Do you ever find yourself on vacation hankering for a unique antique shopping experience? If so, well this blog post is for you! As fun as it may be to sit at home and watch ANTIQUES ROADSHOW it is way more fun to discover gems on your own.

We asked Flight Centre travel consultants from around the globe to help us put together a quick list of ‘must not miss’ antique markets; from the famous to the not so famous.

So, make room on those shelves, tell the kids ‘antique store’ is a some wacky translation for ‘candy shop’, and get ready for part 1 of our round the world antique extravaganza!

BARGAIN HUNT IN ROME

The Great Antiques Market in Rome is one of the largest in Italy, filling the Autodromo di Vallelunga with eager antiquarians and collectors during the first week of October each year.

Visitors can expect a huge range of relics and paraphernalia from gadgets, grandfather clocks, and remnants of Roman life to period kitsch. It specializes in vintage cars, motorcycles, and furniture – so it pays to have a plan in case your purchase is a little over the normal baggage allowance!

AN ANTIQUE CITY IN MALAYSIA

The city of Malacca is an antique itself, with buildings preserved from Portuguese invasions in the 16^th century and Dutch influences from the 17^th century. The most famous of these are the red thick-walled Stadhuys (believed to be the oldest Dutch building in the East) and the Christ Church.

90 minutes drive from Kuala Lumpur, Malacca is a haven for bargain hunters all year round, and authentic Malaysian and Chinese artifacts and relics can be found amongst a host of interesting collectibles.

Jalan Hang Jebat, formerly known as Jonker Street, is known worldwide as one of the best places to hunt and bargain for antiques. Every weekend, the narrow, twisted streets close to traffic and hawkers on pushcarts gather to sell all kinds of delicious street food and local items.

AN “ATLANTIQUE” CITY IN NEW JERSEY

For the antiques fanatic, the world’s largest antique show in Atlantic City, New Jersey, is a must-see.

Held twice yearly in March and October, the Atlantic City Convention Centre fills with over 100,000 people scouring Tiffany lamps and metalwork, American folk art, European and American bronzes, drawings, prints, fine furniture, as well as getting their own pieces appraised by celebrity dealers.

The Atlantique City show also specializes in American memorabilia, such as coin-operated machines, the macabre, advertising, medical and scientific technology. Ticket prices start at US$20.

So, what off the beaten path antique markets do you haunt? We would love to include them in an upcoming blog post so don’t keep those gems to yourself… come on — as your momma says ‘share’!

We have highlighted Malacca, Malaysia on today’s map.

Categories: Off The Beaten Path

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