Elmer’s Barn

First of all, if you’re trying to find this place by GPS, just give them a call for directions. For starters, their real address is in Whitefield, not Coopers Mill. After struggling with the GPS and swearing and snarling at my husband, I finally thought «Duh, I have their number on this here phone, why not call them?»
The instant I said «I’m trying -» the lady who answered said «To find us on GPS?» So there’s that.
Second, this place feels more like three (or even four) different shops. There’s the stuff in the yard on the porch and on the ground floor, which is priced like you’d expect for a place where stuff is just thrown about in no real order and reaching for things brings up images of multi-​legged critters raining about your ears.
On the next floor things are organized into booths owned by different owners a la standard «Antique Mall,» and the prices range from ridiculously cheap to You must be kidding expensive. Upstairs is another big jumble but with the same price range as the floor before. It really is a place where you could spend a day just poking around.
Third, if you’re mean, take your claustrophobic friends to this place! I love the creepy, close atmosphere of the 1^st and 3^rd floors and like to imagine Mr. S. King had been in there a few times before he wrote Needful Things.

With what seems like miles and miles of antiques, it is hard to believe that there is this much history just sitting around that people have discarded. I purchased two absolutely flawless copies of «Life» magazine… one issue from 1958 with Bing Crosby’s quartet on the cover and a 1971 issue featuring Paul McCartney. The damage? $ 6 for all. I am astounded by the immaculate quality of the magazines, yet they have that «old» smell. Great keepsakes and at a great price. Lots of treasures like that can be found, they have some amazing stuff.

A landmark to natives and students of the nearby Maine Photo Workshops in Rockport, Elmer’s is not on the main tourist drag of Route 1. A bit further north in out of the way Coopers Mills (not so much a «town» as it is a gathering of a few buildings along Route 17), Elmer’s a is junk and antiques mecca… mostly junk. Housed in an aging 4-​story barn, the place requires an afternoon of spare time and curiosity. Each floor is filled with an odd variety of stuff from animal skulls and old chairs to vintage Playboy mags and a turn-​of-​the-​century casket (complete with skeleton). Every nook is jammed-​packed with some collector’s dream stash. Even the surrounding yard is peppered with hubcaps, bathtubs and Indian statues for sale. Depending on his mood that day, one should consider ending their tour with a chat with Elmer himself. A hearty Mainer, Elmer doesn’t get up much and doesn’t have too much to say, but what you can get out of him is precious. Just don’t bother attempting to talk him down on prices, a-​yuh.