Summer is a perfect time to go antiquing. If you’re a regular reader of this blog or my web site there’s good chance that you will agree with that statement. Of course anytime is a good time to find a treasure but there’s something about a beautiful summer day to make this even more fun.A perfect Saturday for me starts with heading over to the Old Strathcona Market here in Edmonton. Live music, colourful organic fruits and vegetables, delicious home made breads and desserts, jams and jellies and gourmet treats make a trip to the market a feast for the eyes as well as the palette.While I am having my Catfish coffee and something delicious to eat I plan my route for the day. There are fewer antique stores now than there were only five years ago (my own shop closed 4 years ago) but there are always new ones that come and go. Not far from the Old Strathcona market are two antique malls that have stood the test of time. Malls by their nature have something for everyone. From flea market finds to the occasional special piece, malls are where you go to find a diamond in the rough and hopefully find something someone else missed.I enjoy looking around in malls but I have to confess I don’t always have a lot of patience to go through piles of stuff to find something. Having said that I know of some malls that are very high quality and the antiques are beautifully displayed. (The one I am thinking of is on the highway #2 (Queen E Highway) just before getting into Calgary. If rustic antiques are more to your liking check out Chickie’s Antiques in Highlands not far from the city center. The owner promotes her shop as being “French Country” and the surroundings are quaint. The shop is located in a historic neighbourhood so plan on spending sometime driving or walking around the area.

My favorite shop however is nesteled in a most unlikely place – in the middle of an industrial are behind the busy intersection of St. Albert Trail and Yellowhead Trail. It is definitely a destination because you would not know that this business exists unless you happened to be in the area for another reason.Classic European Antiques gets my vote for the best antique shop in Edmonton. Although the front of the building hints at what is inside you can’t help but be amazed at the size of the store once you walk through the door. The building is quite long and the owners Anneke and Henk have crowded an amazing array of goods on two floors.This shop contains mostly antiques that have been purchased by the owners on their trips to Europe.There is a good selection of furniture, lamps, acessories and clocks… and more clocks. And yet more clocks! There are beautiful vases, statues, candelabras, paintings and prints – and so on. Everything you might want for your home.You won’t find many collectibles here – no books to speak of, licence plates, tools or the like. These are primarily high quality European Antiques. The location of the store in this area trades visibilty for better prices. They also have payment plans which make it affordable for the buyer. Drop in to see them. There’s always coffee on and some of Anneke’s trademark Dutch cookies while you browse through the store.Classic European Antiques was originally known as Corysia Antiques until they relocated to this location but their web site name still shows the original name. If you plan to come to Edmonton this summer check them out. For more information and lots of photos of their antiques check out their web site at the following link: http://www.classiceuropeanantiques.com . Tell them you read about them in my blog.