By Jacob Mathias

A local store has expanded to make room for more antique furniture, collectibles and memories.

Kurtzweil’s Antiques, opened its current 2408 Helen St. location in 1999 and last month expanded into the building next door, which until recently was home of the local Red Cross office.

Store owner Greg Kurtzweil said he expanded so he could stock more antique furniture and larger items — and to create more workshop space for restoration.

“I’ve always loved the old stuff,” said Kurtzweil. “I loved going to my grandparents house and seeing all the old stuff, even at really young age.”

(City Times photo)

He said many of his customers shop for antiques to bring back memories of their childhood. The want for Kurtzweil’s wares are generational and cycle through their popularity.

He said toys are the best example of the generation shift in antique demand. Toys from the 1920s and 1930s were once the most sought after, he said, but that has changed to toys from the 1970s and 1980s.

“What might have been popular 30 years ago isn’t so much today because that generation is now getting older,” said Kurtzweiler.

Kurtzweil said he’s seen an influx on antique shoppers, especially those looking for advertising signs, after the success of TV shows like the History Channel’s American Pickers. Other antiques shift in demand very quickly and fads sometimes last only a few months.

“Things used to be collectible for a longer period of time, today that’s just not the case,” said Kurtzweil.

(City Times photo)

Kurtzweil renovated the corner lot building to suit his needs, and the facade has seen a fresh coat of paint, new entrances and plants. The two buildings are still separate but Kurtzweil hopes to eventually connect them.

Along with the antique sales, Kurtzweil’s does nearly half its business in restoration of old furniture. Restoration began as a much smaller segment of the business when it opened but has increased in recent years.

“I really like working with wood and taking something that was maybe ready for the curb and bringing it back to life,” said Kurtzweil. “Making it ready so it can live another hundred years.”

Restoration services include wood stripping, refinishing, repair, caning, pith work and more.

Kurtzweil’s Antiques is open Monday through Saturday from 11 AM to 5 PM.