Discover the Bliss of Asheville's Antique Shops, Malls and Auctions

With its many auction houses,
malls and shops, Asheville
and Western North Carolina
has long been a mecca for
the antique hunter and collector

Antique Tobacco Barn
"...There is no place quite like the Antique Tobacco Barn in Asheville, North Carolina. It's everyone's favorite eclectic shopping experience in Western North Carolina. Featuring over 75 dealers who have a different take on what is wonderful, there's something for everyone ... whether you have a lot of George Washingtons in your pocket or not." 77,000 square feet of shopping. Open 'year round. Located on Swannanoa River Road, between Biltmore and Tunnel Road.

Fireside Biltmore
"... has been Asheville North Carolina's premier importer of English Antiques,Scottish Antiques, Irish Antiques, and Oriental Porcelain. In addition to Japanese Imari, Chinese Export and English Ironstone, a fine selection of Tea caddies, lap desk, English, Georgian and Edwardian Furniture, and exceptional accessories are featured in our galleries...."

Antique Shops

Not Your Average Antiques
"... specializes in Southern Pottery, folk art and furniture. Also, carousel figures, Black memorabilia, bakelite (jewelry and radios), posters, toys, country store advertising, transportation art, motorcycles and bicycles, vintage guitars, Edison Phonographs, Wild West collectibles, Native American Rugs, baskets and jewelry, including Harvey Era jewelry and more. Expect the Unexpected !!! Unique, authentic and hard to find items that are in particularly good shape, in all price ranges...." On Page Avenue in Downtown Asheville.

The Swan's Nest
European and Asian antiques and reproductons. Specializing in pine furniture. "...Initially, my primary shopping focus was on antique pine furniture. After my husband bought a beautiful pine armoire for our kitchen in Memphis several years ago, I had developed a real appreciation for the simplicity, beauty, and textural surfaces of central European antique pine chests, benches, cupboards, sideboards, and armoires, both naturally-finished and painted. When planning our shopping trip to Europe, I had chosen businesses that specialized in these kinds of antiques. As well as finding beautiful pine furniture, however, we also encountered unique pieces from China, Russia, and India, as well as a lot of teak and other woods. My focus expanded as I saw the variety of antiques available from both Europe and Asia. Although I was not then extremely familiar with teak, I soon became interested in the teak tables, chairs, and English-style or barrister bookcases that we saw and added them to our collection. Unusual lamps and other accessories were also included...."

Click on each of the dozens of categories to the left to uncover what makes the Asheville area so vital, so intriguing and so, well, UTTERLY BLISSFUL!

From Rolf Potts' Vagabonding blog:

I've never been one of those uptight literary types who thinks that you have to have actually read a book in order to recommend it to others. So I feel no trepidation in suggesting Eric Weiner's new travelogue-slash-memoir The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World The premise of the book is simple but intriguing-- here is Amazon's description:

Part foreign affairs discourse, part humor, and part twisted self-help guide, The Geography of Bliss takes the reader from America to Iceland to India in search of happiness, or, in the crabby author's case, moments of "un-unhappiness." The book uses a beguiling mixture of travel, psychology, science and humor to investigate not what happiness is, but where it is. Are people in Switzerland happier because it is the most democratic country in the world? Do citizens of Singapore benefit psychologically by having their options limited by the government? Is the King of Bhutan a visionary for his initiative to calculate Gross National Happiness? Why is Asheville, North Carolina so damn happy? With engaging wit and surprising insights, Eric Weiner answers those questions and many others, offering travelers of all moods some interesting new ideas for sunnier destinations and dispositions.

In the imaginary Netflix queue of books-that-I'm-planning-to-read, this one has just jumped to the top. By the way, why has no one started a Netflix for books? This question, and many more, I'll leave for another day.

More Antique Auctions

Morse Auction Company
Approximately 18 auctions a year ... antique furniture, glassware, linens, pottery, old tools and more, with 3 sales featuring advertising and old toys. Online color photos and descriptions.

Tommy Tuten and Johnny Penland Auction
A Friday night fixture in Asheville since 1988. This is a real 100% absolute no reserve "country auction" complete with hot dogs and corny jokes.... and some great buys. View a list of the latest auction online. Preview auctions on Thursday and Friday at Craven Street location.