Antique-hunters want a singular experience to go with their singular purchase, and Sarasota Architectural Salvage delivers for another year running, with voters citing both tremendous selection and attitude of owner Jesse White as deciding factors. Women’s Exchange pulls down another finish as runner-up while Bon Bon Vintage takes second runner-up and Crissy Galleries, Canned Ham Vintage and Sarasota Trading Company all tie for third runner-up.—PL
Lori Swindell (on Sarasota Architectural Salvage): I was searching all over for the right mantle piece for the fireplace. Everything new in my price range had no character. One day I was looking around in Sarasota Architectural Salvage and found the perfect one. The size was good and it had detailed craftsmanship that I couldn’t find anywhere else. Jesse White told me that the piece came from a home in Sarasota and that he estimated it to be around 100 years old. I took it home and stripped the layers of white paint off of it and it turned out to be Cypress wood in perfect condition. Virginia Carnahan (on Women’s Exchange): Visiting the Women’s Exchange is like going on a treasure hunt each and every time you go. Not only are there “unique antiques” but there are memories around every corner. Rarely do I go there that I don’t hear someone say, “Oh, I had one of these. I wish I had kept it!”
