The Vermont Salvage Exchange

My hunt for awesome thrifting spots in the area unearthed a gem of a salvage yard about 40 minutes away in White River Junction. The Vermont Salvage Exchange covers three floors of a HUGE warehouse, and the industrial space reminds me of a Hollywood set, staged perfectly for the big shoot out showdown at the end of an action or horror flick.

The dark, dusty warehouse is packed to the gills with all manner of architectural salvage supplies, including old windows, age weathered doors, antique claw foot bath tubs, ornate moldings, giant wall cabinets, industrial lighting, the contents of an old bowling alley, retro school desks, wooden stadium seats, limestone sinks, and a thousand other things.

In the basement, hundreds (maybe even thousands) of windows are stacked on the half dirt half creaky wood plank floor. A sign on the wall informs customers that windows are priced "by the pane." 6 pane windows are $20, 8 pane are $25, and so on.

The main floor is chock full of large pieces like wall paneling, columns, hand hewn beams, display shelving units large enough to cover an entire wall, an enormous green factory turbine, stairway banisters, and a huge pergola in the middle of it all.

While the salvage yard is full of amazing eye candy and is a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon, unfortunately the prices (with the exception of the basement windows) are somewhat inflated. I would have loved to take home a few of the pieces we saw, but there were no bargains to be had. Still, the Vermont Salvage Exchange is definitely worth a visit if you appreciate old architecture, antique furniture, and general oddities.