Shopping for Antiques? Discover Olde Towne Portsmouth, VA

There’s one thing for sure about Virginia, and that is there’s an abundance of antique dealers scattered throughout the Commonwealth. From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Tidewater region of the Atlantic coast, Virginia has a treasure trove of shops and malls to peruse through.

Olde Towne Portsmouth, Virginia, one of America's most historic seaports has been well known for it's selection of fine antique shops throughout the decades. Though we have lost some dealers during the recession years, Olde Towne Portsmouth still offers a handful of the best antique shops in Hampton Roads. Olde Towne also offers a monthly antiques to flea market that draws hundreds of shoppers to hunt through the huge variety of treasures offered for sale.

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Skipjack Nautical Wares 

& Marine Art Gallery

Devonshire Square, 620 High Street, Portsmouth, VA (757) 399-5012

Virginia’s premier maritime antique store and marine art gallery. Offering a large selection of authentic maritime antiques, ship models, marine instruments including clocks & barometers, telescopes, spyglasses, sextants, octants, compasses, lamps and lighting, ships wheels, boat and yachting salvage and collectibles, bells, US Navy, US Coast Guard and other military items. Skipjack also offers a collection of maritime paintings, prints, bronze sculptures as well as sailor-made and folk carvings and other marine art forms. If you are searching for nautical items, this is the place to find it.

Open Tuesday-Saturday 10 am- 5 pm. 

Closed Sunday and Monday or by chance or appointment.

https://www.skipjackmarinegallery.com/

Beautiful nautical antiques and marine art can be found at
Skipjack Nautical Wares & Marine Art Gallery,
 Olde Towne Portsmouth, VA.

Authentic maritime antiques, ship salvage and nautical instruments at Skipjack Nautical Wares & Marine Art Gallery.

Choice period Antique furniture can also be found at Skipjack!

Great selection of nautical table lamps, re-purposed using antique ship lamps and other maritime items is available at Skipjack.

Discover one of  the finest collections of authentic antique maritime instruments in the world at Skipjack Nautical Wares & Marine Art Gallery.

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Way Back Yonder Antiques 

Devonshire Square, 462 Washington Street, Portsmouth, VA 757-398-2700

Since 1991, Way Back Yonder Antiques has offered a fine selection of quality antiques to customers the world over. Their inventory is collected from the local area and they select only the best to offer their customers. They are a general line antique store with an emphasis on quality. The inventory includes items from antiquity to the 20th century, furniture, accessories, lighting, glassware, pottery, porcelains, ceramics, metal and wooden wares, estate silver of both sterling and plate, estate and costume jewelry, coins, collectibles, and other curiosities.

Open Monday-Saturday: 10 am – 6 pm Sunday: 12 pm – 6 pm

http://oldetowneportsmouth.com/listings/way-back-yonder-antiques/

Beautiful porcelain antique oyster plates can be found at
Way Back Yonder Antiques.

Way Back Yonder is known for their wonderful collection of sterling silver flatware
and hollow ware.

Great selection of antique flow-blue dishes.

Fabulous treasures abound at Way Back Yonder Antiques. 

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The Olde Towne 

Antiques to Flea Market

Currently being held at 200 County Street  (757) 405-3500

Visit the Olde Towne Portsmouth Antiques to Flea Market the first Saturday of each month, rain or shine, and enjoy the eclectic collection of unique and antique wares. With more than 70 vendors, you will discover a great selection of antique and flea market items of all types – priced to sell! Shop for estate furniture, architectural salvage, china, silverware, art, sports gear, musical instruments, books and ephemera, hand-made crafts and toys, as well as decorative accessories and one-of-a-kind items. A favorite of local and visitors alike, it is a treasure hunter’s dream come true! Always Free Admission & Free Parking!

The Olde Towne Antiques to Flea Market is held the first Saturday
of each month here in Olde Towne Portsmouth, Virginia.

Great selection of antiques and flea items and large crowd of shoppers at the
Olde Towne Portsmouth Antiques to Flea Market.

One visit to Olde Towne Portsmouth and you’ll be hooked. Amble along the famous Seawall. Stroll through three centuries of historic neighborhoods. Go antiquing. Take in some art. Eat at one of the delightful restaurants. Choose from a wide variety of fine, casual and family dining establishments with many offering outdoor seating. Many of Portsmouth’s attractions are clustered within easy walking distance of each other, making it the perfect place to spend a day.

The Olde Towne Antiques to Flea Market- A treasure Trove to Be Discovered

"Great Finds of All Kinds"

The popular "Antiques to Flea Market’ is held the first Saturday of each month, in historic Olde Towne Portsmouth, Virginia. Browse through an eclectic collection of unique and antique wares. With over 60 dealers and vendors exhibiting, bargain hunters and serious collectors will discover a great selection of antique and estate furniture, architectural antiques, china, silverware, art and prints, sporting gear, musical instruments, books and ephemera. There are even hand-made crafts and toys, as well as decorative accessories and flea market items of all types and one-of-a-kind items priced to sell. Held inside the Middle Street garage located on the corner of Middle and London. 

You will also find during the December Antiques to Flea Market all types of vintage and antique Christmas decorations and unusual Christmas gift items for the hard to find eclectic collector in your life! 

The  Olde Towne Antiques to Flea Market is held the first Saturday of each month.

The Olde Towne Antiques to Flea Market opens at 10am til 2 pm. Come early for best selections! http://www.oldetowneportsmouth.com/ 
757-339-1876

Sponsored by the Olde Towne Business Association.

The Little Shoppes On High Opens in Olde Towne Portsmouth

Little Shoppes on High is located at 425 High Street in Olde Towne Portsmouth, VA.

GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION

FRIDAY, APRIL 5  2013

REFRESHMENTS SERVED 5:30- 7:30 PM

Welcome to Little Shoppes On High. A fun place to shop because there is something for everyone, and something for the one who has everything.  You will find products that are eco-friendly, funky, traditional and gorgeous.  Little Shoppes On High is an eclectic mix of old and new.  It will become a destination which you will want to return to again and again!

You'll find products that are eco-friendly, funky,
traditional and gorgeous at Little Shoppes on High.

Little Shoppes on High Products

Quirky, Cool and Eco Friendly Products
A funky mix of old and new, vintage and edgy with an eco friendly twist. Nettie Fischer, Proprietor of Little Shoppes on High.

"Retirement did not feel right for Nettie Fischer, Proprietor of Little Shoppes on High.  After many years in the business world and teaching, she felt the desire to open her own fun shop that would become a destination.  She searched for similar minded people who wanted to create their own business in an innovative collaborative way.  Thus, Little Shoppes on High was born."

Glitz By Fritz
Glitz by Fritz offers jewelry and accessories made from recycled materials such as bubble wrap, bicycle inner tubes, vintage buttons, Fair Trade African Paper Beads from Outreach Uganda (www. outreachuganda.org) and even those old school 51/4” floppy disks. Traditional handmade jewelry is also available in a variety of styles.  Artist Audrey Frizzell Lassiter (Fritz).

"Audrey Frizzell Lassiter (Fritz) is a retired teacher who studied jewelry making and soon realized what started as a hobby quickly took over the dining room and spread into the kitchen. Now she has combined her recycling obsession with her jewelry design to create “re” fined jewelry that combine sterling silver with materials destined for the landfill."

Unique jewelry and accessories.

Collectibles from yesteryear to toys that will bring back memories.

Mr. Vintage and Collectibles
From collectibles from yesteryear to toys that will bring back memories, items with historic significance, Bronze, Silver and Golden age comics, to sports cards Spanning 6 decades, Robert has an eclectic mix of personal treasures that he is ready to share. Vendor- Robert M. Ellis.

"Robert M. Ellis has been a fixture in the Portsmouth area for many years behind the scenes.  He has worked at Brutti's for the past 20 years and before that owned High's Ice Cream Parlor on High Street. He is a graduate from Portsmouth Catholic High School."


Caroline Leslie
Caroline Leslie, owned by Jo Perakes, will be carrying boutique baby and children's clothing by Swing Set Designs. Caroline Leslie will also feature Caspari greeting cards, candles and paper products along with Twin Muses greeting cards. Special orders on Caspari paper products are available. Vendor- Jo Perakes.

 "I had the opportunity to move back to the area 17 years ago.  I am a native of Norfolk and choose Olde Towne for its sense  of community and history. My career was in Sales and Marketing, and I traveled extensively through the United States and Europe. During my travels, I shopped in Boutiques that carried local artisan, unique and quality items. Swing Set Designs (owned by my sister-in-law) features one of a kind Baby, Toddler & Children's Clothing. Caspari cards and paper products are globally known for the quality of their design and printing . Caspari is now a Virginia based company with its distribution center in Suffolk, Va.  Twin Muses is an Eco Friendly greeting card line started on Dinwiddie St, here in Olde Towne . I welcome your feedback and will continue to search for quality and unique items for Caroline Leslie."

 Boutique baby and children's clothing by Swing Set Designs.

Hand-painted glass and home decor items from the Painted Lady.

The Painted Lady
Hand-painted glass and home decor items. Artist Jane Puryear.

Small Pleasures
Great antique, collectible glass, vintage embroidered samplers and great accessories. Vendor-Donna Finch .

objets d'art
Paintings and ceramics. Pin-up prints. Artist Betty Cornwell- Estrada.

Colorful quilts at  Little Shoppes on High.

Little shoppes on High in Olde Towne Portsmouth, VA.

The Little Shoppes On High business hours:

Tuesday- Saturday  11Am to 7PM

Sunday 12 PM to 5PM  Closed on Mondays

(757) 393 - 1988

Nettie Fischer (local products and new vendor info) - ptown@littleshoppesonhigh.com
Audrey Lassiter (Glitz By Fritz) - audrey@littleshoppesonhigh.com
Robert, Jane, Jo, Betty, and Donna

Like Us on Facebook

Little Shops on High Website

Olde Towne Portsmouth; Every Day Is Small Business Day

Anderson-Wright is an example
of the unique shops in Olde
Towne Portsmouth, VA.

O.K., hopefully you have seen advertised during the past few years; a campaign promoting Small Business Saturday, the Saturday that follows Thanksgiving requesting your support of local small stores as a consideration to your holiday shopping experience.  That’s great and kudos to American Express for getting behind this and for marketing to all the need to support your local small businesses. But for small business communities like ours, we simply cannot survive on the once a year marketing program or the occasional local "city held" events to bring people downtown, to shop, dine and experience our quaint historic seaport and hopefully frequent our businesses enough to keep our doors open and stay in business. So, if you haven’t heard this stated before then I’ll state it again: we the small business owners, the mom-and-pop shops and restaurateurs that make up our city's downtown are in business everyday and every day is a small business day.

"When you buy from an independent, locally owned business, rather than nationally owned businesses, ... you strengthen the economic base of the your community.”

Unique shops and specialty stores are the staple of Olde Towne Portsmouth shopping experience.

This blog is written to help support the entrepreneurs, the small businesses that are the engine of our local and national prosperity and a proud reflection of Olde Towne Portsmouth and our Nation’s character. “From our unique mom-and-pop storefront shops that anchor High Street and offer unique merchandise or special services customers can't find in big box stores to the chef or family owned and managed restaurant that brings to you an exceptional dining experience. Many of the dollars spent here in small businesses stay in our own town, supporting our schools, police and fire department and creating community. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and the cornerstones of our Nation’s promise.

Brutti's Restaurant is one example of the fine dining establishments
that no longer resides here in Olde Towne Portsmouth.

Since the economy began to decline a few years ago, we have watched small businesses that our neighborhoods relied on struggle and then close. Many just closed overnight. I stopped by a favorite local restaurant to find huge “out of business” stickers posted all over the door - they just couldn't make ends meet, so their debtors came and shut them down. I direly miss our former shops and galleries now gone who took such pride in their businesses and marketed themselves with such enthusiasm. I miss the local wine and cheese shop and the natural foods store which brought amazing products that could not be bought in a grocery store. I miss the extraordinary art galleries and antique shops that once lined High Street in abundance that are now faint memories of our past.  

"First Friday" was a monthly
event designed to promote Olde
Towne's unique shops and
galleries. 

Olde Towne’s “First Friday”, a monthly event fashioned by a local art gallery owner, created an opportunity for the small retail shops to stay open at night together and an opportunity for shoppers to frequent the stores during the evening hours. Art galleries promoted show openings; others offered light fare and specials for the wandering shopper. This was the type of thinking that made Olde Towne great and brought attention to our community. Unfortunately, the gallery is gone and so are most of the participants that were the staples of the event. But these are the kinds of businesses that help form and bring together communities, but the only way they can survive is if local consumers are aware of how important it is that, when we are able to buy, we buy locally. When small businesses do well, communities flourish and our economy will grow.

So, this blog will feature over time all of the locally owned retail businesses and restaurants that exist within the downtown/Olde Towne business district. You will read about what makes them unique,  about products and services that can only be found here in Olde Towne. You will discover through these pages the Olde Towne restaurants and what makes them special. These articles will be the key to this blog and hopefully you will discover for yourself the magic that they bring to our Olde Towne Portsmouth- the magic they bring every day to Olde Towne!