Welcome to
Curious Belongings
At Curious Belongings, we turn second hand shopping into an upscale experience. In addition to our one-of-kind antiques, we also provide a wide array of new goods for all your home design and entertainment needs. Since 1951, we’ve served as the premier Antique Store in the Brainerd Lakes Area. We’re committed to providing unique, high-quality merchandise, backed by over 100 years of combined knowledge and experience in Crosslake, Minnesota.
About Us
Four Generations of Fabulous Finds
At Curious Belongings, our eclectic curbside may attract your attention, but our friendly, knowledgeable service and unique selection of products will keep you coming back year after year.
We are proud fourth generation business in Crosslake, MN, right off the prestigious Whitefish Chain of Lakes within the popular vacation area of the Brainerd Lakes Area. We are a must stop shop, specializing in glassware, yard art & furniture, new & old home decor, genuine antiques, fabric, holiday decor and so much more!
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Proprietor Teddie Nelson has a long history of service to the Crosslake area and is a well-known face in our community. In 1945, Teddie's parents, Ted and Betty Ball opened the Birch Hill Inn, a resort and restaurant, to help provide food and lodging for locals and visitors alike. In 1951, Teddie and her mother Betty opened The Tulip Antique Shop on the north side of Crosslake. After 38 years in business, Teddie purchased The People's Store in 1989 from Harley Lande, which merged the Tulip Shop's expertise in glassware with Harley's collection of primitive furniture, and allowed Teddie to relocate into our present day location. In 1997, Victoria Rangel, Teddie's oldest daughter, joined the business and together in 2001, they opened a second location, 202 Antiques On Main in Crosby, MN.
In 2003, Teddie's grandson, Austin Nelson, began learning the family trade and started managing the Crosslake store. As the "collectible antique" market began to slow, and new home decor started to become more popular, we as a family decided that the store needed a new name to highlight the widening array of products we offer. In 2014, The People's Antique Store was renamed to Curious Belongings. In 2022, Victoria unfortunately had to close the Crosby store due to a car accident. After much discernment the family together has decided that it would be best to close 202 Antiques in Crosby and relocate back to the main store in Crosslake. We would like to sincerely thank all our wonderful patrons over the 22 years at our Crosby location!
Altogether, we have taken our four generations' worth of knowledge and expertise, and travelled the world, to build the largest, single-family owned, inventory in Minnesota. And we would love to show you all that we have to offer!
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Products & Services
Rentals
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We offer our wonderful collection of products available for rent. Having an outdoor party or wedding? Our arbors and outdoor candelabras are perfect for those celebrations. Or want unique antique or vintage serving pieces we also rent those products as well.
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Price varies depending on type of product. Inquire more information.
Appraisals & Estate Sale Pricing
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We offer in-store or at-home appraisals. If you have a singular item that you would like professionally documented and appraised, make an appointment and we are happy to help. In-store cost: $99
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For larger collection of items we offer in-home appraisals: $125/hr and min. one hour.
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What is included in our appraisals is detailed history of the item, current retail market value, estate or garage sale value, and insurance/replacement value.
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If you are planning on having an estate/garage sale we offer our services to help properly your price items. Our fee is $125/hr but often we can trade service for product.
Selling? We buy!
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If you are looking to sell some of your personal treasures feel free to email us images and we would be happy to let you know if we are interested.
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If there are items that we would like to purchase you can either bring them into the store or we can make an appointment to come to your home or storage location to assess and purchase.
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We pride ourselves on being fair and honest. We offer fair market cash value as well as higher value in store credit.
Store Information
Crosslake Location
36378 County Road 66, Crosslake, MN 56442
At our Crosslake location, you may be misled from the outside, where we showcase our wide variety of exterior iron home decor, patio furniture, and unique selection of lawn and garden ornaments. With one step inside, however, you will be amazed by our wide selection of quality household goods, trendy barware, Christmas and holiday decorations, upholstery material, and genuine antiques. Take a look at our lower level and you will find unique hand-picked home decor, furniture, our library, and useful kitchen primitives.
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Teddie and Austin are known for their merchandise expertise and customer service. They pride themselves in knowing the history of their extensive inventory, and are eager to share the stories behind each item. Their quality inventory is changing constantly, based directly on the needs of their valued customers. With new merchandise arriving all the time, the level of variety at Curious Belongings is unparalleled.
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Questions or looking for something in particular? Feel free to give us a call because we always on the hunt.
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Hours
Summer (Memorial Day-Labor Day):
Mon-Sat 10:30am-4pm; Sun 11am-3pm
Off Season (Sept.-Dec. and March-May):
Saturdays 10:30am-4pm; By Chance, or by appointment
Closed (January 1st through Mid-March)
Call for specific inquiries