New Antique Store: Black Cat Curiosities Offers 'Objects Of Intrigue'

JOLIET ? While many downtown Joliet streets are torn up with underground construction, one road that remains easy to navigate is North Ottawa Street, where Emily Brzycki recently opened her new antique store, Black Cat Curiosities.

Located at 118 N. Ottawa St., Black Cat Curiosities marks downtown Joliet's first exclusive antique store. Black Cat is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. The storefront is closed on Sunday and Monday.

Brzycki said she also stays open when there's a special event in downtown Joliet.

"I'm right next door to the Ottawa Street parking garage, right across from the old church," Brzycki explained during Thursday's Joliet Patch interview. "I try to find really unusual antiques. The older, the better. I like Gothic and Victorian. I really try to focus on pieces that you can't find at other places. I have stuff from $5 to $1,300."

"I Have A Lot Of $30 Priced Items"

The most expensive antique Brzycki had for sale on Thursday was an old U. S. Postal Office box, priced at $1,300.

Overall, "I have a lot of $30 priced items," she remarked. "I sell a lot of antique books, vintage wools and miscellaneous that I can't categorize, candles, jars and brass."

Another of her prized antiques, she's trying to sell for $900, is a giant wooden clock.

"It's from 1820, and it works perfectly, it's from London," she explained.

She also has a stage light from New York City that dates back to the early to mid 1900s. She and her husband "completely refurbished and rewired it so you can use it in your house."

Another rare antique that's for sale in Black Cat is an election voting box from the 1930s that came from the city of Chicago.

As far as the clothes racks are concerned, "most of the clothes are 1960 to 1990s," she said.

Most of the clothes sold at Black Cat are wool and Kashmir coats.

"I Bring In New Stuff All The Time"

Brzycki said that the inventory inside Black Cat is changing constantly. She urged customers and potential customers to visit the store's Instagram page.

"I bring in new stuff all the time," she remarked. "I don't think I ever come in here empty-handed."

As far as opening Joliet's first antique store in the downtown, Brzycki had this to say:

"I love it downtown, and I hope we get more antique stores downtown," she said. "It's a fantastic community of small business owners down here. The construction is rough, but it will be great, it will be beautiful, when it's done.

By mid-November, Black Cat will be unveiling its vintage Christmas items that will be for sale.

"I'm very grateful to be here, and I'm very appreciative of the support from the community so far," Brzycki said.