Pick & Grin: A Broad Street Bargain Hunt in Downtown Gadsden

Park the car, start picking and always check the records.

By Kelly Caldwell

I am not particularly good at walking into an antique store with a plan.

But there is one thing I am always looking for.

Records.

I love vinyl.

I love flipping through it. I love the album covers. I love finding something I haven’t seen in years. I love finding something I already own and still pulling it out to see what condition it’s in.

And I especially love that moment when you’re flipping through a stack and suddenly stop.

Well, look at that.

So when it comes to treasure hunting in downtown Gadsden, I have one rule.I

Always check the records.

A New Spin on an Old Favorite: Gadsden Variety

Gadsden Variety has been one of my sources for great vinyl for years.

On our visit, we found that new owners had really flipped the place around.

Things had expanded. Spaces had changed. There was a new energy inside, but thankfully, there were still plenty of treasures to dig through.

And, of course, I checked the records.

I always check the records.

That’s the thing about buying vinyl this way. Sure, I could sit at home and search for a particular album online. Chances are I could find it pretty quickly.

But where’s the fun in that?

I’d rather flip through 100 records and suddenly find the one that makes me stop.

Maybe it’s an album I haven’t heard in years. Maybe the cover alone brings back a memory. Maybe it’s something I’ve never heard before but decide is worth taking a chance on.

Maybe it’s something I absolutely do not need but somehow end up carrying to the register anyway.

The hunt is part of it.

Actually, the hunt may be the best part.

A Different Vibe at The Station on Broad

Then there is The Station on Broad.

At the time of our visit, it shared owners with Gadsden Variety, but offered a completely different vibe.

And I love that.

The Station feels more curated. It’s the kind of place where you slow down and notice how things have been put together. Gadsden Variety scratches my let’s dig and see what we find itch. The Station gives you a different kind of shopping experience without ever leaving Broad Street.

That’s what makes this little stretch of downtown Gadsden work so well for a bargain hunt.

You don’t have to choose one kind of treasure hunting.

You can have both.

And Then There Is Dusty Things

Dusty Things may have one of the most appropriate names for an antique store ever.

Because this is where you dig.

Books. Collectibles. Records. Things you recognize immediately. Things you haven’t seen since you were a kid. Things you have absolutely no idea what they are.

You just never know what you may find.

And that’s exactly how I like it.

But here’s what I’ve realized about antique stores.

They let you shop for memories.

An album can take you back to a particular place just as quickly as Teddy Ruxpin did for me while treasure hunting in Centre.

You see the cover and suddenly remember riding around listening to that song. Or your parents playing it. Or buying your first copy. Or the concert you went to. Or somebody you haven’t thought about in years.

The object isn’t really the story.

The memory attached to it is.

And maybe that’s why I can lose so much time in places like Gadsden Variety, The Station on Broad and Dusty Things.

I’m not really looking for anything.

Until suddenly I am.

Park It and Pick

That’s the beauty of doing this in downtown Gadsden.

This isn’t a get-in-the-car-after-every-stop kind of treasure hunt.

Broad Street lets you park, walk and see what catches your eye.

Start digging at Gadsden Variety. Wander down to The Station on Broad. Give yourself plenty of time at Dusty Things.

And don’t rush.

Because somewhere in those booths, shelves, stacks and record bins might be the thing you didn’t know you were looking for.

That’s what makes a good bargain hunt.

You might come home with an antique.

You might come home with a record.

You might come home empty-handed.

But chances are pretty good you’ll come home with a story.

And that, I’m discovering, is what Pick & Grin is really all about.

Check individual shops for current hours before your visit. Inventory changes, so every treasure hunt offers something different.

The Station on Broad

So many things to see at Dusty Things