Antique Shopping in Palm Beach County

As most people know, Boca Raton is located in Palm Beach County.  And as many people also know, Palm Beach County is home to some of the wealthiest people in the United States.  Because of this, the antique business in Palm Beach County is booming. Antiques are typically considered a luxury item. Perhaps it’s because of this fact that antiques represent wealth and status among the upper echelons of our society.  So antique stores, hoping to turn a profit, make sure that there is always a steady supply of antiques to appeal to the sensibilities of their wealthier clients. It also should be remembered that when clients wish to dispose of antique pieces, they often end up in antique stores in the Palm Beach area. This means that many beautiful “treasures” can often be found in these stores. 

So, where should the resolute antique shopper begin?  Dixie Highway’s famous “Antiques Row” is as good a place as any.   Over forty shops are located on this easily accessible stretch of highway.  There are elite shops like the Elephant’s Foot where antiques may be pricy, and thrift stores like The Animal Rescue League Thrift Shop and Gulfstream Goodwill.  There truly are stores that service the full spectrum of shoppers (and their wallets!).

There are also specialty antique shops located in Palm Beach County.  For instance, Harris Kratz specializes in neoclassical furnishings from 1790 to 1990; Galere specializes in twentieth century decorative art and furnishings. Boca Raton also boasts several antique specialty shops.  At “Antiques and Country Pine, “ it’s possible to find superb pieces of porcelain, jewelry, glass, bronze and art. In addition, the shop offers free appraisals and holds frequent auctions.  This past March 31, 2012, the store held an auction featuring “fine decorative arts and Chinese works.” This auction, like all their auctions, was open to the public.  A catalogue is always available to preview what will be sold at a particular auction.

Billed as the “South Florida's largest antiques mall,” Hillsboro Antique Mall and Café is located in Pompano Beach, just south of Boca Raton.  The mall is housed in a 35,000 square foot facility, and over 250 antique dealers can be found there on a daily basis.  The mall is open seven days a week, and is a prime destination for antique shoppers from all over south Florida. If a shopper wishes to receive advance warning about specials, she can sign up to receive a newsletter from the mall via email.

Once a month, there’s also a huge antiques show at the South Florida Fairgrounds. There are often more than 400 dealers in attendance.  And in February of each year, the International Fine Art and Antique Fair is held at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.  There are a number of other antique shows that are too numerous to mention.  The antique shopper will always find something to arouse his interest in the Palm Beach County antique market!