Shoppers on a search for recycled treasures are in luck. Just minutes apart in White Bear Lake are three shops offering great finds in antiques, vintage collectibles, furniture, kitchen accessories, home décor and more. So grab your purse and hit these hot spots early and often, because inventory is continually changing. Your next great find may be waiting to be discovered.
Antiques White Bear
Highway 61 and Eighth Street; 651.426.3834
Start your search at Antiques White Bear. Owner Sally Anderson is celebrating 29 years in business in White Bear Lake. Antiques White Bear works with nine antique dealers to showcase an assortment of furniture and all kinds of collectibles.
“The people are the best part of my job,” says Anderson. “Plus I learn something new every day.” Recently, Anderson learned about antique bear traps. “I never knew such things were so popular or so expensive,” she adds.
Other items Anderson has moved through her showroom include antique radios, dolls, toys, clocks, water skis and fishing tackle. She gets many requests for antique tools and vintage farm equipment. “We carry a little bit of everything,” Anderson says. “And it’s not all antiques; there are a great variety of beautiful and interesting items.”
Antiques White Bear is open 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday. No consignment or credit cards.
Nesting Inc.
4788 Hwy. 61 N.; 651.426.3087
A hop, skip and a jump away is Nesting Inc. Deb Walczak started her business by coordinating holiday boutiques in model homes. Then there were spring shows and sales events held in her home; eventually, her business evolved into a 1,200-square-foot White Bear Lake showroom expertly arranged with charming consignment pieces.
Walczak’s connections with area homebuilders provide Nesting with a steady stream of barely-used high-end furnishings used to stage model homes, and her work with consigners allows her to sell a wealth of home accessories, lamps, mirrors and consoles. Relationships with wholesalers and design consultants allow Nesting to show and sell many discontinued sample items.
Designers at Nesting can help decorate for weddings, fundraisers and other events. “We also offer organization and downsizing services,” says Walczak. “We may have just the right piece for your new space and can re-sell furnishings that no longer fit your lifestyle.”
Nesting moves items quickly, so consigners don’t need an appointment. Select items are accepted for a 90-day consignment period at a negotiated price. If customers don’t find what they’re looking for, Nesting can add their name and desired items to a wish list. Customers on the wish list get the first opportunity to purchase sought-after pieces that come into the store.
“I love people and I love beautiful things,” says Walczak. “At Nesting, we want to work with customers and consigners to make everybody happy.”
Nesting Inc. is open 10 --6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday 11—5 p.m. and Sunday.
ReUse ReStyle
4748 Washington Square; 651.207.8907
Turn the corner and discover ReUse ReStyle. Owners Sandy Matzdorf and May Swenson opened their shop in 2009. After years of organizing garage sales, Matzdorf and Swenson were inspired to step up their retail game and offer quality home furnishings every weekend in White Bear Lake.
Matzdorf and Swenson work with 400 mostly local consigners to create a showroom filled with items shoppers could mistake for brand-new. With the look and feel of an intimate home interior boutique, ReUse ReStyle has tables, chairs, and lots of midcentury-modern lamps and home décor. “We used to organize garage sales, but our shop doesn’t take garage sale leftovers,” says Swenson. “We have an eclectic mix of upscale goods but no collectibles, glassware or china.”
ReUse ReStyle once sold a vintage Coca-Cola vending machine for $2,400. “That was our most unique sale,” says Matzdorf. “We also sold Oriental rugs and really nice furniture for a former Twins player who was moving to Florida.” The lesson for shoppers: If you see something you like, buy it right away; many specialty items turn over within hours. Matzdorf and Swenson are busy professionals who opened a consignment shop in order to spend time together doing something they love. So drop in, browse and meet the pair. Your next trinket or treasure awaits.
ReUse ReStyle is open Thursday through Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and evenings each third Thursday during summertime for White Bear Lake’s Girls’ Night Out.
