Browsers and serious antiques lovers alike enjoy Middleburg Antique Emporium (107 W. Washington St., Middleburg, Va., 540/687-8680, daily 10 a.m.-5 p.m.), which has 24 dealers selling fine arts, silverware and hollowware, fine furniture, clocks, prints, oil paintings, vintage linens, and china with very few “dustables” and tchotchkes.

An extensive selection of antiques, from Louis XIV and Directoire to Louis Philippe, are displayed alongside farm tables and garden ornaments at JML French Antiques (17 E. Washington St., Middleburg, Va., 540/687-6323, www.jml-french-antiques.com, Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 1-5 p.m.).

For decorative and fine arts, check out the Shaggy Ram (3 Washington St., Middleburg, Va., 540/687-3546, www.shaggyram.com), with a mix of antiques and new merchandise as well as sporting art. Need a dog? Owner Joanne Swift runs her own pet adoption agency out of the shop.

I’ve been poking my nose into The Fun Shop (117 W. Washington St., Middleburg, Va., 540/687-6590, www.thefunshop.com, Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Sun. 1-5 p.m.) since attending school near Middleburg, back when I shopped for grosgrain ribbon and all manner of accessories from The Preppy Handbook. A miniature department store, the Fun Shop carries housewares, home-decor items, bedding, fox-hunting and horse-themed accessories and gifts, toys, greeting cards, and more.

Even if you don’t have a need for a new saddle, it is fun to drop into the Tack Box (7 West Federal St., Middleburg, Va., 540/687-3231, www.thetackboxinc.com, Mon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-6 p.m.), a store redolent with the rich fragrance of leather and carrying equipment and items needed or desired by the horsey set. The shop has some clothing items, like jeans and T-shirts, as well as horse-themed accessories for your barn or a favorite teenage horse-lover on your list.

Leesburg’s storefronts combine the old and new, with many of the antique stores carrying goods at prices more affordable than in Middleburg but also more hunt-and-peck, geared to those who find joy in gleaning in boxes of collectibles and merchandise. The Black Shutter Antiques Center (1 Loudoun St., Leesburg, Va., 703/443-9579, www.blackshutterantiques.com, Mon.-Sat. 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Sun. noon-5 p.m.), in a 19th-century row house, contains an eclectic assortment from a multitude of dealers, from vintage clothes and comic books to dishes, 1950s housewares, 1930s and 1940s mahogany furniture, and a backroom filled with a disturbing but fascinating collection of Nazi memorabilia and Japanese World War II weapons and combat artifacts.

Across the street is the Leesburg Antiques Emporium (32 S. King St., Leesburg, Va., 703/777-3553, www.leesburgantiqueemporium.com, Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. noon-6 p.m.), with two floors of collectibles and many flea market finds, record albums, Depression glass, linens, clothing, and collectibles. One notable booth carries an assortment of political memorabilia, including hard-to-find campaign buttons.

Rows of beautiful French linens, placemats, china, cutlery, and toiletries can be found at Crème de la Crème (127 S. King St., Leesburg, Va., 703/737-7702, www.shopcremedelacreme.com), an upscale shop that also carries an assortment of colorful ceramics from Italy and France.

For humorous cards, gag gifts, candies, jewelry, and funny hats, the Pink Shop (109 S. King St., Leesburg, Va., 703/669-1800, Mon.-Sat. 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun. noon-5 p.m.) is full of items you don’t need but might want.

The Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets (241 Fort Evans Rd. NE, Leesburg, Va., 703/737-3071, Mon.-Sat. 10 a.m.-9 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.-7 p.m.) is a manageable mall with more than 90 stores of designer cast-offs and sale clothing, shoes, accessories, handbags, and housewares. Stores include Theory, Restoration Hardware, Pottery Barn, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, and Juicy Couture.