mills
14971 First Street NE, Aurora
503.678.6083
If you are in the market for a 1930s urinal or a pair of vintage chaps, Aurora Mills should be your first stop. The store is housed in a hop, grain, and feed mill from the 1890s, and began as an architectural salvage operation. Since they started in 1998, they write that they “serve as a source for antique, vintage, and salvaged materials for residential and commercial spaces all over the world.” Antique and salvage enthusiasts can easily spend hours here, and in their recently-opened 3,000 square foot annex. They have an entire salvaged lumber yard with an array of rescued lumber. If you’re interested in checking out some of their antique and vintage items, they post some online, but it’s only a small percentage of what they actually have for sale.
Main Street Mercantile
21610 Main Street NE, Aurora
503.678.1044
Spread out over three floors, the Main Street Mercantile has vendors that offer the full spectrum of antique and vintage items, from glassware and kitchen implements to china and silver. Vendors at the mercantile offer antiques from the Victorian era forward, and new items are featured on the website. Some vendors focus on vintage clothing, others have crystals, and some have a particular area of collectibles as a focus, like Coca-Cola products. Main Street Mercantile is a great place to browse when you’re looking for that unusual item to give as a gift or put on your mantel.
Both Salem and Aurora have many other antique and vintage stores to check out, depending on the kinds of items you’re interested in. The places have wares from all different eras and for pretty much any taste. Check these out and then start finding your own favorite place for antiques.
