Antique Hunting in Nebraska
/There are many great places in Nebraska to do a bit of antiquing if you so desire and it all depends on what you desire. If you are interested in super upscale antiques, there’s always Southeby’s and Christie’s but if you’re looking for something more budget friendly than Nebraska is the place to be. Here we have everything from large antique malls to boutiques shops that specialize in restored pieces to retore it yourself antiques or, as I like to call them, well loved. Depending on what type of hunt you enjoy, you can hit some of our more metropolitan area and shop chic or you can go country and hit the small, small town locals. And for the pickers, we certainly have our rural antique dealers who use their properties as giant yard sale style antique dealerships.
Brass Armadillo Antique Mall
I love this place. It is the ultimate vintage shopping experience. You can find all the most wonderful treasures you like down the many isles of the warehouse style antique mall. There are smalls and some not so smalls both old as well as new. They host seminars, workshops, training events and social gatherings in a warehouse style space. In addition to Nebraska, they have two locations in Arizona plus Colorado, Iowa, and Missouri. They host over 3,500 dealers who sell all kinds of collectibles. Their web site has a blog with useful information about antiquing and how to care for antiques plus information on what’s hot in the collectibles world. They even have a points program called Antique Army. Drop by and find out for yourself what a gem this place is. Find more information at https://www.brassarmadillo.com/
Junk Stock
Spring is in the air and so is Junk Stock. It’s a wildly popular antique event featuring fabulous vintage, antique and junk vendors along with makers, food trucks and bands. It happens twice a year and the first one is April 30the through May 2nd and May 7th – 9th located on the western edge of Omaha right off of 228th & W Dodge (1150 River Road Drive, Waterloo, NE 68069). Junkstock is known for being one of the best vintage festivals in the country, but most people don’t know that it started as a small idea of a local dreamer and small business owner. Sara Alexander, the Founder and Mother of Junkstock, is very humble about her success. In 2011 she started some small junk sales in a rented chicken coop at an old dairy farm in Western Omaha. That was so successful that in 2012 she opened a small store in downtown Papillion called The Junque Factory where she sold her unique repurposed items. In the spring of 2012, Junkstock was hatched up and it was born later that June. Junkstock started with 29 vendors and quickly turned into a pilgrimage for junk, vintage, and handmade lovers from across the country. Junkstock remains a locally owned small business, but now features over 200 vintage, antique, and junk vendors that are joined by makers for the magical festival three times a year. In the spring of 2012, Junkstock was hatched up and it was born later that June. www.junkstock.com
The Grain Bin
Clustered on a hilltop in the scenic canyons south of North Platte, Grain Bin Antique Town consists of twenty historic grain bins and a massive barn that are connected by a boardwalk to form a huge and eclectic collection of antiques and primitives. Many of the individual bins contain unique collections from specific area collectors and dealers. You’ll find everything from old signage and advertisements to farm implements and even cow skulls to go along with all the other eclectic flotsam and jetsam you’d expect from well-sourced dealers in rural America. www.grainbinantiquetown.com
