As a logical follow-up to last week’s article about St. Augustine, we want to give our readers a more detailed look at what you can buy some antique souvenirs to take home America’s oldest city! So here our our favourite antique stores in St. Augustine, Florida.
Spanish Main Antiques
Spanish Main, located on 1080 N. Ponce de Leon Blvd would be my first port of choice, no pun intended.
This shop is part museum and well worth a visit whether you want to buy anything or not. Speak with the charismatic owner, Marc Anthony (no we are not kidding) about nautical antiques, found treasure, shipwreck artefacts and even Native American artefacts/pottery found in the area.
During this visit we purchased some pieces of pottery from the Timucua Tribe. On previous visits, we purchased lanterns, including a 200 year old relic in the living room of Eiko’s Beach House, and a copper still from the prohibition era of Florida dating to the early 1930’s.
This shop is a dream come true for both serious collectors and those who are curious about our history.
A hint: if the shop is relatively quiet and Marc Anthony is available, ask about treasures he has not put up for sale yet. If you are lucky he will take you to a special room where you can see his most recent acquisitions prior to displaying them. If you are even luckier, make an offer and own a piece of Florida’s history and bring it home.
DMZ Military Antiques
DMZ located at 210 San Marco Ave Unit A is my next stop on the tour of shops where we can find pieces of history for Eiko’s Beach House.
As you may guess, DMZ is mostly military antiques, dating from the Civil War to Vietnam! During a visit to this shop in the past, we bought a shell case from an American armed merchant ship which was attacked and sunk by a German submarine during World War 2. The shell was fired at the submarine but in this battle the submarine won and the brass shell case of the fired 5 inch projectile fell silently to the floor of the Gulf of Mexico. Now it stands proudly in the Eiko’s Beach House.
If you have an interest in military history and want to own a sword, uniform or flag, DMZ is a place to visit.
Churchill and Lacroix Antiquarine
The last but not least destination we recommend is Churchill and Lacroix Antiquarine located at 75 King Street Unit 121 (In the courtyard of the Lightner Museum).
The owner David Geithman is a knowledgeable gentleman with a Phd in Economics!
He has an eye for quality antiques and his prices are fair when matched against the rarity and quality of his stock. While browsing his store, you may see Tiffany Lamps (the real thing) which once decorated the Flagler Estate in St. Augustine along with Tiffany copper and silverware.
We purchased some Seminole prints of the Native Americans roaming the Everglades by canoe. These prints date pack to the turn of the 20th century and they now proudly decorate the Eiko’s Beach House in Treasure island. Should you want to buy a painting, ceramic or another interesting antique, we suggest you ask David what his best price is to make your new purchase even more attractive.
Back home to the Eiko’s Beach House
When visiting St. Augustine you may want to buy, own and finally display a piece of American History.
The above shops would be an excellent starting point in you search for the perfect piece for the den or family room. While visiting and staying a Eiko’s Beach House in Treasure Island please take a short break from the warm Gulf of Mexico or the refreshing pool to examine the artefacts, antiques and old prints and photos which decorate our home.
We pride ourselves to be very different than the local hotel chains which are cramped, expensive and soulless. Here, at Eiko’s Beach House we want you to see, feel and interact with the past as you create history in your own personal paradise.
