Sometimes, an object calls your name. Our most beloved antiques are like that––full of history and countless stories you can only daydream of. Real adventurers know this and relish the thrill of the hunt, aspiring to claim a dusty retro lamp or a notched school desk and append their tales to its chronicle.
Coupled with a passion for the unusual and character unmatched by much of today’s mass-produced junk, antique hunting has never inspired so many as it does today.
With a rich history and plenty of stories to tell, the antique shops of Auckland have produced some sensational vintage curiosities and artifacts and house countless more waiting to be unearthed. You won’t have to make that day trip to Paeroa, the Antique Capital of New Zealand, any more. We have the best places to thrift, antique, and treasure hunt in Auckland right here on one list.
Aside from picking the best flea markets, we couldn’t resist throwing in some antique shops that are unquestionably worth visiting. They are a bit more expensive than flea markets but typically more curated as well. Both are generally cheaper—and more interesting—than trawling Trademe. Not that the internet could ever hope to replicate that intangible feeling of sweet magic from an extraordinary object that calls only your name from across a crowded room.
Like a moth to a flame, be sure to take your time to listen for that call of the antiques, vintage items, collectables and hidden treasures at all of these Auckland gems.
And if these don’t quench your thirst for yesteryear, you could always try the second-hand bookstores in Auckland after…
Antique Shops In Auckland
Antique Alley
240 Dominion Road, Mount Eden
If you’re in the market for a ruby glass Edwardian Perfume Bottle or a Disney Thumper Kerosene Lamp, this spot – which buys and sells almost anything – is probably for you.
With 40 years of history operating on Dominion Road, Antique Alley is famed for its collections, which focus on chinaware, furniture, militaria, glassware, and vases. The Mazelike store is filled with fixtures that fulfil the business’s goal of finding new homes for historical New Zealand pieces.
The rescued items, including substantial collections of Crown Lynn, old tools and toys, are all presented in this unforgettable treasure trove with old-school vibes and more hidden gems than you would think possible in one store.
Antiques Of Epsom
463 Manukau Road, Epsom
A wonderful archaic shop in Epsom offers fabulous antiques and collectables with shelves stacked high (ensuring bargains for those willing to try to pick through).
There is a large array of silver items, with a broad selection of cutlery, canteens and plates of all descriptions – along with antique sporting wares including golf clubs and fishing rods, along with nautical delights like barometers, sextants, shipping lamps, compasses and antique maps of the world.
Throw in some kitchen enamelware, taxidermy delights, and classic Kiwiana, and you’ll know what to expect at Antiques Of Epsom: a little bit of everything. Take your time; you won’t want to miss anything.
Baran de Bordeaux
367 Parnell Road, Parnell
As Zealand’s foremost specialist in French antiques and luxury furnishings, Baran de Bordeaux sells all French delights, from genuine 17th to mid-20th-century furniture and unique decorative pieces, all sourced by Bordeaux native Chrystelle Baran.
If you are in the market for a spectacular Murano glass 3-tiered cascade chandelier with drizzled glass or a mid-century French brass cocktail trolley with smoked glass trays, this is the place to go. Their stand-alone 19th-century premises in Parnell are a refuge of exquisite furniture and decorative pieces and present more as a gallery than a traditional antique shop.
This is not a place for bargain hunting, but for bespoke and timeless pieces that will undoubtedly become family heirlooms in the future.
Blikfang Art & Antique
130 Queen Street, Northcote Point
A stunningly curated antique shop in Auckland endeavours to combine the old and the new. You’ll find contemporary sculptures reflected in antique mirrors, art in connection with furniture and a conglomeration of objects that are both fascinating and enigmatic.
Blikfang Art & Antique has mastered the shock of the old positioned against the sparkle of the new and always offers something new to draw you in. It’s a different proposition for sure, but one that has a loyal following who make Blikfang their first point of call for furniture, ceramics, metalwork, art, and anything in vogue or soon to be.
Oh, and in case you were wondering; Blikfang is a Danish word meaning a trap for the eye. Extremely fitting.
Country Antiques
489 Manukau Road, Epsom
For more than 40 years, Epsom’s Country Antiques has been selling a superb mix of English, French, Irish, and general European furniture and collectables—things you didn’t even know you needed or wanted.
Changing trends have also shifted towards modern design and retro pieces. The pièce de résistance in your home could be a colonial kerosene lamp, or if you’re looking for something a little more dramatic, why not consider a grand brass bed?
One of Auckland’s oldest antique stores, Country Antiques is filled with exotic objects and items from a bygone era. There is nothing better than an afternoon rummaging around in the Store and seeing what catches your attention.
European Antiques & Furnishings
21 Ariki Street, Grey Lynn
I am a specialist dealer in 19th—and 20th-century European Antiques, with an accent on predominantly French, English, Belgian, Swedish, and Italian furniture and decorative items.
The showroom is in a residential area of Grey Lynn, so due to council bylaws, you need to make an appointment prior but don’t let this deter you. Their website is also fantastic, should you want to see what you are getting into before making the trip.
Junk & Disorderly
164 Balmoral Road, Mount Eden
This Mount Eden shop is packed with beautiful and eclectic arts-and-craftsy pieces from New Zealand’s yesteryear.
Wave after wave of nostalgia will heat you as you wander around their capacious warehouse while admiring colourful books, furniture, toys, and odd finds—including a gym balance beam and macabre dental instruments. They also have an exceptional variety of recycled goods, both domestic and industrial, with all manner of charms and ornaments.
It is one of the best and most visually arresting antique shops in Auckland. A retro caravan out the back serves coffee to keep you energized.
Just Plane Interesting
100 Parrs Cross Road, Oratia
West Auckland landmark for over 24 years, Just Plane Interesting is an antiques and collectables store that believes it is a museum. Both young and young at heart will find something to love in the visual feast of old and rare antique furniture, stunning lighting pieces, nostalgic treasures and more.
You’ll want to bring a handkerchief for this one, and your patience and winding around the labyrinth on a busy day is as challenging as leaving without a purchase.
Molloy’s Mega Antique Centre
122 Anzac Street, Takapuna
Takapuna isn’t normally associated with artfully crafted, one-of-a-kind antiques, but this 3500-square wonderland of beautiful things is out to change that.
Inside, you’ll find the unusual, elegant, and simply incredible, along with a few items of questionable taste. But hey, that’s what makes antique hunting so fun. From Victoriana and Royalty pieces to a Matadors Suit, Tribal Art, Weapons, and masks from the Pacific, Melanesia, and Africa, the lovely eclectic mix and Molloy’s Mega Antique Centre have you covered.
Peter Rogers Real Time
74 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby
One of Ponsonby’s oldest businesses trading since 1976, Peter Rogers Real Time has a wide selection of vintage collectables and curious with a focus on Art Deco lighting.
Beautifully curated yet still wildly chaotic, you are unlikely to find a bargain here, but a visit is never boring as Peter and Billie know their stuff and are happy to regale you with stories of pieces on the way to their new homes.
Retro City Vintage
161 Karangahape Road, Auckland CBD
A relatively new antique store in Auckland opened in 2016 on Karangahape Road. It sells vintage and retro items, including furniture, home decor, fine art, glass, music, books, collectibles, leather jackets, and more.
Another store that hits the full-but-not-too-full spot just right, we loved the great vinyl selection and almost art-gallery-like collection of posters, including a Mapplethorpe and a Lichtenstein Lithograph.
Romantique
2 Sackville Street, Grey Lynn
A high-end antique store in Grey Lynn that sources beautiful, unique vintage treasures and treats from annual pilgrimages to France and India.
Romantique has a diverse collection of character pieces, from petite decor items to grand architectural treasures, for those searching for something special with a bit of soul. Handpicked and delivered to NZ, this is a perfect spot for antique hunting, but the effort of hunting.
After all, it’s not like milk glass apothecary jars from the 1800s or French ostrich feathers fans turn up in your average Kiwi bric-à-brac store.
The Drunk Possum
558 Ridge Road, Coatesville
This industrial vintage shop in Coatesville sells an unusual array of antiques and collectibles with an automotive slant in a slightly cluttered space reminiscent of an old-timey general store.
There’s a lot to filter through, so take your time perusing the regularly changing collection that includes quality original ex-USA statement pieces for you, road signs, retro bottles, furniture and more.
Vitrine
5 McDonald Street, Morningside
This place is stocked with restored & unrestored furniture and lighting from as far back as the 1800s, personally sourced by the owners from France and surrounding European countries.
New pieces arrive frequently, and even if you can’t make it to this new local in Morningside, following Vitrine’s social media posts and the stories of the pieces are a must. Large Antique Pots from the Crete region, a 1950’s concrete dog house from Belgium and a ‘cube’ pendant light from Prague are just some of the standout finds.
Yvonne Sanders Antiques
474 Manukau Road, Epsom
This landmark store is the jewel in the crown of Epsom’s prolific antique shopping scene, which offers high-end ‘Antiques in the Antipodes’.
Every piece is meticulously selected by Yvonne herself from Europe and around the world for its characteristic and individual nature — and we don’t need to assure you that Yvonne has exceptional taste; there is a book about her and her shop to do that for you. Yvonne Sanders Antiques has the feel of an antiques general store.
Next to the beautiful European Chandeliers might be an enduring iron gate or a spectrum of remarkable bespoke tiles. Looking for a 19th-century Child’s Chair or Victorian Brass Folding Peacock Fan Fire Screen? You’ll find it here, along with countless other objects with more than a whiff of history.
Flea Markets In Auckland
Avondale Antique and Collectors Fair
Avondale Racecourse- 90 Ash St, Avondale
A monthly Antique and Collectors fair is held inside the race building at the Avondale Racecourse on the first Saturday and the following Sunday of every month. This is New Zealand’s biggest antique gathering and a must for collectors, traders or love to see unique treasures.
The Sunday coincides with the Avondale Sunday markets, New Zealand’s biggest one-day market renowned for its multicultural food and produce. Online and out-of-Auckland antique dealers have been known to full up their vans and display their wares on outdoor tables here, but there is also a whole indoor floor full of unsuspecting treasures just waiting to be discovered. First-timers should come on a Saturday when things are a little less chaotic.
There are thousands of independent shops showcasing quality items inside, so as you can imagine, there is a huge range of different items at every market, including paintings, china, jewellery, toys, militaria, crystal, clothing, textiles, carvings, Kiwiana, future, vintage, retro, and antique items. If you like good antiques, vintage, and collectables at wholesale prices, this is for you.
Browns Bay Sunday Market
Entry off Anzac Road, Browns Bay
A second-hand market that takes place every Sunday on the North Shore. This is a flea market like it used to be — a not-for-profit, community-run market providing a venue for locals to sell unwanted items, handicrafts and produce. If you want to clean out the garage, empty your cupboards, try selling something you have sewn, crafted, built, painted or grown, this is a great spot to try.
Alternatively, if you are looking for a bargain, like old tools, collect antiques, want a second-hand lawnmower, or to add to your collection of fishing gear, Browns Bay Market could just be the spot for you.
Central Flea Market
170 Balmoral Road, Balmoral
There is a fine old-fashioned flea market in Balmoral, in a carpark next door to Junk & Disorderly. Head along to browse a curated range of antique clothes, crafts, and homeware—while enjoying good food and coffee while you are at it.
The Central Flea takes inspiration from the flea markets of yesteryear and seeks to celebrate Balmoral’s urban diversity as an apex of Auckland’s history. Vintage and vintage vendors, artists and musicians, food trucks and live music feature in the dynamic open-air market.
We’re positive you’re not going to leave the Central Flea disappointed. Held every month on the 1st and 3rd Sunday.
Otara Flea Market
Newbury Street, Otara
The Otara Flea Market (OFM) was established in 1976 and has been an integral part of Otara ever since. Here, you can find anything and everything, from new clothing to arts and crafts, plants, fresh fruit and vegetables, used clothing, and bric-à-brac.
Chaotic and crazy in all the best ways, the market can get ridiculously busy and crowded after 10 am, so it’s best to come earlier in the morning if you want to take your time looking around.
Wesley Market
War Memorial Park / Wesley Community Centre, Sandringham
This cherished Mt Roskill Farmers and Treasure market runs every Tuesday and Friday throughout the year, except on public holidays. It is the biggest mid-week market in Auckland and has occurred since 1994.
Many stalls are on the market, including produce, bric-à-brac, electrical and plastic products, hot food, new and used products and clothing, toys, garden tools and more. Come and enjoy the easygoing market atmosphere and rummage around mid-week.
We wouldn’t blame you for calling in sick to try it out.