Under The Boardwalk

June 9, 2017

For those who grew up in New Jersey, going “down the shore” between Memorial Day and Labor Day is an integral part of their life story. Long days lying in the hot sun, dipping toes in the cool ocean, digging up crabs, and scavenging for seashells all play a part in those memories. Perhaps one of the best traditions, however, was walking the boards – strolling along the boardwalk and taking in all the sights, smells and sounds that summer had to offer. The New Jersey boardwalks – 26 of them from Sea Bright to Cape May – have been ballyhooed for decades, from the most valuable piece of real estate in Monopoly to an acclaimed HBO series “Boardwalk Empire,” nothing evokes the memories of summer more than the 1964 hit by the Drifters, “Under the Boardwalk.”
For the month of June, the Grist Mill Antiques Center has collected all the treasures that recall beach and boardwalk days from the past. Their special display is brimming with vintage seaside collectibles such as sand pails and toys, postcards and prints, graniteware crab pots, oyster plates and tins, seagulls and sea-life figurines featuring manufacturers such as Murano Glass and Cambridge Glass, Ruby Flash souvenir glassware, lighthouses, ships, and scrimshaw. They also have shells and shell-themed jewelry, tableware and pottery, as well as Fiesta and Stangl dishes in the colors of the sand and sea, picnic baskets, Scotch-plaid coolers and picnic ware, transistor radios, fishing gear, block and pulleys, travel maps, compasses, and pink flamingos. If that’s not enough, the shop also has a collection of abalone, red coral, and mother-of-pearl items to accessorize summer houses. And this is just a small representation of all the seashore memorabilia that’s in the multi-dealer shop.
There is always something going on at Grist Mill Antiques Center. The store hosts a Scavenger Hunt on the last Wednesday of each month. Light refreshments are served, and lists are given out at 5 p.m. The person who finds the most items on the list is awarded a $25 gift certificate. The semiannual flea market will be held on Sunday, Oct. 22, where dealers from this shop and sister shop Haddon Heights Antiques Center offer up treasures at discounted prices. The Grist Mill Antiques Center is located at 127 Hanover St. (Route 616) in Pemberton, N.J. It is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours to 8 p.m. every Wednesday.
For more information and to see more photos of the June showcase, visit www.gristmillantiques.com.




 

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