Not much furniture mostly Knox knacks Pretty unorganized store with slit of junk Not really an antique shop. Uncountable store to walk around three floors plus basement read more

Store is little but mighty and is jam packed. Stuff for everyone. Reasonable prices. I collect pendants/charms and scored some cool ones here. read more

Howard is a very nice and helpful man. He has been collecting for over 47 years! Walking into here feels like a time warp, and it's so inviting to see what life was like as much as 100 years ago! Prices aren't cheap, but your paying for an amazing preserved piece of history. I Bought this compass. read more

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Great selection of area antiquities and stuff! navigational maps, compasses, tools, beer cans, license plates, comic books, and other things that make spending time there exciting! right down the road from Woodman's! read more

very neat selection of items here. would recommend checking it out overall. cute cat outside too. read more

Howard's Flying Dragon Antiques - storefront - Antiques Near Me - Essex, Massachusetts

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Cool little antique shop. Friendly staff and plenty of nice items. Found some treasures to take home.

This is one of many antique shops in the picturesque North Shore town of Essex. We stopped in about 5 or 6 of them the other day but had an especially nice time in this one thanks to the friendly owner with whom we had a long chat. So this is the one I've chosen to review. With the recent Royal Wedding behind us and the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, my baseline hat lust is at a fever pitch. My eyes were peeled for something spectacular and vintage but I didn't see anything that struck the right tone for me. They had a most gorgeous English top hat that I had hub try on. I thought he looked fabulous in it, channeling all his English ancestors, but I couldn't convince him to buy it to wear next Saturday during the Derby over mint juleps. My flair for the dramatic doesn't always extend to his own attire. Lol! There are all kind of things to look at and dig through here. I'd bet there's something here for just about any kind of collector. The problem these days are the reproductions and knock-offs made primarily in China that can make some things difficult to discern as authentic. We spotted a couple of metal knick-knacks that we guessed were probably repros. Nonetheless it's fun to look. Just be wary and try to know your stuff as best you can if you're going to buy something and expect it to be the real deal. I loved going through a pile of old letters and postcards that were lying on a table. There was a group of letters from a young man to his aunt in which he wrote about the Vietnam war. They were all dated sometime in 1965, the year U.S. combat troops were first deployed. It was an incrediblely personal glimpse back at those early war years for the U.S. Knowing what was to come in the years following, made these letters all the more poignant. Despite our eager eyes, we ended up not buying anything mostly because we are really and truly trying to minimize these days, getting rid of stuff, and not collecting too much more. For us however whether we buy something or not, antique shops are such fun because of the peek into history they can provide. This was a great shop in a town just filled with many antique stores both high and low brow, all of which provide an afternoon of fun. Don't forget to check out the Essex Salt Marsh while you're there. It's a pretty sight. read more

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The White Elephant gets all the press when discussing Essex's antique shops but Howard's Flying Dragon is my favorite store on the strip for its good range of prices and variety of items for sale. This store in particular had a nice selection of small furniture and kitchen goods. Some items are pricey but I felt there were plenty of items I would buy and that were reasonable and affordable. The driveway and yard was the most fun with unusual items such as an old milk cart (minus the horses that drew it) and a hot dog cart complete with umbrella! I was tempted by the huge pile of colorful painted wooden bouys for $12-$18--so many people in the Cape Ann coastal area have these in their yards you'd think it was a state law to display them! I might go back for a couple. :) Lots of decorative items for the home and old tin toys are on display in the front room of the shop--just don't step on the very large cat sleeping in the middle of the room! read more

One of my favorite antique stores to visit. There is always something new to discover and I never leave without making at least a small purchase. The staff is always helpful and friendly and the store has a lot of charm. So many items to see. Although some are reproductions they are still very nice. The staff will point out when you are purchasing a non-authentic item which is great. If you truly love antiquing and are sick of the "yard sale for people without a yard" style stores, this is the place for you!! read more

One of my two favorite places to buy older items! I purchased an anvil here years ago (yes you read that properly, I was going through a metallurgical phase) at a great price, also a historic cast iron grille for cooking that was turn of the century heavy and sturdily built! Wonderful place, prices that make sense for what the items are... Only teensy criticism is that it's becoming a bit tricky to walk with all the items, but here again, with places like this you have to go with time to look, lift things to see what is under, and the rewards are manifold! I'll surely be back again soon! read more

You could spend 4 hours in here and not see everything. Every corner holds something worth a look. Tremendous collection of goodies. But if you're looking for a bargain, go find a yard sale. Everything here is about 20% more than it should be. But as another reviewer said, family owned -- so at least you'll be serving the local greater good. read more