Antiques on Broad has a new location but not a new name
Photos 1-8 Courtesy of Antiques on Broad
After losing the love of her life, Janice Stitchick, owner of Antiques on Broad, had to make a difficult business decision to relocate her business to Brownsville.
“There were a couple of factors that went into my decision to move out of Belle Vernon and into Brownsville,” said Stitchick. “The main reason was that the building was a 100-year-old building that required a lot of maintenance that wasn’t being done. My husband, Ernie, passed away on March 4. I lost the love of my life. He helped me manage the building and do the things that we could do as renters. It was a beautiful business, and we had been there for over 10 years.”
Once her husband passed, she couldn’t do everything the building and the business required, so she had to decide between closing the business, which she didn’t want to do, or finding a different location more suitable for her.
“Granted, we had over 10 years of a successful business in Belle Vernon,” said Stitchick. “I loved the location, the building, customers, but it was too much for me to do. I had to make a business decision. I looked first in Belle Vernon to see if anything was available, which there was not at that time that would have accommodated us. Two years prior to that, I had rented a satellite shop in Brownsville, and we had a fairly good showing there. When my husband got very ill, I gave up the Brownsville shop because I couldn’t handle everything.”
When she was looking for a place to move, it just so happened the Brownsville location was available again. The building she moved into used to be the utilities building in Brownsville.
“It even has a vault in it,” said Stitchick. “We have two floors of the three-story building. We have the main floor and the basement. There is a tenant upstairs.”
Antiques on Broad moved to the new location on Oct. 31 and held a grand re-opening on Nov. 17 and a Christmas Open House on Nov. 18.
Though Antiques on Broad has a new location, it did not get a new name. Stitchick said everyone knew the name, and she didn’t see a reason to change it.
Not all of the antique and collectible dealers moved to the new store for various reasons, but those that did filled up the new store nicely.
Brenda Cousins, a dealer at Antiques on Broad, said the move was intense but definitely for the better.
“I very much enjoy antiquing,” said Cousins. “I enjoy the hunt, the excitement in finding an aged item. I appreciate the quality of the item, how it is made, the detail and the purpose. I find it amazing that these very old items have survived for so long. Good things are happening in Brownsville, and I am happy to be a part of it.”
Stitchick said there are 11 dealers in the new location. Though the new space is smaller, they have utilized every square inch of it, and the building is in excellent condition.
“We do have a very forward-looking group of dealers who have a variety of great antiques and collectibles,” Stitchick said. “We have just about anything you can think of in our shop as far as antiques and collectibles go.”
“We are experienced, reputable and customer-friendly,” said Stitchick. “We have a coffee bar and water available for our customers. We are experienced in what we have as well. If we don’t have what our customers are looking for, we will try to find it for them or refer them to another shop that we know has it. We are not afraid of competition. We love competition.”
You can find furniture, hurricane lamps, pottery, antique crocks, primitives, uranium glass, jewelry, pictures, vintage clothing, Pyrex and more.
“We have Mr. Pyrex in our shop,” said Stitchick. “The vault is filled with old Pyrex.”
Patty Pavtis, a dealer at the Antiques on Broad, is very happy with the new location.
“At Antique on Broad’s new location, you won’t be disappointed as you walk through the front door to a clean, brightly lit building with an assortment of memories from the past,” said Pavtis. “From 100-year-old antique furniture, glass, crocks and pottery to collectible vinyl records, Pyrex, toys, magazines and comic books, watches, apparel and more.”
Pavtis said the dealers update their inventory weekly so customers can shop week after week and always find something different.
Stitchick said her loyal customers are still coming to her Brownsville shop.
“I enjoy shopping at Antiques on Broad because the shop carries a fantastic variety of interesting antiques, many reflective of the southwestern Pennsylvania area,” said Irma Connors, a customer at Antiques on Broad. “The dealers are extremely knowledgeable about the value and history of their antiques.”
Connors said that she has found that if she was looking for a specific item and couldn’t find it, the dealers will locate it for her.
“I’m a loyal customer of the store and would shop there no matter where they moved,” said Connors.
Stitchick’s love of antiques started with a penchant for vintage clothing but quickly grew to a love of everything antique.
Stitchick originally opened her business in June 2013. She and her husband had been collecting and selling antiques in different shops for years. When she retired from her full-time job in 2012, she continued to rent space in shops.
“Then an opportunity came up, and my husband and I made the decision to invest in an antique shop, so that is what we did,” she said.
She said she gets her antiques from various places, including other antique shops and estate sales.
Antiques on Broad has been nominated six times for the Best of Best for six years by the Observer-Reporter, and out of the six times, they won three times. The store has also won several other awards over the years, and Stitchick is also involved in local community, historical and business organizations.
Antiques on Broad is located at 200 Bank Street in Brownsville. For more information, visit facebook.com/AntiquesOnBroad.