This Pinellas County Antique Store Is A Hidden Treasure

No matter if you’re loaded with cash or barely scraping by, everybody loves a good bargain. Pinellas County is loaded up with pawn shops and antique stores, but some are much better than others. This Pinellas County Antique store might just be the best spot for vintage goods in Tampa Bay.

The Bay Area Antique Marketplace is one of those places you’ve probably passed by all the time but didn’t even know existed. This Pinellas County Antique store is easily one of the best places to find antiques and vintage decor, items, etc.

For starters, the Bay Area Antique Marketplace is an 11,000+ square foot antique mall with over 80 different dealers, booths, cases, and more. The Antique Marketplace started out as an empty warehouse back in 1999 which was called Tingler’s Furniture and Antique Mall before making the jump to this facility.

If you're just browsing, then you're in luck. The Antique Marketplace has thousands of antiques ranging from collectibles, mid-century items, vintage hardware, diecast cars, trucks and tractors, indoor & outdoor decor, furniture, American pressed glasses, and much more. You never know what you’ll find when you walk through the doors from trinkets and furniture to clothing and jewelry.

I have visited many antique smalls, both small and large, throughout the Tampa Bay area down to Sarasota, but this Pinellas County antique store beats out the rest. With new inventory daily, there is something for everyone.

I usually head into the store looking for vintage fishing lures, film cameras, or old-school bar signs. You can go in looking for one thing and come out with something completely different. The employees are very helpful and have always been honest about the items in the shop. 

The Antique Marketplace is open 7 days a week, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm (Monday through Saturday) and 12:00 pm - 5:00 pm on Sunday. They are located at 8010 US HWY 19 N. in Pinellas Park, FL.

You can visit their Facebook page for updates and info or give them a call at (727) 549-0450.

Tampa must be doing something right to have so many people move here every year. A recent Reddit thread asked the question, "what is Tampa doing right compared to other major cities?" A lot of people chimed in with their opinions. We thought we would highlight the best ones.

We know that Tampa is not perfect, and really any U.S. city could always use some improvements. But that doesn't mean Tampa isn't a great place to live or vacation. Compared to other cities, we seem to be doing a few things right. Now I have not been to every major U.S. city, but a fair share. So I think I can agree with everything the Reddit users have listed.

Recently Creative Loafing put out a survey to their readers. They had nearly 200 responses for the "What Tampa Bay Needs" survey. A Tampa Bay Times journalist even submitted his twelve suggestions that would make Tampa a better place. It included the obvious building of a train/light rail on 275, increasing public parks, building more sidewalks, and more. You can read all the suggestions here.

Although it needs some work, one surprising thing you will find on this list is public transportation. Everyone in the Tampa Bay area seems to agree that we need a better solution for our traffic. Maybe expanding lanes can help short term, but with the overwhelming number of people moving to Tampa, it can only help for so long. Many residents think that the new Howard Frankland Bridge won't make a bit of a difference when it comes to relieving traffic. The good news is that they are building the bridge to be able to equip a light rail when the time comes.

There's a reason TPA has a cult-like following. It's because it's been named one of America's best airports over and over again. Tampa International Airport is so organized and efficient compared to other airports like MCO (and from my personal experiences) Denver Airport, Phoenix, LAX, etc.

We know how bad the traffic can be in Tampa, but thankfully the road conditions aren't as bad as other major cities. It helps that we have multiple resources to report potholes, asphalt delamination, and more. Reddit users say they've filed complaints with the City of Tampa's fix it fast program and saw changes within 24-48 hours.

After realizing how much you pay for property taxes, you should really take advantage of your public library. Once you get a library card, you can download any ebook, magazine, and more from Hillsborough libraries through the Libby app. Plus many libraries offer kids clubs, ASL classes, and computers with Adobe programs.

This one may be controversial for some of you. But keep in mind we're comparing Tampa to other major U.S. cities. Compared to places like LA, NYC, Chicago, and New Orleans, Tampa is way cleaner than many other major markets. Think back a few weeks to Gasparilla, the day after the parade, it looked like it didn't even happen! Plus we have so many pet cleanup stations and trash cans that are regularly emptied.

While Tampa is lacking some major public transport like a light rail, the systems we do have are reliable and fairly affordable. We are forever grateful the TECO streetcar in Downtown Tampa is free to use. Our preferred way of getting around on Lightning game days. Plus, there's the Pirate Taxi, Cross Bay Ferry, and downtown has the cheap option of the Dash Tesla cabs. Riders are $2 each.

Speaking of Lightning game days. The Tampa Bay Lightning organization is one of the reasons that makes Tampa so great. Owner Jeff Vinik has put a lot of money and change into the city over the past few years. Plus, the way the players and organization interact with and help the community is outstanding. Someone also mentioned the traffic control around Lightning (and Bucs) games are way better compared to other cities.

Tampa is known for it's diverse population with a lack of segregated areas (besides Hyde Park and Davis Island). From restaurants, to art galleries and museums, Tampa is flooded with all kinds of culture. We are also home to the only trilingual paper in the country.