I have been an avowed treasure hunter for as long as I can remember. I come by it naturally. Both of my parents never passed up an opportunity to sift through potential heirlooms.

Thankfully, San Antonio has more than its fair share of vintage/thrift/antique shops to satisfy the thrill of the hunt. Nothing makes me happier than finding a unique, quirky, can’t-live-without-it item that I definitely couldn’t buy at a big box store. Here are four of my favorite haunts. What are yours? Please let me know in the comments below.

• Alamo Antique Mall
  125 Broadway at Travis
  Open Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Antiques at Broadway
  5226 Broadway
  Open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Assistance League of San Antonio Thrift House
  2611 West Avenue
  Open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Boysville Thrift Store
  307 West Olmos Drive
  Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Green Door Thrift Shop
  1030 Nacogdoches Road
  Open Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Shops at Blanco Roundabout
  Blanco at Fulton
  Various hours, check website of each shop

Denise Barkis Richter, Ph.D., author of “San Antonio’s Passport to Fun,” has been blogging about San Antonio since June of 2010. Follow her at facebook.com/SanAntonioTourist so that you’ll never miss a post. Her love affair with the Alamo City began at Hemisfair in 1968. She moved to San Antonio in 1979 as an 18-year-old college student, and San Antonio has been her home ever since. Denise completed certification to become a professional tour guide in 2019. Please contact her at sanantoniotourist at gmail dot com if you’d like for her to curate a fabulous San Antonio experience for you!