Aardvark Antiques

Either Brian S. never bought the giant 8 foot gorilla sculpture or he did & the owner found another because there’s still one in the yard.
I never thought I needed a dragon statue that doubled as a light fixture until I came here. Now I wonder A. how I can afford two of them and B. is my house big enough to fit them?
Sadly I can’t afford the wonderful unique items they sell at Aardvark antiques, but once I can, I’m so here!

This is one wild menagerie!
I’m no antique enthusiast but I do enjoy seeing cool stuff, old or otherwise. I loved this place.
My wife and I were heading into Newport and she indicated she wanted to check this place out. I pulled into the yard and parked in their somewhat cramped but appreciated lot.
Just walking around outside could have been enough. I can only imagine the mansions or locations that would have had some of the statues and fountains they have on display. Almost mind boggling.
Then we went inside. I felt like we rushed through what we could have spent hours looking at. Room after room of things that I’d maybe seen in movies or didn’t know existed. If it’s old, unusual, or eccentric they probably have at least two.
I would come back if I hit the lottery and wanted a unique conversation piece…

Pretty cool place — not traditional if you’re an antique store comber. The place is big, first of all — you’ll need a solid hour to wander just through the inside. Then there’s an entire outdoor area that I didn’t even get to because it was raining (thanks, tropical storm Danny).
There are amazing, unique, fabulous pieces here. Intricate tables, mantlepieces, stained glass. Don’t come if you’re looking to pick up something small however — they do have some, but it seems they’re more interested in the big pieces.
I saw items in the $ 8500-​$ 14,000 range, to give you some perspective. They have less expensive stuff, mind you — but the furniture appropriate to the golden age of Newport is pricey now. Also, some of the things they have there are actually from that period and legit.
In addition to the antiques, there are random pieces of NOT antique stuff from China. Teak tables, chairs, and some sort of dragon statue originally destined for a Chinese temple. What are these things doing here? I couldn’t figure it out. They were nice, but seemed out of place.
Overall a great place to stop and gaze, browse, and drool. I’ll be going back every few weeks from now on.

A
different
perspective
If you enjoy strange or bizarre things, It just can’t get any cooler than Aardvark Antiques. The owner has been called an urban archaeologist. That’s an euphemism for junk collector. But incredibly cool junk.
Where the hell does he find this stuff. Every time I go he has some new and incredibly bizarre things. Gigantic gates that look like they came off a castle. Huge urns that you could plant a Sequoia in. I have my eye on a giant 8 foot gorilla sculpture. I’ll face it toward my neighbors yard. I bet that would shut up his barking dog.