Columbus Shopping Guide: A Perfect Day of Treasure-Hunting in Clintonville

Columbus is fortunate to have a plethora of vintage and antique stores, but perhaps no neighborhood has quite as many as Clintonville. One of the neighborhood’s newest is Little Light Collective (3041 Indianola Ave.). The aesthetically pleasing shop, opened by owner April Rhodes in 2020, offers a mix of vintage items and local handmade goods. Most vendors focus on clothing and home goods, but smaller furniture pieces are also sprinkled throughout.

Head next to North High Street, where most of Clintonville’s vintage and antique stores call home. Timporium (3246 N. High St.) is a charming shop with an array of reasonably priced furniture and homewares. It offers a little bit of everything, including cast iron cookware, tea sets, barware, records, books and table linens.

Continue north and you’ll come to Boomerang Room (3274 N. High St.), a haven for midcentury modern fans. Furniture is the main draw here, and those who favor pieces from the 1950s and ’60s—think: teak wood and clean lines—will find plenty to like. Midcentury modern is also the focus at Eclectiques Antique Mall (3265 N. High St.), which is located across the street. Prefer a different décor style? Don’t fret: The size of the store (8,000 square feet) and variety of vendors (more than 60) means most retro lovers will find something here.

For those who don’t mind spending a little more—and for pieces that fall under the “antique” category (sidebar at right)—head to Euro Classics Antiques (3317 N. High St.). The store deals almost exclusively in furniture, much of it wood and all of it sturdy and beautifully made. Lined up in the middle of the first floor are barrister bookcases that will have any bookworm swooning. Although the store’s décor options are few, it does have an impressive collection of Western-inspired rugs and tapestries.

Last up is the blink-and-you’ll-miss-it Unique Treasures (3514 N. High St.). This delightful, tiny slice of a store is full of knickknacks and small collectibles such as glassware, jewelry, old photographs and trading cards, as well as cane rocking chairs. If you’re lucky, you’ll stop in during one of the shop’s regular 50 percent off sales.

Terminology

Often, “second-hand,” “vintage” and “antique” are used interchangeably, but there are differences. Second-hand is an item that’s been owned by at least one other person, regardless of the item’s age. Vintage refers to anything that is less than 100 years old. Antique is for items 100 years or older.

This story is from the Where to Shop Now package in the May 2023 issue of Columbus Monthly.