Hit The Vintage Road, Central Florida’s East Coast

Summertime in Florida finds us at the beach in the sun, sand, and surf.  Then the sunburn hits, the seasonal storm clouds roll in, and you just need a break.  So, as we all know, when the going gets tough, the tough go shopping – for Vintage, that is!  Gladly, there’s plenty of vintage to explore along Central Florida’s East Coast.  So off-load the surfboard and empty the “woodie” to hold all the treasures that you’re sure to find.  Follow the highway and by-ways from Deland to Vero Beach for some of the best vintage that the east coast of Florida has to offer.

Start in Deland at The Marketplace at Rivertown located at 114 S. Woodland Blvd.  Open 7 days a week, this multi-dealer vintage mall is sure to please with its large assortment of ‘everything’ antique to mid-century, shabby chic, and vintage from furniture to clothing and jewelry as well as collectibles and ‘toys’ for kids of all ages.  Be sure to check out their assortment of Vintage Florida Orange Items to find the perfect, unique souvenir of your summer vacation.  Find a beautifully restored furniture piece for your home, or score a DIY find to finish with their assortment of Dixie Belle paints.  

While in Deland, swing by Backhome Antiques at 110 S. Woodland in downtown Deland.  Here you’ll go back to “the ‘80s”…the 1880’s to the 1980’s, that is.  From furniture to collectibles to art, so much to see and from which to choose.  Check out their website for great listings and an opportunity to buy online.

Back on the road, we headed south to Titusville where we found Five Katz Antiques at 4509 S. Hopkins Ave.  Here you’ll find things from the Stone Age to the Space Age.  It’s as much a museum as it is an antique shop, with its unique offerings carefully curated.  More than unique and more than unusual.  A great place to find a gift for someone who has everything.  How about a wooly mammoth tooth?  Or a medical oddity?  Or, a ‘new old stock’ toy?  Or, mid-century kitchenware?   All are in very nice condition and attractively priced.

Right next door, you’ll find Vintage Thistle at 4511 S. Hopkins Ave.  Vintage Thistle showcases a wide variety of repurposed furniture and home goods ranging from antiques to modern.  What makes this place special is the beautifully restored, custom quality, hand-painted furniture selections.   Handmade home décor items complement the offerings of this charming shop.  Vintage Thistle also offers the full selection of Dixie Belle paints and workshops for the DIYer.  Not a DIYer?  No problem.  Commission them to do the work and customize a piece to your choosing.

Back on the road, head south to the Suntree area of Melbourne to find VintageFusion at 7720 N. Wickham Rd, #107.  They say they are ‘hard to find, but worth the search’, and they are.  Here you’ll find a large inventory of new and pre-owned items with a vintage flair.  The ‘fusion’ comes from ‘where old meets new’.  At VintageFusion find a selection of upscale, high quality home décor, including home accents, lamps, mirrors, and small furniture along with gift items and pre-owned fashion jewelry, all very affordably priced.

From there, head further south into central Melbourne to “the malls” - the antique malls, that is.  Here, serious vintage shoppers are fortunate to find, not just one but, two malls located within 10 minutes of each other.  Each offers an incredible array of antique and vintage finds.  Since antique malls house many vendors under a single roof, the selections are endless.  Antique malls are a great place for ardent collectors to systematically search for that perfect addition to their home displays.

America’s Antique Mall, at 850 N. Apollo, boasts 35,000 square feet and 250 vendors.  Collect a map of the floorplan at the door and meander the aptly named aisles, such as Liberty Lane, Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington Way, and Betsy Ross Road.  You’ll find a huge assortment of items from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s with antiques interspersed throughout.  Grab a card to play “Treasure Hunt Bingo” as you explore the booths.  Follow them on Facebook for special events.

A short ride away finds you at the Indian River Antique Mall, located at 1433 S. Babcock Street where there are over 110 dealers spread over 20,000 square feet of floor space.  They proudly boast a wide selection of furniture and home décor, from beach to farmhouse to traditional to shabby chic to mid-century modern.  Also find a beautiful assortment of vintage jewelry, knick-knacks, and collectibles - irresistibly priced!

From “the malls”, we ventured further into Melbourne to “the” mall, Melbourne Square, to find Gregg’s Marketplace and, its sister store, Trendz.  Stand at the entrance to the Marketplace to see a jaw-dropping array of vintage toys, 99% of which are 10 years and older.  With an endless variety of items, Gregg’s Marketplace is truly a Shop-o-rama!!!  Notable is the vast selection of vintage Disney, particularly Mickies, Minnies, and Poo Bears in a variety of sizes.  All are in superb condition.  Here you’ll find something for kids and collectors, alike.  Across the mallway, is their sister store, Trendz.  Enter the store through the Hobbit Hole, and once in, explore the offerings in Dinosaur Island, Christmas in Here, World of Elegance, and Land of Landscape.   You’ll find still more vintage toys along with clothing, collectibles (including Beenie Babies and Precious Moments), yard art, steampunk, and much more all artfully displayed.

It’s been a long day, but there’s still time to head south to Vero Beach to explore Wildwood Antique Mall.  Located at 720 South US Highway 1 in Vero Beach, they are conveniently open 7 days a week from 10 am to 7 pm (6 pm on Sunday).  Wildwood Antique Mall takes pride in being a different type of antique mall.  Their offerings include rare, high-end antiques and collectibles.  They also offer an extensive online antique inventory of their furniture, home décor, kitchen, lighting, jewelry, clothing, outdoor, art, collectibles, and gifts.
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By now, the woodie will be full of great finds from a long day of successful vintage shopping!  Oh dear, but where to put the flip-flops, beach clothes, surf board, and other beach toys for the trek home?   Lesson learned – when you head to central Florida’s east coast beaches, be sure to save room for the vintage.

Thank you to our newest contributing author Susan Custis for taking us on THE VINTAGE ROAD throughout our CENTRAL FLORIDA’S EAST COAST.  Be sure to stop by her sweet shop,
VintageFusion to say hi and see her latest finds.  
VintageFusion  is located at 7720 N. Wickham Road, #107 Suntree, Fl.  Boardwalk at Suntree Plaza, between Cotton Candy Kids Hair Salon and Dynasty Nails.  Look for the purple bench!