Aurora Antique Pavilion — Local services in Edmonds

I've been coming to this mall for 2.5 years now. I would have been a customer for longer but if you live in Seattle, you could live here for years and not know this place exists because it is technically in Edmonds. Tip if you are going for the first time - go in the the Burlington Coat Factory main doors. Then before you go into the BCF store, look to your right and there are the stairs to the antique mall.

Be warned - this place is really big and you could easily spend 2-3 hours in there.

Unlike traditional antique stores, this is a mall that is made up of many different vendors who rent out the space to sell their antiques. The up side is that the variety is great. The downside is that if you are looking for some specialized knowledge on something in particular, the dealers aren't physically there to answer questions. The staff know a lot - but they can't know it all due to the sheer variety and quantity of items.

When I first started shopping here, there were a few vendors that didn't put a lot of thought to how their booths were styled. And although there were antiques around, there were also a lot of items that were definitely not vintage which I found frustrating.

But in the past year there have been a lot of new vendors who put a lot of work into their booth, regularly seem to bring in new stuff, and have genuine vintage items. I think this has raised the game of a lot of the other vendors because the quality of items is definitely on the rise. Out of the 20+ times I've been there, I think I've only left empty-handed a few times.

The atmosphere is very relaxed and it is not pretentious like some of the other antique malls in the area. Thus I find it quite pleasant to shop here. The staff that I've interacted with have been helpful and friendly. It can get busy in there sometimes, so if you need some assistance and the employees are already helping someone else, you may need to be a little patient. But I haven't had to wait more than 5 minutes and it hasn't been a big deal.

The vendors are a mix of niche dealers and random. I like this because if I am looking for something in particular, I know whose booths to go to. As for the dealers that just bring in whatever random treasures they found the past month - that is fun to look at too because sometimes I see things I didn't know I needed!

Some of the collectibles you can regularly find there from vendors who specialize: Star Wars items, antique wooden furniture, vintage and antique buttons, vintage tools, coins, vintage jewelry, vintage books, a large selection of vintage records, video games, glass paperweights, vintage Christmas ornaments, rustic/primitive decor, antique photographs, and a whole lot more that I'm forgetting right now.

I saw another reviewer mentioning that they were frustrated that they couldn't leave their bag behind the desk. Trust me - you don't want to leave your bag behind the desk. The staff are often running around opening cases for shoppers and I can see why they wouldn't want to be responsible for customer's valuables. I've always just left my backpack in my car when I'm traveling with it. It's not like the parking lot isn't close and they will wrap your items and give you a bag if...

This store is prejudiced against commuters. I do not own a car, I walk and I bus. I carry a backpack. I have shopped at this business for years though I have been a little ill as of late and have not been there in a few months however, I have spent a fair amount of money here over the years buying old toys, books and novelties. I walked there today and was refused entrance because I had a backpack. They use to let those of us who carried backpacks leave their backpack behind the counter but no more. This is a ridiculous against commuters. If I was carrying a very large purse or diaper bag I could walk around in there willy nilly but if my bag is strapped to my back and inaccessible instead of at my side and very handy for loose fingers, I am banned. For all intended legal purposes my backpack is my purse and my shopping bag. I work hard, I earn my money, and I spend my money the way I see fit. I like to buy things and I need to carry those things home safely. It is foolish to scare off customers who spend money and it is wrong to kick people out for bringing their own bag, especially in a community that has banned plastic bags. This speaks poorly of this store and this community. This is not the only business around here prejudiced to commuters. The grocery store Thriftway also has a backpack ban but at least they let customers drop them off behind the counter. Instead of going to this store I will go to Value Village, Goodwill, St. Vincent de Paul, Salvation Army, Garage Sales, and Estate Sales, the same places the people that run these booths go to get their goods or perhaps I will look online and shop on ebay or etsy or amazon for things. I wanted to support local brick & mortar stores against big chains and the Internet. I enjoy and enjoyed physically walking around shops and buying stuff and knowing that someone in this area is benefiting from it. Stores like this thrive on customers like me. I might have well spent a hundred today but now, not a dime will ever go to this place again. To the people with booths that sold over the years a Red Huckleberry Hound bank, vintage lunchboxes, old stuffed animals or action figures, vintage movie posters, old books, pulp books and magazines, books on film or art, records, cds, novelty glasses from McDonalds or Showbiz Pizza, old reels of movie film and camera equipment, you lost a customer today, even though it was not your fault specifically, the door watcher did you and me a disservice and this prejudicial treatment against the commuter is destroying the appeal of this...

Love an antique mall that’s so big I can’t possibly fool myself into thinking I can tackle it all in one visit - and inviting enough that I actually want to go back and finish poking around! First, and of highest importance: the employees/shopkeepers were very friendly. Attentive but not hovering, offered guidance when needed and did occasional rounds to empty full arms or open cabinets, but also let us wander at our own pace. Yay! There were many interesting booths here, catering to an array of tastes from glass collectors to boho/woodsy vintage to rockabilly, military collectors, watch aficionados, vintage gamers, and styles I couldn’t even begin to label. A great mix of booths offering homewares, clothing/accessories, art, memorabilia/ephemera, and furniture.

We visited in early December and they had a fun Christmas tree decorating contest going on where vendors displayed fun themed trees, with a little ballot at checkout for shoppers to vote on their favorite for an entry in a gift card raffle. A simple game that made me feel very welcome and included as a shopper, rather than like a nuisance to hoity-toity collectors.

One of the employees noticed I’d brought my UV flashlight and made sure to point out where the biggest concentration of uranium glass could be found - though I was still able to spot a few odd pieces tucked away in regular booths too! There was also so much beautiful antique furniture at prices that frankly blew me away (in a good way!). Many many dining sets, dressers, sideboards and china cabinets, plenty of cute vintage couches and even several bedroom sets. There seemed to be pieces ranging from centuries-old antiques to 80s retro, with the bulk representing mid 19th to early 20th century woodwork. Shame I’m not in the market to furnish a house right now! Around the central atrium of the funky old department store there were also stacks and stacks of artwork that we barely set eyes on with all the other treasures to explore, but they’re high on my list to rifle through next time.

Oh - and most importantly, they have a restroom!! Nothing says “we actually WANT you to enjoy spending a few hours here” like a...