There are so many amazing deals to be had at off-the-radar shops around San Antonio, we advise taking a truck and some work gloves when vintage or antique shopping. Though there’s a trend of less is more, where even the curated areas are clean and modern, we still like places with dust, taxidermy, and dark nooks, where treasure hunting is just that — finding a great value.

Whether you're looking for vintage clothing, micentury furniture, or just browsing for something unique, these five shops are turning San Antonio into Texas' new vintage frontier.

Antiques on Hildebrand
521 West Hildebrand Ave.

This is truly a can't-miss destination. West Hildebrand Avenue houses a bundle of furniture shops, including a two-building store that served as the original anchor for this stretch of great interior design finds. (We recently scored a pair of old black doctor’s office club chairs for $75, which included an ottoman.) Each store has piles of furniture to unearth, so budget about half day for this area alone.

Old Is Better Than New
1504 Old Fredericksburg Rd.

San Antonio beats Austin when it comes to architectural salvage and antique nooks, and this place is one of the reasons why. If you're in the market for remnant stained glass, this place has a ton of it. And if you're not sure how to use renmant stained glass in your home, rest assured that once you’ve seen colorful light dance across a special corner of your home, you’ll likely never go back to plain windows. The shop also has a robust collection of old doors. These pieces are so easy to cut or build around, and there’s no easier or more affordable way to add character to your space than using vintage doors.

Montage
423 W. Grayson St.

We hate to love you, music festival-chic. The trend still has its charms though, and when the pieces are more thoughtful than dusty, it’s a win. Montage creates its own adorable lookbooks, and mix found pieces with some nicer things, so you’re not just sifting through piles of old T-shirts. This Grayson Street shop restocks constantly and hosts regular sales where vintage lovers can score serious deals.

The Junction Antiques
1704 Blanco Rd.

If you only have time for one stop, this is the place. The Junction Antiques has it all including clothing, accessories, and funky home finds all under one roof. Plus, with consignment, vintage, and antiques, there’s no way you’ll leave without a treasure. And this is one of those multiple vendor spots with a lot more than granny bait.

Yeya’s Antiques & Oddities
1423 E. Commerce St.

If you have "oddities" in your name, count us in. You know the kind of place where you’re not quite sure what something is, and you're a little afraid to touch it? This is that shop, where prosthetics and circus art sit side-by-side. Bins of metal anything, tons of religious yard art, strange stuffed creatures, amazing caftans, architectural salvage — we love this place.