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
Appraisals & Estate Sale Pricing
Curious Belongings offers appraisals both on site at your residence and at our Crosslake location. The rate for "on site" visits is $125 per hour, with a minimum charge of one hour. This is recommended for items that are large or heavy, or for appraisals of many items. The "at shop" rate is $95 per hour, with a minimum charge of one hour. This works best for smaller items such as silver, china, and art.
Appraisals fall into three categories: Insurance, Current Market, and Estate/Yard/Moving sale valuations. Any one, or a combination of these, may be provided for the appraised items depending on your needs. We will happily price for your upcoming sale, however we leave the responsibility of running the sale up to you. For more information or to arrange an appraisal, please contact us.
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Please note - If you are interested in selling your items, we may offer to trade our hourly assessment rate for a fair sale price of the items.
Selling? We buy!
We are always on the hunt for new (old) product. If you’re downsizing or simply looking to sell some of your items feel free to reach out and let us know what you got! We pride ourselves on being very fair and honest when purchasing your valuables and have built our reputation on our integrity. Best way to let us know what you may have is to send some photos via email and we will be happy to let you if we are interested.
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 10am-4pm; or by appointment
Closed (January 1st through Mid-March)
Call for specific inquiries