The hidden valley of vintage wonders

NORTH CANAAN — New England is not a place that treasures the new. People here prefer clothes that have lost their from-the-box shine, cars that can still be fixed by their owners, furnishings that have earned a bit of a patina.

That’s not to say that there aren’t many wonderful and attractive shops in the region with shiny, new clothes, cars and decorative accessories.

But you won’t really find any of them in North Canaan. Of all the Northwest Corner towns, North Canaan is probably the one that takes the most pride in its working class roots. 

There are fewer weekenders here than in the other area towns; there are more families that have lived/worked/farmed here for generations. Even the biggest resort/holiday attraction in town, the Lone Oak Campsites, is more of a “regular folks,” old-fashioned operation, the kind that might be featured in a nostalgic film about the 1950s.

So it should come as no surprise that North Canaan has become the region’s premier town for second-hand and vintage shops. They have been popping up, like spring morel mushrooms, in little nooks and crannies around the downtown area. 

Old Soul has taken up residence in what used to be Jim’s Garage. Where pre-loved Subarus used to be sold there is now an expansive selection of pre-loved goodies for your house or garage.

Bill Hower, the former Subaru master, is still there, offering auto mechanic wisdom as well as lots of nifty old bits of machinery and car-related memorabilia; the main shop, curated by Deb Keller, has a mix of new small items such as soaps with surprising scents as well as older, alluring dishes, lamps, stuffed animals, sporting goods from ancient times (well, the 1940s).

On the same main street in town are the Tidds’ treasure shop, formerly a pet store; and Dave Mason’s array of art, furnishings and fashion in what used to be a grocery store. 

A relatively new arrival on the main drag is the Flea at 99, an emporium of about two dozen different vendors selling everything from old clothes to new outdoor furniture to old books to used sporting goods (much of it quite charming and quaint if not completely up to modern standards) to gardening gear and decorations. 

The sale spaces range from very small (a bookcase in the front room) to vast (the warehouse space at the back of the building). The vendors are organized by Shelley Brooks and her sister-in-law, Susan Bradley. Prices likewise range from the very small to the very large. 

Shoppers who want to hit several of these vintage storehouses on one visit to town are encouraged to come on weekends in the afternoon. The hours for the stores tend to be variable.