Vagabonds, at 202 N. Fourth St., is a must-see venue for locals and tourist alike. It is chock-full of trinkets, treasures and fun for everyone.
When you approach Vagabonds, you will be met with bits of history lining the sidewalk. You’ll find old cooking pots and various furnishings from days gone by, to mention a few gems. When you enter the store, you are transported to a warmer gentler time as you see depression glass, china, gadgets, and possibly old radios, cameras, and telephones.
Vagabonds is a unique antique/gift shop offering glassware, jewelry, handcrafted items, vintage collectibles, raw honey, and rustic items, and that’s just the beginning. It is truly a store that caters to many tastes and needs.
Store owner Eileen Ludington said, “We have a wide variety including items that men would be interested in. The store is not a store that husbands would not want to accompany their partners into.”
The store specializes in a variety of handcrafted items created by Kingman locals. One such vendor calls her line of products Lisy’s Apothecaries. Lisy offers natural bath and skin care products, and she is exclusive to Vagabonds. Another vendor, Dale Anderson, a rather famous metal sculptor has three of his patinas displayed for sale in the store.
All in all, the store has about 20 artists on consignment that sell their handcrafted, antique or collectible goods. One vendor sells goat milk soap produced from her own goats that she raises. Another vendor sells all natural makeup products. In addition, the store carries Arizona honey along with vintage clothing, and right now, there are several vintage Harley jackets available.
Ludington talked about the items in the store and particularly about antiques, “I have always found them fascinating, and it is interesting to see what people collect. People have brought in items that have been in their families for a long time, so they know the history of them.”
Ludington has been a resident of Kingman since 1998, and opened Vagabonds three years ago. Ludington said about the opening and location of Vagabonds, “There really wasn’t a whole lot here. It was kind of us and the store next to us and a couple of older antiques stores.” Ludington continued, “Now it seems to be pretty steady down here, so it’s nice. It’s grown quite a bit.”
Ludington added, “We are a mom and pop shop. My daughter, Ryan Ludington works here with me, so we’re kind of a family run business. The Kingman downtown community, the business owners and the people that live down here are supportive of each other, and we look out for each other.”
The shop is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ludington added, “We’ve been known to stay open until ten at night. “We try to stay open late for special events for people that come down here to support us.”
– Linda McMahon
