Is East Aurora’s Vidler’s The Oldest 5 & 10 Store In The Country?

This holiday season, thousands of people will stop into one of the oldest 5 & 10 stores around in East Aurora. But is it the oldest in the country?

What is Vidler's 5 & 10?

Vidler's is a store that opened up in East Aurora just after the start of the Great Depression.  According to their history, Robert Vidler rented a small space for his store which consisted of just 2 aisles of inventory in 1930.  It was a 5 & 10 store.  Some people call it a five-and-dime store because those kinds of stores offered small things for 5 cents or 10 cents that you could use around the house.

That two-aisle store did pretty well for Robert Vidler.  He was able to buy the entire building that he was renting from just 16 years later in 1946. By 1954, with his two sons Bob and Ed working with him, Vidler expands into the basement of the store with something he calls "Toyland."  They became known for having a huge selection of toys.

It's still a Western New York tradition today.  Holiday shopping just isn't complete until after you've taken a trip to East Aurora to visit Vidler's 5 & 10.

Are there any other 5 & 10 stores left?

Considering the price of everything has gone up (a lot) since the 1930's, it's easy to understand that many of the 5 & 10 stores from around the country have since closed their doors.  But some are still standing, and others are even thriving thanks to the nostalgia that comes along with them.

There is a list of the 10 best 5 & 10 stores here.

But is Vidler's the oldest in the country?

Vidler's has changed a lot over the years.  They've added new rooms, new buildings, new floors, and new people behind the registers, but they're still a favorite here in Western New York.

They opened in 1930 and they recently celebrated 90 years in business!  We love them very much and are proud to call them our own.

But would you believe they aren't the oldest 5 & 10 in the country?

Where is the oldest 5 & 10 in the United States?

Luckily, we wouldn't have to go far to check out the oldest 5 & 10 if we were in the mood for a road trip.  It's just over 4 hours away in a town called Northville, NY.  They sit north of Albany and Saratoga Springs and a little east of  Utica.  They opened in 1907 and have the right to call themselves the oldest 5 & 10 in the country.

Want to see more of them?