Asheville, NC is one of my favorite day trips. It’s not too far away from where I live, and hosts a number of destinations that my husband and I both love. Asheville is known for a lot of things: beer, art, an eccentric vibe…but for someone like me, it should be known for its antiquing and thrifting opportunities, as well.
It’s important to note that I’ve published and republished this blog post twice now. Several of the shops that I included in my original post had closed, which is always a risk when I publish a Junkin’ Journey. On top of that, Hurricane Helene in 2024 absolutely destroyed much of Asheville, including many of the thrift and antique stores in my blog post.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
So, now that it’s been over a year since that catastrophic event, I gathered a new list of stores and headed back to the mountains.
With list in hand, I headed into the mountains to check out the thrift stores, antiques shops, and architectural salvage yards in Asheville, NC.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Ready to see where I went and what my favorites were?
This post was originally published in 2019. However, after Hurricane Helene hit in 2024, many of the stores were severely affected or permanently destroyed. This post has been updated in 2025 to reflect those changes and updates.
Antiques and Thrift Stores in Asheville
Now that our home decor style has shifted into the mid century modern realm, we’re always on the hunt for great MCM shops. And aren’t we lucky that Asheville has a terrific resource for mid century decor?
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Atomic Furnishing & Design was completely destroyed by Hurricane Helene. But I’m so pleased to find that it still has a fantastic selection of mid century furniture, home decor, and local artwork in its new location. Over the years, we’ve purchased a few pieces for our home from Atomic- our coffee table and a gorgeous wall unit were both purchased there.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Marquee, located in Asheville’s famed River Arts District, was completely leveled by the hurricane in 2024. But a year later, it has reopened in the exact same location.
Marquee is one of the most fantastical stores I’ve ever been to. A relative newcomer to the vintage (and art) scene in Asheville, it’s quite the destination for unique vintage decor and amazing artwork.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
When it comes to our own home, I always want to shop secondhand OR one-of-a-kind. Which means a shop like Marquee- with both antiques and original artwork- is like a dream come true for a shopper like me.
Wherever I go, I’m always on the hunt for thrift stores that benefit a local animal-based organization. Thankfully, Asheville has several of those to choose from, including the Asheville Humane Thrift Store. It’s a wonderful shop, with lots of housewares, furniture, and clothing.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Admittedly, this thrift shop was pretty busy the day we went, so I wasn’t able to get many photographs. But I suppose that’s a good thing! Speaking of good things, this thrift store is right next door to Mr. K’s Used Books– so you get two secondhand shops with one parking spot.
Our most recent antiquing discovery is this fantastic store, Madam Clutterbuckets Neurodiverse Universe. It is a wonderfully eccentric and inclusive store that just so happens to carry quite the selection of antique and vintage items.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
It’s also a really welcoming store for anyone who is neurodiverse- from ASD to ADHD and everywhere in between. I’d go back to this spot just for their inclusivity, but they’re honestly a terrific spot to hunt for antiques, as well.
Given my love of architectural salvage, it’s no surprise that I was like a heat seeking missile to this new-to-me store. It’s actually located a bit outside of Asheville, NC, but close enough to include. And it did not disappoint for an upcycler like me. The actual shop is quite charming with plenty of hardware, light fixtures, and nicer salvage pieces (mantels, tubs, etc.).
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
But it’s the yard out back that really got my junkin’ motor running. Plenty of salvaged wood…chippy tin tiles…and other future projects were waiting (in patches of wildflowers, no less) to be discovered and cherished!
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Animal Haven of Asheville Thrift Shop
Another favorite animal welfare-based charity shop of mine is the Animal Haven of Asheville Thrift Shop. It’s located off the beaten path, but is well worth a quick jaunt to explore.
The shop is located in a quaint building adjacent to the animal rescue, and is filled to the brim with treasures. I always make a beeline for the front-and-center display which is frequently rotated and often features their more unique and/or vintage treasures.
Have You Ever Gone Thrifting in Asheville?
There are always a few extra shops that I want to mention to you, as well! Whenever I find myself in Asheville, I always swing by their Habitat ReStore. It is EASILY one of the largest ReStores I’ve ever gone to and they have an amazing collection of used furniture and housewares. So, do yourself a favor and give it a go – but leave their vintage books alone.
JUST KIDDING – they always have some lovely vintage books for sale for bibliophiles like me.
Antique Tobacco Barn is another well-known antiques store in Asheville, as well. It is an absolutely massive place to experience and an easy place to find a treasure or two for your collection. Like so many others, it, too was destroyed by Helene and has been completely rebuilt.
Another thrift store that I make an effort to swing into is the WNC Bridge Foundation Thrift Store. It always has a wide variety of housewares that are worthy of a perusal.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Last but not least, Sweeten Creek Antiques and Collectibles is another antique mall worth checking out while you’re in town.
Everyone has different tastes and styles, so my favorite antique stores in Asheville, NC may be different than yours. Also, stores open and close all the time- and these were my favorite secondhand shops that I enjoyed at the time of our trip. However, it’s always possible that I missed places that deserve a mention.
Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
So, if you have suggestions for future trips to the area, please let me know. There’s always the possibility that I’ll have the chance to go back and visit my favorites. And I always love to discover new ones, too.
Craft on!
S
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Image credit: Sadie Seasongoods.
Sarah Ramberg is the owner of Sadie Seasongoods, a website that celebrates all things secondhand. From upcycling ideas and thrifted decor to vintage-centric travel itineraries, Sadie Seasongoods is a one-stop shop for anyone who loves thrifting and approachable repurposing ideas. Sarah is also the author of “Crafting with Flannel” and has been featured in numerous media outlets and magazines.
We are headed north , from Florida, tomorrow morning, yay! We will stop off in South Carolina at the border between South Carolina and Georgia, stay there for a week, and then head up to Flat Rock for a month, again, yay! We will check out some of these thrift stores, as well as some in Hendersonville, also, having stayed there a month in April, we’re really familiar with Hendersonville thrift stores.
I hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving!
Thanks, Kathryn, and Happy Thanksgiving to you, as well! Just in case I found a few you weren’t aware of, I have a Hendo post, too: https://www.sadieseasongoods.com/hendersonville-nc/
Great article! I live in eastern NC, so this would make a great Girlfriends’ Trip.
Totally!! And Eastern NC (particularly Wilmington) is on my bucket list of junkin’ places to explore!
Next time you come over to my part of the world, go a bit farther south and hit Smiley’s Flea Market in Fletcher (but you have to get there early, like before 9!), along with The Garage – a dealer mall type place with two levels of treasures! Also in the area on the same road is Lulu’s Consignment, then a Goodwill store just a block away. On your way back, stop by Books for Good, if you enjoy used bookstores too.
Love The Garage! I included them in my Hendersonville post: https://www.sadieseasongoods.com/hendersonville-nc/
Wishen we had places like these in my neck of the woods.
I’m sorry to hear that, Edith- whereabouts do you live?
Hey, I’ll ride shotgun in the taco hauler if you are doing a quick trip up there in the future. I can’t wait to visit some of these stores! But I think I’ll pass picking that prison loo or whatever that is in the first pic LOL 🙂
It’s a plan!!! Have you been to any of those shops before?
Great post! I live here and a couple of these were new to me. I also echo everything Carole said, especially about Books for Good.
Oooh, which ones are new to you? And I do love The Garage – I included it in my Hendo post: https://www.sadieseasongoods.com/hendersonville-nc/
Oh my! You are so lucky to be near so many antique/thrift stores. Love your blog!
Thank you so very much, Nancy!
Well, Sarah, that was an exercise in triple-duty frus-ter-ation!! I wanted to BE IN every one of those shops! And I’m trying to figure out if/when/how I can get to Asheville! I feel all those junk shops calling to me and I’m probably going to dream about junking for the next month!
So, anyway, when do we get to see the haul you made from that trip?? Soon, I hope! I can’t wait!
Haha, thanks, Naomi! I never do “Haul Blog Posts”, but I often share my treasures on my FB page!
Ashville is on my places to visit list (mainly for Biltmore), but I’m thinking I’ll have to check out some of these amazing hidden treasures too!
We are headed to Ashville the end of this month so will definitely have to hit some of these fun places thanks for the heads up!
You are so very welcome, Karen!!