Perry's antiquaries: A tiny Missouri town is an unlikely destination for vintage shoppers

Antique collectors from across the country come to Perry, Missouri, searching for everything from celebrity signatures to vintage Cornishware to Civil War memorabilia.
Despite its population of only about 600, the northeast Missouri town of Perry is home to six antique shops — and it used to be more.

Each shop is unique, housing different collectibles based on the owner’s interests.

However, each store also offers a wide variety of inventory as well; many of the owners have multiple storage units housing collectibles that don’t fit in their shops. That variety, the shop owners say, is part of what draws collectors from all over the country to check out the stores in Perry.

Perry, which borders Mark Twain Lake, became an antiquing destination around the time the lake opened in the 1980s, according to Moon City Antiques owner Charles “Bud” McDonald.