Antiquario

This store is NOT WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE. At all.
In fact, from the front door, this store appears to be one, giant, expensive hoard… Gorgeous furniture, tchotchkes, and lighting fixtures, all sorts of beautiful items, all shoved in close together in what feels like an overwhelming Tower of Stuff… as though some eccentric billionaire’s giant estate was all crammed into this one modest space.
My experience there ended almost as soon as it began: I arrived at the front door, only to find that I had to knock on the front door to be let in, despite the fact they were officially «open». The man who opened the door looked shocked that I was there, mumbled that they were closing up for the day, and that my mobility device wouldn’t fit inside anyway. He must’ve noticed the disdain on my face, because he quickly inquired as to what in particular I was looking for. I explained that I was looking for a gold bar/​tea cart. He muttered, «One second,» before disappearing into the fancy hoard… and then reappeared a moment later to say that no, they didn’t have anything like that at the current time, and to try Stuff around the corner on Valencia.
Would I go back here if I was looking for something in particular? Maybe. But more likely, I’d want to stick to a store where I could actually effectively enter the front door… I know, I’m old-​fashioned like that! And I didn’t really dig the eccentricity of the guy working there (I have no idea if he was the owner?). I get that some antique dealers are really just collectors trying to support their habits by selling items here and there, and that as a result, some are quite reluctant to part with items in their stores, so they make it complicated to shop for their items… but I don’t dig that routine. I like to feel like someone wants my business and is going to do what it takes to get it. Perhaps as a result I’m missing out on some amazing treasures here as a result, but at the end of the day, my time and energy are precious resources to me, and I don’t want to have to beg to shop somewhere! I’ll leave this shop for other far more dedicated collectors than I…

Antiquario is a diverse business, they sell to the trade, as well as to customers who visit their storefront. I found them through their listings on 1^st Dibs. They have a bit of everything, as opposed to specializing in any one specific period or style.
The staff has great expertise in documenting and explaining the heritage of their inventory, and the assortment of things available changes by the week. The store is large, but I understand that they have massive storage nearby, so that there is always a fresh supply of goodies to behold!

Most of my friends are aware of this place, and many walk past and check it out all the time. Oddly, they seem to be open odd hours, and oftentimes when you want to pop in and check things out, it’s locked up tight. In fact, even when they are open, you have to ring the bell to enter, and shopkeeper (sometimes reluctantly) gets up to let customers in. I couldn’t help but think by the way he sort of eyes up customers before unlocking that he’s deciding whether or not to let certain people in. I’m not saying he does that, I’m saying it felt that way, so it’s being projected whether or not it’s valid.
The shop itself is the cliché you’d think about antique shops. Looks like you could find a Mogwai in a crate in the back. Stuff everywhere, lots of it unique and interesting. The prices seemed quite high to me, but I’m no antiquer, so perhaps it’s standard, just felt like a whole lot of money to me.

Super fun shop. Great selection of quality merchandise.
I try to stop in whenever I am in the area.