The Trendy Cottage is a wonderful place to look for a treasure or two! It's only open the first…read moreweekend of every month...at least for now. They have a facebook page so you can check when they are open. They have lots of lovely vintage finds. It's a friendly place to spend a bit of time. They also have a few handmade items like pretty pillows. Lots to look at for sure. The prices are reasonable too!

Although I'm not an antique collector, I do appreciate antiques for their historical value and this…read moreplace is rich in history. A must stop shop while in Collinsville to see the world's largest catsup bottle. This shop is loaded with so many unique items with my favorite being the Primitives, all at fair prices. And the owner, Lavadna, is not only very knowledgeable but also the sweetest lady you will ever meet.

This shop was one of my favorite stops on Cherokee Street. I got the feeling that a lot of the…read morethings I admired were not for sale because they didn't have prices on them, but it was great to just walk through and see things. It was like walking through an awesome quirky museum of americana, but keep in mind that I love old signs. Definitely check out the outdoor area, which has a neat little bridge and is filled with trinkets, statues and cool signs, including a few hotel/motel signs. Yeah, I would live there.

All along the Historic Cherokee district is a variety of antique shops, all of which have their own…read moreniche. The Purple Cow is my favorite because there doesn't seem to be a whole lot of rhyme or reason for what's in the shop, but the randomness makes sense once you're in there! A few of the Purple Cow's specialties include: - A huge collection of vintage postcards, kept in old library card catalog drawers. I love to sift through them and see what vacation spots used to look like. And it's fun to read the used ones...see what kinds of messages people used to send to loved ones back in the day. - Antique hardware. If you're in the market for hooks, pulls or doorknobs, this might be the place for you. They usually don't come in sets, so if you like an eclectic aesthetic, that's a perfect place to purchase items for your house. - Signs. There's a huge, neon parrot sign that I inquired about. It's not for sale, but most of the signs are. There's old street signs, signs advertising products and a random arrow that directs people to the restroom. - There's also a large bookshelf of sports memorabilia near the register. Personally, sports anything doesn't pique my interest. But my boyfriend, who's an avid baseball card collector, said that the collection was pretty interesting. On my first visit, I purchased a framed "paint by numbers" of a ship at sea for our new apartment. It cost $5 and hangs on the wall next to a framed President Garfield on our entry room wall. If that gives you any indication of what kinds of antiques I'm into, then you'll understand why I love the Purple Cow.

A little place tucked in between the dollar store and Honey baked ham. I've been coming here for…read moreyears. I never find a lot of stuff, but every once in a while I will stumble upon a treasure. This place has the little booths; one for each seller. The lady behind the counter is always friendly and makes you feel welcome. To me, it's mostly garage sell stuff, but it's a fun place to just look around if you have some time. You never know what you may find. The hours are Monday-Saturday 10:00 to 8:00 and Sunday 10 to 5. Over 50 vendors.

Such a cute little place tucked away by the dollar store. They rent separate booths to each vendor,…read moreso everything is different no matter where you are looking! Every time you stop by, you're always going to find something new and exciting! If you love vintage and antiques, I highly suggesting sipping in here for a look!

It was closed even though Facebook hours said open! We should have called ahead. Drove 30 minutes…read moreto not get in and have lunch down the street.

Vintage 71 is a fun store. I originally discovered them on Facebook and started following them…read more Unfortunately for me, most times when I was in Edwardsville, they were closed. Lucky for me, yesterday I was having lunch in E-ville, so I made a point to stop and see what they had to offer. OMG! If you need silly fun yard decor or if you are into Farmhouse decor for your home, you've got to shop here. There is stuff everywhere and it's all rustic and vintage looking. The creative side of my brain was working at warp speed trying to figure out where I could use many of the items. The couple working were a true mom & pop team. I may have walked out empty handed today, but there were many garden items calling out to me. So I know I will be back. When: April 22, 2021 Why: Browsing for the garden

Defintely one of the better markets in the area. This has been a heavy day trying to catch up on…read moresome reviews from our almost week long trip to St Louis. We were in town from Des Moines. If you're into antiquing or thrifting make sure this is on your list to stop at!

Let's tell you the story ... about a princess who changed everything about herself, and how it…read morebackfired in so many ways. Somewhere in the land of Illinois, in a little yonder place called "Granite City", there used to be a storage location that was simply known as "THE flea market'. 100's of vendors every weekend, it was THE place to go just for fun flea market shopping, along with the fun aesthetics of the history of route 66. It didn't matter if it was Rain, sleet, or snow, she was the belle of the Flea Market ball and everyone came to see her.... but it wasn't enough. The offer came in to buy her out and she took it. The problem was that not everyone that served under the princess wanted to move over and that those that didn't want to move were being thrown to the royal outlands! The princess set a bad tone for everyone taking the money and running... So, when she opened up her new kingdom, just being down the road, she thought everyone would welcome come running back to her. Her most loyal guards making an effort of staying with the princess, but the subjects had felt the agony of being tossed aside and vowed never again! That unfortunately is what happened to Rte 66 Flea Market. This was the place you shopped if you wanted something fun, whimsy, or just if you just wanted to make the day of perusing (and it could take a full day to peruse everyone) and all in one location. However, after wheeling and dealing they sold off the 'locker-complex' (yes think storage wars), and started rebuilding a new complex, no more than 100 feet away. This way they were able to keep their key building for their restaurant and bar (used to be known as Tina's Diner, then Rte 66 Diner, and now I don't' remember what it's called). The problem was this move was done so quickly that the vendors barely had time to even ask "what about us", as they were shown the door, with only a promise of something new. That new thing was the new Rte 66 Flea Market, same basic principle, but now with fewer vendors, and most of those were the, for the lack of a better term, long-timers, loyal guards, the ones who were set in what they sold, so finding something special or new just seemed to disappear in the wind, finding new accommodations as quickly as possible. Basically, the magic, that made Rte 66 Flea Market special, has slowly been withering away. Oh, you'll find some good shops along the way, Gary's Vintage Vinyl, The Leather Emporium (Harley jackets as far as you can see), Used appliances, even a Crystal shop, and a few others. And the Diner and Kickstart are still there (pub and diner) and they're worth stopping by just for those alone, but the "Flea Market Magic' just isn't there like it used to be. The owners do try to bring customers back, they even had a small mini-auto car show with a decent vintage classic vehicles showing off (see the Photos), and the vendors are friendly enough, but a lot of feelings were hurt of the vendors when they got told to "shut down and move", so they did. Sometimes changing things is the worst thing you can do, and Rte 66 has kind of learned this the hard way. Rumour had it that the owners were looking to buy back the original storage center, and have twice the flea market in size. It'd definitely make for one of the LARGEST flea markets in the area, but it's still hope against hope that they can bring the magic back. But we'll have to see. I'd really hope that one day Rte 66 gets back that flea market magic, but until they do, it's a very low 2*'s., but maybe someone can tell me the magic is back? But I'd still recommend a quick run by and you never know the vendors might have already made a quick change/improvement as the summer months approach

If you are looking for one-of-a-kind artisan items for yourself or a special gift for someone, you…read moreneed to take a trip to Uptown Collinsville and stop by Miles Market on Main. They offer so many unique items at reasonable prices. Need to go often too because the inventory changes regularly. They also offer a variety of "learn to make... classes." I love the funky vibe of this store. Plenty of street parking available so be sure to take a stroll down Main St. and check out the other stores and restaurants.

From the owner: Custom art classes. Neurographic art, acrylic, acrylic pouring, bow making, floral arrangement and…read morecrochet classes

While browsing for books, I overheard one of the owners entertaining some kids by telling and…read moreanswering jokes while the parent shopped. How sweet! I love the vast collection of books, rocks, shells, and more. The staff is very helpful and friendly, too.

Great, friendly service! Loved the atmosphere. They welcomed my kids and made them feel at home…read more They loved curling up in the chairs and reading while I browsed. We'll definitely be back.