From furniture or vases to memorabilia and ephemera, the streets of Madrid offer collectors and sentimentalists gems from past times that have kept their allure and value.

El Rastro

In Madrid, every journey in search of everyday artefacts from past times should begin at El Rastro. In the vicinity of Calle de la Ribera de Curtidores, there’s a high number of amazing curiosity shops, where you can come across everything from trinkets and junk to collectibles and vintage furniture. El Rastro is an ever-changing organic street market, which makes it difficult to map it out with accuracy. So the ideal strategy could be to give in to the flow and go where your feet take you. A few renowned dealers are worth a visit, though. Nuevas Galerías (Ribera de Curtidores, 12) and Galerías Piquer (Ribera de Curtidores, 29) house a bunch of reliable specialist shops: Juan Salas Antigüedades Salas (late Middle Ages to late nineteenth century), Mercedes Cabeza de Vaca (porcelain dolls), Berenis (a highly prestigious dealer), El Jueves (eighteenth- to twentieh-century furniture), and others.

In the nearby Calle de Arganzuela, Plaza del General Vara de Rey and other alleyways, you can find vintage furniture (both originals and replicas), old books, war memorabilia and all sorts of ephemera. Check out these three dealers: El Transformista (Mira el Río Baja, 16-18) and La Europea (Plaza del General Vara de Rey, 11).

Other great options are Almoneda El 11 at No. 4 Calle Bastero, in the neighbourhood of La Latina; Almoneda Pombo & Chantal, at No. 5 Calle Mira El Rio Alta, and Almoneda Benavente (No. 29 Ribera de Curtidores).

Barrio de las Letras (Literary Quarter)

Second-hand and vintage shops are also quite active in Barrio de las Letras, where you can find Bakelita (Cervantes, 26), offering gems in European and American furniture from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries; or Modernario (Santa María, 20), specialising in constructivism and modern furniture from the mid-twentieth century. On the first Saturday of the month, dealers take their merchandise out for the flea market known as Mercado de las Ranas. In June, they organise DecorAcción, another great market for décor bargains.

Plaza Mayor

Coin and stamp collectors have their place in Madrid in Plaza Mayor and its surroundings. Every Sunday, sellers and buyers meet to exchange items of historical or sentimental value. During the week, some shops in the area also carry stamps and coins.

Barrio de Salamanca

Some of the finest antique dealers in Madrid stand on the elegant streets in Barrio de Salamanca. Many of them, like Antigüedades Serrano (Jorge Juan, 28), Rica Basagoiti (Gurtubay, 2) or Antigüedades Conde de Aranda (Conde de Aranda, 5), focus on the classical period. Some of the best deals, however, come from the auctions held on a regular basis by antiquaries such as Durán (Goya, 19), Segre (Segre, 18), Goya (Montesa, 31) and Ansorena (Alcalá, 52).

Quintana

Off the M-30, there’s one of the weirdest markets in Madrid: the sticker market in Plaza de Quintana. Although most stickers aren’t vintage items, collectors young and old gather on Sunday morning to complete their collections, in the hope that they add value with time, and maybe spot a gem or two…

Fairs

Finally, Madrid plays host to several antique fairs.

• Almoneda. Spring. A nine-day fair gathering thousands of unique antiques that are at least 50 years old.

• Feriarte. November. An autumn fair held for more than 40 years now, offering antiques that are at least 100 years old.

• ClassicMadrid and Retromóvil Madrid. Classic Motor Show. February and December. The halls for lovers of the classics on wheels.

• Antiquarian Book Fair and Madrid Autumn Antique Book Fair: The two main events for bibliophiles in the Spanish capital.

• Saturdays at El Rastro. A unique experience can be enjoyed at the Plaza del General Vara del Rey with the best creators and trend-spotters in all disciplines, gastro-fun, high-end cocktails, crafts, art or music. The Casa de Campo convention centre is hosting Desembalaje Madrid, the city’s most historic fair for antiques and vintage collectables, an unmissable event for professionals and enthusiasts.
• Almoneda Navidad. December Antiques, art galleries and collecting fair that brings together more than 12,000 objects such as furniture and decorative objects of different styles and periods.