Other stories in "Antiques"

• Cuyuna lode
  In an old mining area, friends go prospecting.
• Antiquing in Red Wing
  In a scenic river town, hunters find culture and kitsch.
• Swedish smorgasbord
  Prowling shops around Lindstrom, a visitor finds mementos of past.
• Oronoco's Gold Rush
  In August, treasure hunters converge on a southern Minnesota village.

Bargain-hunting in Stillwater

In St. Croix river town, shops harbor all kinds of treasures.

When spring is a tease and days are gray, only one sport always comes through: Shopping.

And where better to shop than Stillwater? The little village on the Minnesota side of the St. Croix River has a Main Street that’s chockablock with antiques, books and bibelots from around the globe, filling every inch of storefronts once occupied by the blacksmiths and haberdashers and apothecaries of the logging era.

In summer, its streets are clogged with tourists, out to enjoy the riverside ambiance as well as the merchandise (See Summer in Stillwater). But in March, my friend Jean and I discovered, Stillwater becomes a candy shop for bargain-hunters.

One Saturday, we cruised right downtown and took one of many free parking places next to the river — that was a big treat right there.

Signs hung on Main Street shops: Huge sale. 40 percent off everything. Clearance. Several storefronts were for rent, and we guessed that gift shops are suffering in the shaky economy. "A lot of these items are things people can do without,'' Jean noted.

But it's still fun to look at all of the shiny wares. At 45 Degrees outdoors store, I almost bought an ingenious set of Orikaso folding camping dishes, $15. All the hats and gloves were 40 percent off, so I did buy a fleece cap, $14.50.

Wisteria & More was closing, so I got two stems of artificial evergreens for $4. Easter goods were 10 percent off at Alfresco, a lovely housewares shop in a sun-filled corner building with high ceilings, and I almost bought an $18 stem of silk Stargazer lilies.

We made a beeline for the Luna Rossa coffee shop when we saw the "Gelato'' sign in its window, but it was still closed for the season.  Next to Luna Rossa Trattoria, we went into the Grand Garage, where Otter Shoes had cool Patagonia sneakers on sale. And next door, Ethel's was having an 85 percent off sale.

Proprietor Ethel Larson was celebrating her 85th birthday, still on top of her game. Her shop stocks elegant but exotic clothing, the kind an artist might wear to an opening, and we asked if the typical staid Minnesotan finds enough occasions to wear it.

"People should expect more "wows!'' in their lives,'' she said, not missing a beat. "You just have to go out into the world and say, 'Look you lucky people, here I am.' ''

She offered us a cup of Black Box shiraz with cheese and crackers, and as we admired her filmy silk dresses and sleek shirts, she chatted with us. But her ear still was cocked for other customers, with whom she also chatted; it was a pleasure to see a consummate saleswoman at work.

Walking down Main Street, we saw more sales: 70 percent at Big Nose Kate's, 50 percent at Main Street Antiques. Next to Lily's Grill & Malt Shop on Chestnut, we saw beautiful woven table runners in the window of Alesci Furniture Gallery, and proprietor Steve Zahren said they came from a local weaver working with Peruvian weavers. We also loved the clean lines of his Mission furniture.

"I could take anything in there and be happy with it,'' Jean said.

There are more gifts and gear in Stillwater shops than anyone can see in one afternoon. But Stillwater is best known for antiques.

On another trip to Stillwater, I shopped with my friend Sandy, guided by the spirit of Sandy’s late, antiques-loving mother.

“She’d always say, ‘Pretend you don’t like it and walk away, or offer $5,’ ” Sandy said. And did it work?

“Yes! She got all kinds of crazy and wonderful things,'' she said. "I wish I’d listened to her more.’’

At Midtown Antiques, we asked D.J. Smith, one of the 80 dealers, how he feels about lowball offers.

“You can make an offer, and we’ll call the dealer,’’ he said. “Or we won’t call, if it’s an insult. Then we’re not going to call the dealer, and we’re not going to talk to you.’’

Oh. But what if I happened to know the piece had been sitting there for months?

“Then I’d say, ‘Let’s send it home with you, let’s move it on out,’ ’’ he said.

At Stillwater Antiques, we both coveted a cream cashmere cardigan with mink stole, $85, and Sandy nearly bought a framed lithograph of African animals, also $85. We took a spin through Chelsea Rose Antiques and then walked into Gabrielle Fine Antiques, whose owner, Gayle Roettger, loves to tell stories about the antiques she’s known and loved.

On a day off, she told us, she went antiques shopping up north and bought a stacking chintz teapot for $356 that she then sold for $1,150.

“That’s what keeps you going,’’ she said. “It doesn’t happen too often, because people are getting smart from all the TV shows and such. But not everyone can know everything; that’s the nice part.’’

Our last stop was the best-known group of shops, Mill Antiques, housed in Isaac Staples’ 1853 stone sawmill on the north end of Main Street. There, a dealer was liquidating her business and sold me a wrought-iron plant stand with four glass shelves, $45. When I admired a $342 Roseville freesia vase, she offered me a steep discount on that, too.

In our little getaway, we didn’t spend more than $50 on anything. And we saw only a tiny portion of Stillwater’s antiques: There’s just way, way too much.

But we’d had fun imagining these beautiful things on our own walls and shelves, and we’d had conversations with interesting people. We’d seen our childhood playthings sheathed in protective plastic and remembered our distant youths.

In one antiques shop, Sandy fondly fingered a mink coat that was like one her mother wore.

“I remember when she came home from parties smelling of smoke and perfume,’’ she said. “It’s like a Proustian experience, where the madeleine sends him off into his memories. Maybe that’s why we do this.’’

Trip Tips: Bargain-hunting in Stillwater

Parking: It's free for four hours in many lots along Lowell Park (the riverfront). The lots behind the Freighthouse restaurant and south of Brick Alley are free until May 1.

Shopping: In winter and spring, sale prices may not be marked; ask if you like something. Look for deals until the tourist season goes into gear with the Rivertown Art Festival, May 17-18 in Lowell Park.

Antiques: Shops are listed at www.stillwaterantiqueshops.com. Most antiques dealers will give a 10 percent discount if asked. At the consortiums, dealers take turns selling each other’s goods and may be reluctant to give bigger discounts. But it can’t hurt to ask.

Accommodations: Stillwater has seven Victorian B&Bs, listed at www.stillwaterbb.com. Girlfriends may like the Water Street Inn downtown, which has many rooms with Murphy beds as well as queen beds. It's well-located, between Main Street and the river, but it can get noisy on summer weekends. 651-439-6000, www.waterstreetinn.us.

Dining:  At lunch, Lily's offers a sunny corner window onto downtown and serves burgers and malts. Brine's is a little dark but is one of downtown's oldest businesses. On the north stretch of Main Street, the River Market coop has a fine deli. And I've always dined well at Savories,  651-430-0702, www.savoriesbistro.com.

Information: 651-439-4001, www.ilovestillwater.com.

Last updated on August 4, 2008