Story by Zoë Gipson, Reporter 
Photo courtesy of Zoë Gipson

Are you a Hipster? Prep? Soft Grunge? Punk? Hippie? Are you rolling in dough or buying your coffee in quarters? Are you trying to make a coffee table statement? Or finding a cool gift for low cost?  No matter who you are, antiquing is for you! Or could be! No matter your experience level, or what you’re looking for (or what’s looking for you), Eastown has you covered.

Eastown Antiques (1515 Lake SE– next to Jimmy Johns) @eastownantiques

If you’re looking for furniture and trinkets, Eastown Antiques is just down the street. Items ranging from bookshelves, vanity stands, tables, chairs, couches, and more are in the front of the store, while farther in the back, shelf after shelf of mugs, glasses, records, and trinkets of all types line the walls. Eastown Antiques also has a very active Instagram, which features newer items, as well as other local antique shops, such as Salvage Soul Sisters, as well as other passing dealers. This store provides high quality items, normally very fairly priced. They also have shelves throughout the store for smaller antiquing companies in Grand Rapids.

Argos Books (1405 Robinson SE– next to Rebel)

Looking for stacks of books and boxes of comics? Argos is your place. Book selections range from old copies of well-known favorites and books you never thought imagined. While most of the books here are not specialites worth a lot, the range of genre is huge for such a small space. There are a few autographed copies of lesser known books, and plenty of comics that you won’t find elsewhere. Argos offers a student discount of 10 percent, and while the stacks of books may seem intimidating, the owner can always point you in the right direction. Argos is the perfect way to make yourself seem more interesting with carefully chosen books for shelves and coffee tables for a low cost.

Redux Books (1435 Lake SE– next to Brandywine)

Redux Books offers a selection of books more rare than a typical bookstore, with an up and down stairs and glass cases of the more valuable books. Specializing in rare copies and books with a special link to Grand Rapids upstairs, with a less rare section downstairs, Redux is full of surprises. Higher quality books and rarer editions mean Redux is more pricey, but you can certainly find something worth your hard earned cash.