Shopping Roadtrip through the USA

Many of you followed live on Instagram as we visited all the vintage shops and antique malls from Maryland to Georgia on our 3-week trip to the USA. We received a lot of questions about the individual locations. In this detailed blog article, we have summarized our trip and listed the most important and recommended destinations, including tips and comments. In total, we visited over 30 different addresses - with one or two disappointments, of course, which we won't even list here! Our trip looked something like this:

If you are planning a trip through the southern states of the USA and have as much passion for vintage & antiques as we do, you are really lucky, because there are a lot of really great places ;-)

Our trip started in Maryland. We flew from Germany to Washington DC and drove down to the beautiful Chesapeake Bay! Our trip ended in Savannah, Georgia, where we finally flew back to Germany from Atlanta! I hope these tips will help you plan your perfect trip! In hindsight, we would certainly do some things differently and perhaps come at a different time of year - but overall, everything was wonderful!

Let's start our journey!

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Maryland - Chesapeake Bay

1. Foxwell's Antiques

Mixed antique mall with a focus on Americana & local collectibles & antiques (specialties: antique decoy ducks, old hunting & fishing tools as well as maritime decorative objects).

Address: 7793 Ocean Gateway, Easton, MD 21601

Our tip : Be sure to ask for a discount at the checkout ("Is there anything you can do about the price?"). This way you almost always get a 10% discount (unless the label says "Firm" - fixed price).

2. Bay Country Antiques

Large shop with a well-presented mix of vintage advertising & Americana (especially enamel signs & advertising from the automotive industry as well as original Shaker furniture).

Address : 415 Dorchester Ave, Cambridge, MD 21613

Our tip: The owner is admittedly a bit grumpy and not exactly customer-oriented. However, the goods are impressive and a walk through the large store is like visiting a museum. Prices are definitely on the upper end: We didn't buy anything, but a visit was still worth it.

3. Country Treasures

Beautiful shop spread over 2 floors with the best Americana furnishings! Americana objects are usually rustic and have a cozy, rural charm. There are many original Shaker pieces of furniture combined with unusual, typically American decorative pieces. If you love the rural lifestyle, you'll find what you're looking for here!

Address : 208 Main St, Preston, MD 21655

Our tip: Don't faint at the prices! The friendly owner is very open to bargaining and only has the best quality pieces in his shop. There are no bargains here, just really high-quality American antiques.

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Virginia - Shenandoah Valley

4. The Factory Antique Mall

An interesting mix of vintage, antiques & collectibles! Currently the largest antique mall in the USA with 350+ dealers specializing in a wide variety of items.

Address : 50 Lodge Lane, Suite 106, Verona, VA 24482

Our tips:

- Be sure to plan 2 days/visits. Despite having trained eyes, we didn't manage to get through the gigantic hall in one day.

- It is very helpful to take photos of objects + stand number in case you want to sleep on a decision. This way you can be sure to find the object again in such a large hall.

- It is best to grab a shopping cart directly at the entrance so that you can save yourself a long walk back.

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North Carolina - Charlotte & Asheville

5. The Depot at Gibson Mill

Great, incredibly well presented mix of vintage & antiques! This is the largest antique mall in the southern USA with over 300 dealers spread over several connected halls. Special attention is paid to the interior design styles Cottage Core & Americana!

Address: 325 McGill Ave NW, Concord, NC 28027

Our tips:

- The halls are a highlight in themselves! "Gibson Mill" was a yarn factory where southern cotton was industrially processed. If you look closely, you can still see old signs on the ceilings and walls - unique flair and the perfect location for antiques!

- Bring your time and be inspired! Each retailer has put a lot of effort into their stand presentation, resulting in some really great arrangements that we retailers can really learn a thing or two from!

- For items over $50, you will receive a 10% discount upon request at checkout!

- There is a brewery in the back yard! If you stay in the hall until closing time, you can then relax in the rustic brewery with a freshly tapped beer and delicious snacks!

6. Antique Tobacco Barn

The largest hall without divided stands! Here you can find everything from advertising to small decorative items and vintage clothes to ancient house remains (doors, windows, etc.). Fun fact: I discovered my favorite cowboy boots here!

Address: 75 Swannanoa River Rd, Asheville, NC 28805

Our tip: Definitely a location for trained treasure hunters: the goods are stacked up to the ceiling and it's quite a mess! But the prices are good and the coffee stand right at the entrance makes a really good cappuccino.

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South Carolina - Charleston & Coastal Area

7. Dark Horse Antique Market

A small but very nice antique mall with about 40+ dealers.

Address: 1161 S Trade St, Tryon, NC 28782

8. Bachelor Hill Antiques

Large, tastefully decorated antique shop with original American pieces from the 19th & 20th centuries.

Address: 206a Carteret St, Beaufort, SC 29902

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Georgia - Savannah

9. Picker Joe's Antique Mall & Vintage Market

A smaller antique mall with about 40 dealers specializing in vintage advertising and Civil War collectibles.

Address: 217 E 41st St, Savannah, GA 31401

Our tip: After visiting the mall, be sure to visit "Savannah Coffee Roasters" around the corner and enjoy a coffee with a warm cinnamon roll! Incredibly delicious!

Finito! These were all top addresses. We visited every shop listed here and did a good job of shopping in almost all of them! Of course, these are individual reviews based on our taste and interior design style.

Feel free to write questions in the comments! I'm sure that the answers will be of interest to some people :-) Thanks!