Discovering Antiquities' Street in Berlin

There are many Antiquities Stores all over Berlin, selling more or less high priced sophisticated items, from furniture to second hand clothes or books. Every weekend, in various places across the city, main avenues, parking places or parks are occupied by stands where you can find anything, from memoralia to old furniture. However, if you do not have too much time and you are looking for various purchases, Berlin has a special street where dozen of shops are ready to offer, with or without negotiations, almost everything a serious antiquities lover is looking for.

The stores are bordering Suarezstrasse, in Charlottenburg, near the Sophie Charlotte Platz U-Bahn station. The best time of the year to visit is during the summer, as you can make yourself an idea about what each store offers. You can start by having a coffee outdoors and with a map in your hand, plan your next move. As for me, I decided to go to each and every of the stores to explore the offer in the smallest details.

The service is usually friendly and in serious stores, like the ones selling furniture (Chalet Antique, for instance, sells Biedermann and Jugendstil furniture) or special artworks (like porcelain or various glass works, as by Schöne alte Gläser or Norbert Hüsken or Detlef Wazynski, selling old lamps) you can always find orientation and guidance, especially if you are interested in specific items. For the high-end stores, the prices start around 200 EUR and can go as up as the quality of the products requires.

In case you are interested in some souvenirs and small items for your nostalgic collection, it is easy to find more than one place, where the prices are between 1-20 EUR, such as by Spitze Verkauf - clothes, Antik Center, Antiques&Nipps - toys or old hats. All you need is a lot of time to check the sometimes crowded shelves one by one.

There is a lot of kitsch too, sometimes sold for a high price - the huge animals nearby can cost many thousands of euro, and are prefered, among others, by companies interested in some special welcoming giants in their lobby. Owners of old furniture can find various reparation and restauration services too. One the year, at the beginning of autumn, this unique street in Germany has its own special festival where you can see the best antiquities in their old splendor. 

As for me, although I am not a huge fan of antiquities, an afternoon spent among so many historical objects teaches me a lot about family histories and mentalities. At least for that and it is worth a visit.