Top Antique Stores in Martinsville, Indiana
The Fall Foliage Festival is a time when people come to the Martinsville area to marvel at the turning of the leaves and do some serious small-town shopping. Known once as a place for sanitariums, Martinsville is becoming home to some of the best antique stores in Indiana, and since our past includes Martinsville Glass and Martinsville furniture, it’s obvious why. Five great antique stores have the right to be called TOP in our town. They are Antiques on Main, Hummingbird Heaven & Jailbird Antiques, Good Ole Antiques & Collectibles, the Time Traveler Antique Mall, and Berries & Ivy.
Located in the old Strawberry Patch that was also once a home to several court offices near the turn of the century, Antiques on Main offers a wide range of antiques and collectibles to the discerning shopper. If you’re looking for something as big as an old curio or trundle bed or as small as an oxblood aggie marble, chances are, you can find it at Antiques on Main, located at 110 North Main Street (765) 352-0586.
Set up with columns of small shops, Antiques on Main is a miniature antique mall located in a beautiful historic building. There are a few primitives and some vintage items, but most items are antiques like depression glass, decorative items, and books. What surprised me was how so much is packed in the building. It is definitely an hour’s worth of shopping just going in. There are even old textiles, cultural items, and jewelry. So if you want to stumble back in time, this should definitely be one of your stops.
Hummingbird Heaven & Jailbird Antiques is a great idea. It is a small hummingbird themed gift shop, tearoom, and antique mall located in Martinsville’s old jail at 110 West Washington Street (765) 349-1949. This shop is packed with wonderful antiques including antique art. Service and food in the tearoom really takes you back. Everyone is aimed to please from the moment you walk into the building until the enthusiastic “Come back soon!” when you leave. Reservations are recommended for the tearoom, which is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11-2.
What an exciting new life for the Old Morgan County Jail, which was in sad repair before the Morgan County Historic Preservation Society stepped in! The preservation and restoration of the old Jail is just one of the adventurous plans the MHPS has planned, a wonderful future for our historic old town.
Good Ole Antiques Collectibles used to be called Shep’s place. It is owned by the well-known Charlie Mason and is full of everything from junk to jewels. Not just an Antique shop, this is basically several buildings connected to one another and stuffed full of antiques and collectibles as well as a few well-placed gift items. One of the down sides of Good Ole Antiques is the dirt. The place resembles a dusty attic that is overfilled in some areas. If you bring in a child, you will not always be treated nice. On the up-side, I found some interesting costume jewelry, and I almost never leave empty handed. The prices are weird sometimes, with two of the same items being priced sometimes several dollars apart. New cheapo items are littered among the good stuff, which is sometimes annoying. The books are somewhat overpriced; you’re better off going to Goodwill.
Good Ole Antiques has great prices for things like furniture and toys, but be sure to prepare to clean anything you buy there unless it comes out of the case. The owner is a trend-collectible type of person. He has a lot of has-been collectibles still overpriced, and he is sort of bristly to deal with in person. But, if you have an antique to sell, he’s shrewd but will buy many different types of items. Located next to Antiques on Main at 128 North Main Street (765) 352-9155, Good Ole Antiques is a definite bargain bin, but be sure you’re wearing your walking shoes and weekend clothes.
Time Traveler Antique Mall is a Martinsville-conscious store that is really nice, but the antiques are higher end than found elsewhere. If you want an old pram or a rare book, this is the store to visit. It is located at 166 East Morgan Street (765) 352-0024 and seems to be quite a labor of love for its owners. Like the other antique malls on the square, Time Traveler Antique Mall is in an established in an old building. There are not tons of items to choose from at Time Traveler Antique Mall, and it’s a little dark, but the store is definitely worth a look. I personally like the fact that Time Traveler Antique mall seems to care about Martinsville.
One of the other civically responsible antique and gift stores in Martinsville is Berries & Ivy. Berries & Ivy is a wonderful store, which sells both gifts and antiques to discerning shoppers. Okay, at first it looks unassuming, but the warmth and beauty of the store, the friendliness of the staff, and all of the gifts stuffed into the shop makes Berries & Ivy a total top choice in Martinsville antique shops. I absolutely love this store!
With the feel of an old country store, the business has gifts, dÃ?©cor, furniture, primitives, candles, quilts, and hand sewn items among the antiques. It’s like walking into the merchant’s tent at the fair, a place where you can actually lose yourself in daydreaming, and find a gift for virtually every person you know. It’s located at 28 North Main street (765) 342-7722.
Whether you’re in central Indiana to see the fall leaves or just passing through, Martinsville’s top antique shops are well worth a gander. Who knows, maybe you’ll find the perfect dÃ?©cor for your home or apartment in this small town country city.
