Historically, the Antique Tobacco Barn hosted seasonal auctions for tobacco and sold antiques in the off season; however, tobacco production decline shifted the direction of business. With nearly 77,000 square feet of store to explore, the Antique Tobacco Barn has offers décor, tools, china, old license plates, milk crates, chests and desks, and many other items.
75 Swannanoa River Road
Asheville, NC 28805
(828) 252-7291, atbarn.com
This three-story, 30,000-square-foot store in downtown Burnsville is filled with antique clocks, furniture, toys, tools, dishware, and other items. The store is also known for its “Teapot Room,” which is filled with teapots of all shapes and sizes.
201 West Main Street
Burnsville, NC 28714
(828) 682-2777, facebook.com/hammondantiques201
Boasting more than 1,000 booths for shoppers to hunt among, Smiley’s is fun for all generations: A carousel and a variety of food and snacks are available to enjoy while shopping.
5360 Hendersonville Road
Fletcher, NC 28732
(828) 684-3532, smileysfleamarkets.com
Hickory Antiques Mall is a large antique shop off near Interstate 40 that features a wide variety of booths for antique hunters to find their treasures. Find collectibles and North Carolina-made pottery and furniture among other wares.
348 Highway 70 Southwest
Hickory, NC 28602
(828) 322-4004, hickoryantiquesmall.com/about.htm
Owner Julie Horton describes the style of this downtown Lincolnton store as “Southern eclectic.” The store has traditional and repurposed antiques, plus new items. The Owl’s Nest also caters to the whole family — it offers a coloring station for kids and an outdoor watering station for pets.
233 East Main Street
Lincolnton, NC 28092
(704) 740-2083, facebook.com/theowlsnestlincolnton
This 123-year-old building in downtown Murphy has a mix of vintage and antique items, plus clothing and locally made items like pottery, jewelry, and soaps.
40 Valley River Avenue
Murphy, NC 28906
(828) 516-1634, black-and-white-market.com
Explore more than 30 vendors at Martha Mae’s Emporium. photograph by Revival Creatives
This shop in downtown West Jefferson offers goods from more than 30 vendors that range in upcycled furniture, crafts, decorations, and various antiques and vintage finds.
204 South Jefferson Avenue
West Jefferson, NC 28694
(336) 846-3800, facebook.com/marthamaes.emporium
Exclusively open Friday through Sunday all year long, Uncle Bill’s Flea Market boasts more than 200 vendor booths. This open-air market offers shoppers an inside and outside experience, featuring items such as area rugs and sunglasses.
5427 U.S. Highway 74
Whittier, NC 28789
(828) 586-9613, unclebillsfleamarket.com
The Brentwood Street Flea Market is an indoor shopping experience that comprises a furniture outlet and an online thrift store. The market has more than 20 vendors and carries everything from hats, dresses, and necklaces to new mattresses, appliances, lamps, and vinyl albums.
2438 Brentwood Street
High Point, NC 27263
(336) 307-4064, facebook.com/brentwoodst
Skilled auctioneer Jon Lambert sorts and sells estate treasures, such as furniture, coins and currency, fine estate jewelry, American pottery, advertising signs, textiles, and other items in this cinderblock building.
7607 U.S. Highway 70
Mebane, NC 27302
(919) 563-2424, mebaneauction.com
In this downtown Oxford gallery, visitors can find a rotating selection of local art in addition to a selection of antiques and collectibles — like 18th-, 19th, and 20th-century artwork and furniture.
134 College Street
Oxford, NC 27565
(919) 603-1986
The Raleigh Market opened in the 1970s and has received many accolades. At this market on the North Carolina State Fairgrounds, shoppers can purchase refreshments and visit more than 500 booths.
4285 Trinity Road
Raleigh, NC 27607
(919) 839-4560, theraleighmarket.com
Lose yourself for an afternoon at SuzAnna’s, co-owned by Jenny Sellars (left) and Suzie Foster. And those Scrabble tiles at the front desk? Worth 17 points, more if you land on the Triple Word Score. photograph by Charles Harris
Owned and operated by Jenny Sellars and her mother, SuzAnna’s has served customers for 17 years. “I seriously learn something new every day working at the shop,” Sellars says. SuzAnna’s sells Ball and Mason jars, garden tools, salt and pepper shakers, and much more.
103 South Main Street
Rolesville, NC 27571
(919) 844-2652, facebook.com/suzannasantique
Webb Road Flea Market began in 1985 and operates exclusively on weekends year-round. In the market’s 130,000-square-foot shopping space, folks can find vendors that sell a variety of items, including flowers, clothes, and toy cars.
905 Webb Road
Salisbury, NC 28146
(704) 857-6660, webbroadmarket.com
For three days every month, Chartruese Barn sells items from more than 25 vendors, including farm tables, upcycled lighting, vintage advertising, enamelware, home and garden furnishings, and many other items. After shopping, visitors can enjoy some peace and quiet in the tractor shed turned chapel on the barn’s grounds.
326 Litwin Drive
Thomasville, NC 27360
(336) 617-7423, facebook.com/chartreusebarn
This shop lives up to its slogan: “If Granny had it, we got it.” Filled with furniture, vintage dishes, jewelry, tools, and wares from more than 150 vendors, there’s plenty of fun finds here.
405 North Main Street
Walnut Cove, NC 27052
(336) 591-7778, facebook.com/The-Just-Plain-Country-Store-104191259624863/
Opened since 1982, Cooks Flea Market has more than 500 vendor booths that sell collectibles, clothes, and even tires. The market hosts different themed events throughout the year for shoppers and offers fresh goodies at the on-site farmers market.
4250 Patterson Avenue
Winston-Salem, NC 27105
(336) 661-0999, cooksfleamarket.com
The Lake Gaston Flea Market sells handcrafted items, antiques tools, furniture, and collectibles. The market is also known for selling fresh produce on Saturdays from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
3358 River Road
Henrico, NC 27842
(252) 676-6460, facebook.com/Lake-Gaston-Flea-Market-2061805057278613/
Charlene Harvey is the owner of Twice as Nice and has been for more than 30 years at many different locations. Harvey describes Twice as Nice as an upscale marketplace that sells anything antiques, collectibles, farmhouse decorations, furniture, and vintage jewelry. Another huge part of the market is its large retro video game store.
3060 Wilmington Highway
Jacksonville, NC 28540
(910) 346-1725, facebook.com/twiceasnicefleamarketandmore
At Seaport Antiques, you can decorate your house with mementos of life on the coast. photograph by Mike Basher
This shop has nautical- and sea-themed objects, including shells, decoys, and fishing gear. There’s also an assortment of other items like pocket knives, brass decor, furniture, china, children’s toys and books, and vintage music albums.
509 Arendell Street
Morehead City, NC 28557
(252) 726-6606, facebook.com/seaportantiques
With more than 100 vendors both inside and 70 or more outside, shoppers can find anything from earrings to guitars at this market. In addition to traditional booths, shoppers can purchase a snack from food vendors or buy fresh produce.
1820 South Wesleyan Boulevard
Rocky Mount, NC 27803
(252) 442-2597, tarriverfleamarket.com
This 85,000-square-foot former cotton mill includes a 20,000-square-foot antiques mall, as well as outlets for furniture, housewares, and women’s clothes. There is also a craft gallery with original works by North Carolina artisans.
200 Mill Street
Weldon, NC 27890
(252) 536-3100, riversidemill.net
— Jordan Schultz & Chloe Klingstedt
To commemorate our 90th anniversary, we’ve compiled a time line that highlights the stories, contributors, and themes that have shaped this magazine — and your view of the Old North State — using nine decades of our own words.
From its northernmost point in Corolla to its southern terminus on Cedar Island, this scenic byway — bound between sound and sea — links the islands and communities of the Outer Banks.
Us? An icon? Well, after 90 years and more than 2,000 issues celebrating North Carolina from mountains to coast, we hope you’ll agree that we’ve earned the title.
After nearly a century — or just a couple of years — these seafood restaurants have become coastal icons, the places we know, love, and return to again and again.
