Despite many folks who have mocked Marche Aux Puces all my life, I tend to enjoy visiting one from…read moretime to time. The Laval one is small with a practically non-existent food court but the wealth of independent stores make it a popular hub for those of use who want to buy consumable goods over the traditional bartering at the countless kiosks inside the market inside. Sami Fruit is one of the best places to buy fruits and nuts,.they have a butcher place for great cuts of meat, a bakery that does a great job, several competent fish markets ... to be honest, the Marche Aux Puces is now actually a half decent farmer's market at this point with a mediocre "marche au puces" section. The marche au puces sections is crowded but interesting things can be found. It's a bit hectic on the weekends but I'd rather have that than the begging and annoyance you get going there being harassed by vendors during the week. Deal can be made, sometimes great but be careful, some will gladly rip you off. Parking is aplenty but people here REALLY CAN'T PARK NOR DRIVE!!! So I park far away! Beyond that, a nice place to visit, particularly for the consumable goods.

How do I even begin to describe this place? Tight.Tight.Tight.Andeventighter. This isn't the type…read moreof place where you'll be waltzing from one section to another. You're better off walking sideways and make sure your bubble coat- or jacket like I was wearing somehow isn't in the way. The space from entrance to back is long; there's also another side room with more antique and vintage finds. This son and father duo must seriously be doing something right because they've been here for the last 40+years (?) if not more. And prices? REASONABLE. Despite Collectioneur's tight-ass layout, by no means is this all there is when it comes to purchasing antiques and vintage- but this place is strangely pretty damn great. Especially, for our future Montréal visits.

If you are looking for a well-organized shop that is a mix of junk and 20th century vintage items,…read morethis may suit you. Like many places of its kind, you may find yourself struggling with items you would see at decent yard sales for much less. It also takes a keen eye to pick out the treasures amongst the less-than-treasures. The owner is engaging (and at least from my limited vantage point) seemed to be a bit more interested in selling than running a museum, which is not always the case with these shops. Here are a few of the types of items you will see... 1. antique photographs of people. 2. coke coolers and commemoartive soda bottles. 3. license plates. 4. small antique boxes for things like bathroom items or car parts. 5. 1920s-1960s furnirure. 6. Some signage. 7. Paintings/prints. 8. Glassware. 9. Coins. 10. Records.

Local 23 recently moved to a new location a couple of blocks from the original, and while I will…read morealways mourn the never-ending charm of the Bernard spot, what with the fitting rooms made from a bathroom and a coat closet, the ceiling falling down and the floor coming up.... it was clearly necessary! The new space on Boulevard Saint-Laurent is gorgeous, and much easier to shop (as in no squatting down to look at racks) and has much more room in general. They've kept a few small elements of the old place (hilarious vintage decor) which I'm very happy about, because honestly, it was the second best part of the store! The quality of the vintage stock seems to have improved, in that the less interesting flimsy modern pieces are pretty much gone. Not much else has changed other than the name/branding ( Local x annex) -- they still do their 30% and 50% markdowns, and the pricing seems about the same. Hopefully the new store will have air conditioning in the summer!!

The store is well-curated (smallish). I visited several embarrassment of riches (and rags)…read moreestablishments in Montreal and this is not one of them. I left the store after purchasing two awesome, reasonably priced items. But then I had problems with my bixi (there's a station outside the store.) I went back into the store and the store clerk kindly let me use her phone to call bixi. (Thanks again!)

This renaissance is huge! 4 floors. It just doesn't have that good of a selection. Their books are…read moremainly french and in bad condition. The clothes are all dated. And in general it just didn't seem as inviting as other renaissance shops I've been to. But if you're willing to look through everything thoroughly, you will probably find gems. I spotted an iPhone case by Apple, the silicone one, for $5! Too bad it wasn't for my phone model. Upside is there's a village des valeurs nearby so if you don't find anything you can walk 5 minutes and try another thrift store.

Renaissance is like a Salvation Army or Value Village with a solid focus on supporting the local…read morecommunity. This one is 3 stories under the weird and wonderful arches of the Plaza St Hubert. It's hit or miss because that's how second hand shopping works, , and I've never had the best luck here but I love it anyway.

This is an incredibly special place that's difficult to put into words. Kept carefully secret for…read moredecades, and now only open few hours a day on a few days a week, when you come here please move carefully and slow and know that you are on some sacred old school Montreal hallowed ground. The Little Shop is tucked in an old Parc Ex residential duplex, the only sign there is a wonder world in here is the demurely open door a few afternoons a week. The collections fill every single room of the mainfloor, basement and second floor apartments. And I do mean collections: there is material behind this quiet, gritty, working class frontage for a massive fashion, fibres and collectibles history museum. A room devoted to antique lace? Midlength cocktail dresses? Picture frames? Crates of hundreds of vintage eyeglasses, bowties, bakelite, turn of the century hats, 100 year old Spanish hand embroidery? Yes, all of this and more. Though it's overwhelming, like every secondhand and vintage store you've seen has sucked and tucked the best of themselves into tight corners of this one building out of a sheer undeniable desire to be together, there is order. For example, a wall of carefully folded quilts greets you when you walk in, including beautiful historic pieces usually only seen in museums and in movies... Because the secret of the Little Shop is this: it's the private, professional renters that are it's original appointment-only clientele. The Cirque du Soleil comes here to rent costumes and set dressings, the McCord and other museums borrow from here to fill out exhibits, the Spiderwick Chronicles created rich fantasy worlds out of the goods hidden in the Little Shop. And they are often hidden: apparently props people are notorious for hiding their finds amidst the dusty bounty... and the staff laugh tolerantly when they find a room that's been tossed, as they begin the Sysiphian work of re-establishing order. The owner is kind, and incredibly wise about the history and value of her goods, generous in spirit with the young vintage kids who come find her these days, even the couture kids who dig and dig and leave with the same old brand name things. She is carrying on a tradition inherited from a generation before: truly brave, creative, inspiring parents who carefully opened their vast hearts to artists and cultures and taught generations of Montrealers about the stories and true blood and sweat values in these goods. Take a minute to have tea with the cool people hanging out there, if you're lucky enough to be offered one, and you'll be overwhelmed with stories of great Montrealers like Hugh MacLennan, you'll find out you're sitting next to a master laceworker, and you'll get a glimpse of a special beating heart that belongs only to this town.

THE LITTLE SHOP Open WedThursSat 2-5pm and sun noon-3pm…read more1002 Ogilvy (one street east of L'Acadie,one street north of JeanTalon) I first started shopping at The Little Shop over 30 years ago. It was a treasure trove during my rockabilly time: crinolines, bustiers, polka dot scarves, pointy kitten heels. Working in the fashion industry, it was a great place to buy inspirational pieces in design, and fabrication. My house has gone thru many changes with buys from the shop: lace tablecloths, chintz curtains, mid-century prints, tiny bedside tables. The big draw was the owner Ann Silverstone. A warm and curious woman she always made you feel welcome. And she always had a story about a piece or about someone who had come into the shop. She knew everyone in theatre and film ( renting out clothing and housewares) and had a tear sheet at the ready to share with those she knew "in the business". When she passed it was hard to go to the shop. One always expected to see her in her chair sorting thru her latest finds. But I did go back. I couldn't pass up those great items she had found. I am happy to say that the shop is thriving under the management of her daughter, Jill. And Ann's constant aid and companion, Phyllis, is also still "in the house'. You are still treated to tea and cookies in the afternoon. And you get stories on the old and new acquisitions. The clothes and hats and house linens have a little more organization. It was daunting to some on where to start. And the prices are still good (The prices are fair for their provenance ). There are kids clothes and dolls, sequinned jackets and vests, a room filled with lace and crochet, vintage ski sweaters and tweed jackets, shoes and hats and gloves, boxes and vases and books, buttons and pins and glasses, and friendly people with interesting stories to tell. It's still the best adventure in the city!

Oh my gosh this beautiful new vintage co-op on the Pointe-Claire Shopping Centre is an absolute…read moreheart-breaker just packed, packed, PACKED with true treasures. If you are a collector you must go check this out. Ten different vintage collectors created a cooperative to share this spot and showcase their most rare and cool and lovely things. This is killer 50's and 60's Canadiana, true nerdy fun gorgeous collectible glassware and toys, and so much more. The prices are fair, it's not cheap but its not overpriced either for what you find. It's such a cool addition to this great, classic small town shopping centre. It's in the spot of Ted's Hobby Shop which would make me very sad because that is an incredible wonderland, but apparently Ted's just moved to a bigger spot in the new section of the mall so no worries, just more goodness to go around.

Fantastic prices and great items - you name it they have it…read more Plaza ANTIQUE at Plaza Pointe Claire

Low prices and awesome selection! Owner was very nice and willing to negotiate prices.read more

Middle of the road thrift store…read more On one hand they have really great selection. But, am I interested to pay 150$ for a vintage dress because it's vintage silk...Maybe not. If you are grossed out by places like "village des valeurs" and renaissances. It's a great place for you since all the good stuff is already skimmed out. In fact, there is a few stores like this one almost neighbouring each other so if you want the full experience. Look around on Saint-Laurent. This is a great place for a stop.

I was recently wandering around Old Montreal with my daughter and we stumbled into this eclectic…read morehome goods store. It was fairly new; I had never seen this store before. The lovely young woman who worked there told me that they opened within the year, and there were two other Design Zola stores (one in Brossard and one on the plateau). Looking at the stores online, this site is rather small compared to the other locations, but man, it's in prime Vieux Montreal location, right on St. Paul across from the Bonsecours Market. I really like the business philosophy and corporate values of this company (i.e., supporting fair trade, and eco-friendly product lines). Personally, I'm not so into the boho/Indian/hippie aesthetic so much (think ceramic Buddha sculptures, brass Indian candelabras, rustic wooden frames surrounding mirrors, hanging star lanterns, lots of brass things, hand-painted ceramic knobs and hooks, batik-covered poof ottomans, elephant sculptures....you get the idea. They also carried lots of home textiles and some rustic wood furniture pieces. It all reminded me of a cross between Anthropologie and Restoration Hardware. But I appreciated the high quality of the goods, and my daughter really liked it all. Prices are high, but quality is good. It appeared like the items here are well-made and would last a long time. They also have some smaller, incidental-type items, like incense and incense accessories and hand-forged metal wall hooks. They also had a few decorative cushions around $40. So there are a few items here that aren't super pricey, and one could probably find some reasonably priced gifts here for folks who are into this Indian-boho look.