Antique and Thrift Stores in Fort Myers

Antique and Thrift Stores in Fort Myers

It’s been a long time since I traveled so far from home for one of my Junkin’ Journey trips. Recently, though, I had to make an emergency trip to Fort Myers, Florida (where my parents live) while my father was hospitalized. Thankfully, he’s on the mend and recovering, but it was a very heavy, worrisome time (as you can likely imagine).

I stayed down there for a few weeks, mostly to care for my mother while he was in the hospital. And Mom and I fell into a comfortable routine each afternoon: she’d lay down for her daily nap and I’d recharge for a bit by thrifting. The respite was good for us both and it allowed me to visit my father; run some necessary errands; and be (somewhat) professionally productive during my extended stay.

tropical scene in ft, myers

And, let’s face it, there are worse places to be than southwest Florida. Fort Myers and the barrier islands around it are still recovering from Hurricane Ian, but it’s still a lovely area.

Lucky for me, Fort Myers also boasts a good number of secondhand shops for me to hit- especially thrift stores! Now, admittedly, I didn’t (couldn’t) check out each and every store on my visit.

Geographically, I primarily stayed close to the central-south portion of town. I was uncomfortable driving up to North Fort Myers, out to Cape Coral, or down south towards Estero- in case either parent needed me.

thrift store furniture in florida

But I was still able to check out a good number of shops and wanted to share my favorites with you! Ready to tag along with me on my thrifting adventure?

Antique and Thrift Stores in Fort Myers

Retro Home, LLC (Update, now closed)

It should come as no surprise that I made a beeline to this mid-century modern showroom in Fort Myers! In fact, I make an effort to visit this store every time I visit my parents, which is usually under healthier circumstances.

mid-century modern furniture shop in florida

Tucked away off of U.S. 41, Retro Home is a hotspot for all things mid century and atomic era. They keep an enormous amount of authentic inventory in a not-that-big space, and everything is in glorious condition. If you’re a fan of furnishings from this time period and find yourself in southwest Florida, you won’t want to miss an opportunity to visit Retro Home.

retro home decor

Hope Chest Resale Store

Hope Chest is one of my absolute favorite thrift stores in the area! They actually have three shops in Lee County, but I always visit the South Fort Myers shop.

resale store in florida

It’s brightly lit and large- ironically not something you often find both of at a thrift store! And it has some of the best used furniture and furnishings in all of Fort Myers, if you ask me. Furniture from all eras, though mostly from the 80s through early 2000s, if I had to guess.

housewares at hope chest resale store

Plus, they have oodles of housewares and other “smalls” that are always a bonus for an upcycler like me. I actually talked to a woman who was helping her son outfit his first apartment. And nearly everything they were buying came from Hope Chest Resale!

So, if you’re a thrifting aficionado in this part of Fort Myers, I highly, HIGHLY recommend this particular shop.

Pickin’ Boots Vintage Market

In between thrift stores, I did hit some more dedicated antiques shops! And Pickin’ Boots was an absolute delight for a vintage lover such as myself.

vintage furniture and decor

Not too big but not too small, Pickin’ Boots offered all sorts of vintage treasures. Various eras and styles were represented, and there is also a huge furniture painting aspect to the shop, as well. There was a vast array of painting supplies, stencils, and transfers for sale at Pickin’ Boots Vintage Market.

Such a cute shop for a vintage lover!

furniture paint and stencils

St. Matthew’s House Thrift Store

This shop was another new-to-me thrift store during my visit. Turns out there are several of these thrift stores, but I happened to visit the one on Metro Parkway. And WOW, was I impressed!

thrift store furniture at st. matthews house thrift store

St. Matthew’s House had an AMAZING selection of furniture- like, truly an impressive selection. Walking through the maze of pieces was a feast for the eyes for anyone who enjoys decorating. I highly recommend this thrift shop (at least this location!) if you’re in need of secondhand furnishings for your home.

Paws Crossed Thrift Shop (Update- now closed, I think?)

This thrift store was brand new to me! I’ve been to several of the Fort Myers thrift stores before, but somehow never Paws Crossed. But boy am I glad to have discovered it!

By now you know how much I love thrift stores that benefit an animal welfare charity!

used furniture fort myers

Heavily leaning towards home decor and furnishings, Paws Crossed was an absolute delight to visit. I found houseware items that will become future projects down the road. And they also had quite a few vintage treasures that caught my eye, as well. Plus, they were reasonably priced- always a bonus.

Have You Gone Junking in Fort Myers?

As I mentioned earlier, I wasn’t in a position to visit every possible shop in Fort Myers- so I definitely missed a few. One of my long time favorite antiques stores in Fort Myers is Swap Shop Antiques, near Fort Myers Beach. It’s a whimsical store filled with all kinds of antiques and a LOT of marine or nautical salvage, as well.

antique stores fort myers fl

Some of the other shops I visited included TeenChallenge Super Thrift (LOTS of vintage furniture); Eyeing the Past (traditional antique mall); and the St. John XXIII Thrift StoreWhen my mom was still driving, she’d visit the latter store fairly frequently and affectionately referred to it as “The Pope Shop”.

pope shop thrift store

Ironically, I found treasures at both the Super Thrift and Pope Shop! So, if you have the time while visiting Southwest Florida, you may also want to add these to your thrifting list.

As you know, stores open and close all the time- and these were my favorite secondhand shops that I found in Fort Myers, FL at the time of my trip. However, it’s always possible that I missed places that deserve a mention.

So, if you have suggestions for future trips to the area, please let me know! I will, as you can imagine, be back in Fort Myers again and again.

subtropical flowers in southwest florida

I hope you enjoyed my latest Junkin’ Journey and here’s hoping I hit the road more often in this year. And before I go, I wanted to give a special shout-out and virtual hug to my friend, Beth, from the craft blog “Creatively Beth”. She’s a Fort Myers-based blogger who was a balm for my soul during the stressful visit and a good bloggy galpal of mine.

Craft on!

S

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the best thrift stores in fort myers

 

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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.

Comments

  1. Carol H. says

    You are a blessing to your parents. Prayers for their good health. So many high end pieces at those shops!

  2. Jennifer Bosten says

    I just moved from Ft Myers after 23 years living there. Hitting the thrift stores was my son’s and I weekend routine on Saturday mornings. We’d start at Teen Challenge, then head south to Hope, Salvation Army, and Goodwill, plus any others we felt like hitting up that day. Next time you go, hopefully you have time to hit the San Carlos Park/Island Park/Estero area. We never had to travel far.

  3. Nancy Walls says

    I’m reading this on my next to last day in Port Charlotte Florida, about 25 miles from Fort Myers! Too late for this trip but maybe in the future👍
    Glad your Dad is doing better.

  4. Cheryl r Atkinson says

    The lady that owns Picking Boots, I can’t remember her name, has a you tube channel where she teaches us DIYers how to use the amazing products she sells. Now I’m going to have to go watch her so I can remember her name. I’m getting old. Hopefully someday I will be able to travel south and go to all of those thrift stores. Can’t wait to see what all you bought.

  5. Debra Ranta says

    Thank you for these “new to me” thrift/vintage stores in Ft. Myers. I live about 2 hours north of Ft. Myers and will make a trip south soon. Glad your father is doing better.

  6. You were in my “neck of the woods”. All Souls Thrift in North Fort Myers (Cleveland Ave US41), Funky Junky in Punta Gorda and Restore Habitat in Fort Myers (on MacGregor Blvd). I donate to All Souls they help those who are in need. I love the Pope Shop too! I didn’t know about Retro Home LLC or Paws Crossed but I will definitely check them out.

  7. In your travels have you gone to Micanope! Florida?? It’s a great place and there’s another one and the same area also.

  8. Glad your dad is better; prayers for you all! We just got back Sun. from NH; my 50th UNH Reunion was last weekend. We went early and I thrifted and shopped in old stomping grounds! Lots of treasures to launder, wash, organize, and pack for my vintage booth!

  9. Karen Benitez says

    Thanks for this valuable info Sarah! I live in the Tampa area and hubby and I go down to Ft Myers occasionally. I will be visiting some of these stores on our next trip. Prayers for your dad’s full recovery! Hugs 💜

  10. Lori A Mccarley says

    You definitely need to check out mother lode in Bonita. Chris the owner and her rescue dog Emmie are so sweet and she has the best stuff so cheap!!! Enjoy your blogging!

  11. Jennie L Rimes says

    You should check out Dolly Archer Vintage on McGregor.

  12. Great list of shops in Fort Myers. I have been to each of them, and your descriptions are right on. I really like Swap Shop Antiques – I have found some excellent items to decorate my office.

  13. I went to Eyeing the Past on your suggestion. Cute store and I won a gift card! Thank you

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