Roadside Antique Malls: Can you say "overpriced?"

So recently I drove from Tampa to Atlanta and back a few days later, hoping to see some new and unusual finds during the 7.5 hour drive. At a great price, of course.

Well, I was not altogether lucky.

So, on my way up, somewhere in N. Florida, I stopped at Hilltop Antiques and another mall across the street. Prices were skyhigh, although Hilltop was prepared to let me have a bright orange Catalina pottery jug with intact handle for $30. Which was probably a pretty good price, but I don't collect it and didn't mean to start now.

Stopped at The Big Peach Antiques Mall in Byron, GA, right off I-75 at Exit 149. They had 28,000 square feet of air-conditioned (but not truly cold) dealer space! Man, I moved fast, but it took a while to scope the whole joint out.

Ended up with two pieces of pottery, a Haeger rounded planter and an unmarked teapot-shaped piece that looks to me like a Brush McCoy glaze. They were priced to move, baby!

But an attempt to negotiate on a darling vintage Asian print went nowhere, when the mall workers couldn't reach the booth owner to clear a 20% discount. OH WELL.

Spotted a pretty handpainted porcelain lamp that almost came home with me...but...it needed to be rewired and / or maybe a new base. Which is against my rules, so despite a good (but not insanely good) price, I left it there.

While in Atlanta, the roads were too confusing and I was too busy to try to find local antique shops, so I waited til I was headed back to Tampa.

I prowled around The Braggin' Bull in Vienna, GA which had 13,000 sq ft of dealer space. Some great art pottery I couldn't afford (Roseville I'd never seen before - Maple Leaf?), lots of clocks, Asian art, oil paintings and prints, Native American baskets, porcelains, etc. Not overpriced, as a rule, but definitely out of my price range.

Stopped by Sue's Antique Mall a little further down the road, but it was unexpectedly closed. SO not happy!


One thing I'll say about these megamalls full of antiques - the scope and breadth is astounding. Doesn't make up for the high prices, but if your budget allows, you just might find something you never knew you needed!