My favorite shops in Minnesota

I love shopping, but I would guess I'm more of a window shopper. I browse and drool and try to persuade my husband to buy me ridiculous things, and then I generally just end up leaving without anything. It's still fun to look though!
Here are some of my favorite places to wander aimlessly:

Hunt & Gather Antiques

image via hunt & gather

I love this place! It's such an experience to walk around in there. Carefully walking around suitcases and ducking below chandeliers was never this fun! There are so many crazy things, its like a hoarder looted the 50's and 60's. The owners are so very friendly and laid back, so you don't feel like they are following you around and making sure you don't steal.

Swank Interiors
photo via bo darville's flickr

The thing I really love about Swank is the basement. Its full of wacky coats, awesome chrome edged kitchen tables and chairs (at ridiculously cheap prices!), and all sorts of different things. I love retro items, and I think Swank really goes for quality rather than kitsch.

Patina
photo via lavendar magazine

Patina is one of those places you have to visit if you are in MN. There are multiple locations now, but the handpicked, boutique feel has not left this place. It's very much like urban outfitters/anthropologie, but only home furnishings and gifts. Wandering in there means giving up at least an hour of your time to scour every table and visually devour everything.

City Salvage
photo via the ephemeral mailbox museum's flickr

I love City Salvage, but at the same time the place terrifies me. If you've ever been on the second floor you know what I mean. In my mind I am risking my life by going upstairs, because you can see through the flooring! It feels like you are urban exploring! Anyways, City Salvage is one of those places where the expected motto should be "one man's trash is another man's treasure". There is a lot of crazy and interesting things, from rows and rows of doors to large marquee signs to stained glass windows and bathroom fixtures.

I think my favorite places are the ones with piles and piles of things you have to sort through to find what you want, like a big permanent garage sale with better ambience. I've always been like that, I feel like shopping is an adventure and you shouldn't take it for granted by running to the nearest rack and grabbing something a bunch of people have already grabbed.