Cambridge Antique Market   

201 Monsignor Obrien Hwy
Cambridge, MA 02141
617-868-9655
www.marketantique.com

Directions   Email   Send to Cell  

Whether you are looking to decorate a Federal-style townhouse or a swingin' bachelor or bachelorette pad, the Cambridge Antique Market is the place to go. It is also the destination if you want to add to your collection of vintage Barbie memorabilia or novelty salt and pepper shakers. More than 150 dealers show their wares -- ranging from fine antiques to funky junk -- in space allotments of varying sizes on five floors. There is no other place in the Boston area that offers such an extensive and eclectic selection of merchandise.So as not to become disoriented amid the hodgepodge of goods, the best way to navigate is to take the elevator to the top floor and work your way down.At the Cambridge Antique Market you'll find relics of another era -- for example, rotary-dial telephones and all manner of ashtrays. You'll find old photographs of other people's relatives. You'll find lamps resembling spacecraft. And gentlemen's smoking jackets, costume jewelry, vintage kitchenware, art deco cocktail shakers, and... well, you get the picture.Furniture, from Victorian washstands to sleek, metal-legged chairs, occupies the basement level. Don't worry about getting that massive dining room table home. Deliveries can be arranged.Each floor is staffed by a salesperson who can open locked display cases for you or direct you to the booth that might have the item you are seeking. If all else fails, let the people at the front desk know what you are looking for and they will add it to a want list checked by the dealers.Before you enter the mansard-roofed brick building (originally home to the Lockhart Woodworking Company back in the 1880s), check out the mural titled 'A Wall of Respect for Animals' painted on the side. The creation of Somerville artist Be Sargent, the mural depicts 29 leaders and well-known supporters of the animal rights movement. Where else will you find the portraits of Victor Hugo, Gandhi, Brigitte Bardot, Mark Twain, Bob Barker and Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, in such close proximity to one another?The Cambridge Antique Market is easy to get to by car or public transportation. There are two free parking lots next to the building. Or take a train or bus to the Lechmere Station, which is just a two-minute walk away.So, the next time the weather is crummy (like possibly this weekend, this is New England, after all), go poking around at the Cambridge Antique Market. Even if you are not looking for anything in particular, rummaging around is sure to provide hours of entertainment. And remember: you only discover the one item you can't live without when you aren't looking for it. -- Joellen Secondo