Shopping for Antiques, Unique Gifts

Maybe it's a piece of mahogany furniture. Perhaps an ornately decorated mirror, or a turn-of-the-(20th)-century styled place setting for your table.

Sometimes you know what you want – that unique piece from days gone by. And sometimes, the search is as much fun as the discovery. Antique shopping takes many forms, and in the St. Pete/Clearwater area it happens in many places.

To the north, there's a thriving center in Tarpon Springs, including Antiques Forever, the Lyon's Head Antique Center, Menzer's Antiques and other stores near the Sponge Docks. Dunedin is home to Heart's Desire, Cindy Lou's, Amanda Austin Antiques, Times Past & Present and the Old Feed Store, with many offerings reflecting the Scottish heritage of the town.

Gulfport houses a waterfront district that's as eclectic as it is historic. And St. Petersburg's Central Avenue and Fourth Street North are dotted with stores and centers, including Doc's Place of Antiques & Collectibles, The Brass Key Antiques & Art Gallery and Dessa Gallery.

If the antique you seek is a pageturner, two stores within blocks of each other near downtown St. Petersburg have plenty of shelves to examine. Lighthouse Books is an Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America member, and Haslam's Book Store bills itself as Florida's largest new and used bookstore.

Finally, if you like your pursuit of an item to have a bit of competitive sport attached, check into occasional antique offerings at Bay Area Auction Services in Pinellas Park.