The Hidden Shops of East Ridge Antique District

This month I want to focus on several more shops in the East Ridge Antique District on the outskirts of Chattanooga, Tenn. Located behind the Cracker Barrel and right off Slater Road, you’ll find eight antique shops, each offering you different venues of antiques and collectibles and more.

Sugar Plum Antique Mall at 6509 Slater Road has been in the district well over 10 years and it’s prior owners, Jan Wells and Donna Harmon, recently re-established ownership and have been bringing back their wonderful flair for staging room settings. They offer matching or complementary pieces to complete dining rooms, bedrooms and other living spaces, all with fine wood selections from cherry to mahogany and adding accessories that make you want to take the entire room home with you.

Their mall has over 70 vendors, each bringing unique selections from primitive to painted, distressed or re-purposed, plus lots more including glassware, old store, copper, pottery and much more. Be sure to check out a new vendor who’s added handmade wood and leather items, as well as a special upscale children’s clothing booth. While one has beautiful vintage clothing, another carries some amazing man-tiques.

East Town Antique Mall was one of the first in the East Ridge Antique District, located just across the parking lot and adjacent to Redbriar Antiques. Randy and Patty Keith, owners of East Town Antique Mall, are always ready to welcome shoppers to browse and shop as long as you like. They have over 80 dealers with a huge variety from antiques, uniques, collectibles, books and more. Some of their dealers specialize, while others look for anything that’s old to unusual. If you’re a history buff, especially of Chattanooga and/or the Civil War, you’ll find bookcases and cabinets galore of probably every book that’s been written on the Civil War, as well as history on all wars. Another book collector has shelf after shelf of volumes of books from antiquarian books to instructional to novels of fictional and nonfiction. No matter your genre, you’re going to find a good read in their booths. Other dealers at East Town specialize in primitives, fine furniture, special glass such as cut glass and art glass, pottery, silver, and wonderful small collectibles. For those who desire large pieces of furniture, you’ll find tables to seat 12 and large sideboards, and they often have unusually large beds. You’ll often find outdoor items for garden and patio settings. East Town is the place for large numbers of collectible baseball cards, trains, military items, advertising collections and the list goes on, including a huge variety of Christmas items.

Another shop you don’t want to miss is Antique Treasure Hunt. It’s tucked between East Town Antique Mall and the mall at Yesteryear Antiques and Memories. Antique Treasure Hunt is owned by Carol Borneman and Barry Hunt. This shop features Carol and Barry’s favorite things; vintage and antique furniture, large or small, simple or embellished, elegant or modest. You’ll find lamps, mirrors, crystal, linens, tables, shelves, cabinets and more; all of which lean toward eclectic accessories and décor that are perfect for today’s trends in decorating. Barry keeps an assortment of parts for lamps and enjoys repairing and giving new life to those you or I might just throw away. He has a good eye for small collectibles too. Be sure to ask him if you’re searching for something unusual to add to your collection. Carol Borneman has enjoyed treasure hunting for more than 10 years and co‐owned the Antique Treasure Hunt shop for four years. She has assisted me in gathering information from some of the shops for changes and upcoming events this last 18 months and everyone really appreciates her efforts in promoting this special antique district.

Several other shops complete the “Eight” in the East Ridge Antique District, some of whom I’ve focused previously are Yesteryear Antiques and Memories, Crazy Daisy, Greenbriar Antiques Market, Redbriar Antiques, and Picket Fence Antiques. All are very unique, filled wall-to-wall with antiques, vintage, décor, garden art, primitives, pieces of local history, signage, painted furniture and items, as well as paint and how-to-paint classes. There’s so much more and tell them or sign their guest registers letting them know you heard about them in The Busy Bee Trader. Our advertisers enjoy knowing their advertising dollars are bringing you to shop with them.

by Maxine B. Jones, Ocoee, Tennessee