Antiques on Elm — Attraction in Manchester

I come here often enough that this experience my daughter and I had this past weekend felt strange. We were walking around on Sunday as one does. We noticed a tall bald man that we’ve never seen before following us and when we found what were were looking for he immediately inserted himself into our conversation and asked to hold the item we found at the desk. To be helpful. Now, they have offered to hold items for us in the past but not like this. It’s always been after we requested help and then the employee would extend the offer to hold our items for convenience. So… we move on to a different part of the store and the bald man seems to have followed us that way too. Now I’d like to point out some things. Most of the women shopping in the store had purses. My daughter was wearing a small backpack. Like an accessory back pack. So perhaps it was that. I’d also like to mention no one else seemed to be followed, asked if their items could be held, and we were the only people of color. I’ve never left a review for this store before bc frankly there’s not much to say generally except that the shop is beautiful and has many lovely items that I enjoy looking through and collecting. Neither I nor my children have had an experience like this here before which is why it stood out. I know there is a sign up front “no large purses or backpacks” which is why at first I assumed maybe it was daughters bag- which I mentioned was very small. It’s basically a purse- can’t fit much in there but a cell phone and whatever small items she likes to bring for makeup touch ups. In any case, we were not the only women there with a purse/bag but we did seem to be the only people followed around and offered “extra help” With all that being said, and considering the current social climate these days, I’m really not sure if I’ll shop here again. This last experience was strange and...

I "discovered" this treasure trove establishment when my daughter...several years ago...began taking her three young children there to pick out Christmas gifts for Nana. And the treasures that now populate my home. A German WW1 gas mask: my grandsons were in their delight with flatulence phase; a beautiful vintage No5 Standard Underwood Standard Typewriter: they still urge me to write a blazing and swashbuckling tale of villians, heroes, beasts, and epic battles of good, evil, and bravery. A 19th century New York City wooden police truncheon and a vintage horse crop: since they were very young, Nana has threatened to "flog" them when they become too boisterous. My threats were met with laughter. There are so many more beloved gifts.

Today Nana brought home another Elm Street treasure of her own: a beautiful old wheelchair. I was asked if I was going to put it on a porch to support a flower pot. Absolutely not! No harmful elements or geranuims for it. The chair now sits comfortably surrounded by my prints and other ecletic pieces. All of which I love.

I wish I could give Antiques on Elm Street 10...

This is a really fun vintage/antique store set in an old department store. The store is not renovated but this adds to the character of shopping for vintage, collectibles and antiques. It is a multi-dealer shop with many booths setup throughout the store. Dealers price items individually and often mark the price tag with a discount, if paying by cash or check. There are things here to satisfy many tastes and collections....It's worth taking your time and looking as you may find an item that reminds you of your grandmother, mother or when you were a young child. Overall, the staff are very pleasant and want to assist customers..... there is an exception of one woman working behind the counter (who I believe is the shop owner). She was very sharp in her verbal interactions with customers, including me (making a $150+ purchase) and the cashier waiting on me, who happened to be the...