We went hunting for antiques and found all kinds of cool and weird stuff

By Jon Bodell - Oct 24, 2017 | 0 comments

We found this antique tobacco cutter at Re-Pete's New & Used Goods on Manchester Street. Now all we need is a bunch of raw tobacco to cut... JON BODELL / Insider staff

Is your bed a little chilly at night? You can pick up this pair of antique bed warmers from Re-Pete's New & Used Goods on Manchester Street and solve all your problems -- just keep a fire extinguisher close by, just in case. JON BODELL / Insider staff

If you're in the market for an antique tintype photo of some random people, Concord Antiques Gallery is the place you need to go -- there are plenty of them to choose from, including this one of some guy. JON BODELL / Insider staff

This contraption here is an antique field cradle we found in the basement of Hilltop Consignment Gallery downtown. Apparently these were used back in the day when Mom and Pop were out working the fields and little Suzie or Billy needed to take a nap but couldn't be left alone in the house. JON BODELL / Insider staff

If you want a fancy alternative to your 99-cent plastic candy dish, you can snag this antique bride's basket, circa 1875, at Concord Antique Gallery on Storrs Street. This enamel-painted satin glass bowl was a luxury item given to brides in the 19th century. JON BODELL / Insider staff

If you like to keep your cookies in jars at least 100 years old, you can pick this one up at Concord Antique Gallery on Storrs Street. This Chinese jar is believed to be from the 18th century, though it could be even older. JON BODELL / Insider staff

This antique secretary desk at Hilltop Consignment Gallery is in stunningly good shape for something that's more than 100 years old. And it's still functional, too. JON BODELL / Insider staff

This antique storage chest from Hilltop Consignment Gallery is from the 19th century, and it looks like it's still serving its purpose today. JON BODELL / Insider staff

Gary F. Yeaton Antiques has this antique bow-front desk with a 12-panel front made in Portsmouth in about 1810. It was owned by sea captain Charles Blunt, who was killed by pirates at sea. The chest was made by federal furniture makers Jonathan Judkins and William Senter. This one runs about 35 grand. JON BODELL / Insider staff

We don’t spend much time in antique shops these days. Usually, if we go anywhere or if we’re looking for something, it’s all about what’s new.

In the case of this issue, we set out to find what’s old. And we mean really old. Like, antique old.

Concord has three stores that deal in antiques, each of which has its own individual identity, we quickly learned on our little antiquing expedition last week.

The one thing all of the stores have in common, though, is that none of them deals strictly with antiques. At Re-Pete’s New & Used Goods on Manchester Street, Concord Antique Gallery on Storrs Street and Hilltop Consignment Gallery on North Main Street, antique products are sold alongside vintage and even modern ones. A fourth place, Gary F. Yeaton Antiques, does deal strictly in antiques, but it isn’t exactly a store open to the public. To take a look at Yeaton’s stock, call 228-4840.

On our journey to all three public stores, we poked around and asked some questions to try to find some of the most interesting and unusual items we could. It was an experience that acted both as a shopping trip and a history lesson of sorts, as shopping for antiques is a lot like going to a museum.

Here’s a little sampling of what we found.