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Chic Antiques

A Bristol shop owner has a true knack for selling unique treasures

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The Foolish Fox may be a newcomer to Hope Street, but owner Linda Buckler is right in her element running it. Specializing in antiques, vintage items and consignment (with a few fun retail items thrown into the mix), there is something eye-catching in every corner. Buckler’s passion for the uniqueness and whimsy of every piece in the store is what creates a kind of magic from when you first step in. 

While the store may be new, Buckler is no stranger to design and antiques. Being an avid collector herself, with an eye for the unique and beautiful, she says she always wanted a shop of her own to share her good finds with the public. Before carving her niche in the East Bay, she had experience as an innkeeper,and a color consultant, and also worked designing bedrooms, bathrooms and kitchens. She certainly knows what is pleasing to the eye. Having no formal education in design, she knows it’s in her blood – her mother was a high-end floral designer. When speaking of her mother Buckler says, “She knew how to put things together that you would never think of.” That trait was most definitely inherited and is put to good use in The Foolish Fox. 

Buckler frequents auctions and flea markets to handpick all of her inventory. The best part of visiting her store is that the stock is everchanging. You’ll never see the same setup twice if you are lucky enough to stop by often. While I was browsing (and falling in love with at least a dozen items), a local customer who frequents the shop came in to pick up a vase. The woman repeatedly exclaimed,“When I first saw [the vase] I thought it was a little bit ugly, but there is something so special about it. Now I have to have it; it’s so different!” In all truth, the vase was far from ugly, but I understood what she meant, as it had an unconventional and wild look about it with its pale pink hue, bright gold vines and colorful birds. It was interesting from every angle and like nothing I’ve ever seen. This is what is so special about The Foolish Fox – each item tells a story and was made for someone to fall in love with it. Buckler has an incredible attitude about her customers finding things they adore: “An item has to be unusual or fun,” she says, “and nothing ordinary. I enjoy collecting and I enjoy sending these items to a good home. It gives me pleasure.”

Buckler already talks about plans to expand into the back patio of her shop to have a special garden area that could have wind chimes, bird feeders and anything else you could want for your own outdoor haven. She loves the fact that she has room to grow and appreciates the space and her neighboring shops. “It’s really like a family. All these wonderful shop owners are so nice and friendly.”

Buckler’s positivity adds to the Hope Street family in a really special way and I believe this new addition will become a longtime fixture. I already want to go back for three of my favorite items: an antique light fixture that was turned into a candle holder, a solar rainbow maker for the window and soy candles from the Capri Blue line that smell fantastic and last a long time. What will probably bring me back the soonest, though, is Buckler’s charm and knowledge. “I want all my customers to leave with a smile on their face,” she says, and I really did.

The Foolish Fox, Linda Buckler, Shopping in Bristol, The Bay

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