Meet The Owners: Treasures Antiques, Collectables & More

wants to share the thrill of the hunt with its customers.

This unique antique and collectable store opened in 1991 and was purchased by Rick and Sherri Tobin in 1996. They made a lot of changes, including diversifying their products and offering more than treasures from the past.

Treasures now offer local crafts and products, including natural products, custom wooden signs and handcrafted furniture. They host many in-house dealers each month and currently has 20 active consigners within their store.

Also, don’t forget about their unique selection of cat-related items and antiques located in their "Kittybunkport Katiques" section. They sell an assortment of cat related items including catnip, play mice, Kitty Cucumber items, food bowls, mats, ceramic type planters, cat prints, artwork and cat jewelry.

They have hosted the Kitty Angels fundraiser for the past six years, which benefits the local no-kill shelter and helps find homes for rescue kittens and cats. , which is taking place May 5-6.

The dedicated owners, and obvious cat-lovers, keep their store open 362 days a year from 10-5 each day. 

Amherst Patch sat down with Rick and Sherry Tobin to talk about their business.

Patch: What is fun about owning your business?

Sherry: It is the thrill of the hunt because you never know what you are going to find and each item has a history behind it. You almost have to stop yourself sometimes because there is a long and fascinating history behind a lot of things. It is also fun to see somebody find what they are looking for, which is a really good feeling. We have 60-year-olds come in and get excited about finding something from their childhood. It is about the people and the fun they have when they come in. I also love seeing people use an item for something besides its original purpose.

Patch: What is challenging about your job?

Rick: The most challenging thing is trying to bring fresh items in the store that are different. We get our products anywhere we can and are always out look for something new. Also, peoples’ tastes change over time and a thing that used to be popular and valuable may be unpopular later. For example, Hummel figurines used to be extremely collectible and people thought they could sell them for a fortune, but now most people don’t want them anymore.

Patch: What is special about Treasures?

Sherry: We just have a different atmosphere. It is not just booth after booth, because we have nooks and crannies filled with stuff. We also provide great customer service and go out of our way to find things for people. We are not in competition with other antique stores because we all offer completely different items. Each one is different, which makes it fun for everyone!

Patch: What is the advantage to antiques?

Rick: Antiques are the “greenest” things you can get. Most of the furniture is solid wood and lasts much longer than particle board. That means that less trees are not being cut down to make new furniture. We care about the environment and love the idea of furniture that lasts generations over something you get at a box store, which will break down and have no value. Also, our customers repurpose our products and that definitely helps out too. They may buy an old suitcase for decorative storage, a coffee table or anything else they think of. We even had somebody make shelves with ice skates. Creating something new with something old is kind of neat.

Patch: How do your cats play a role in your business?

Rick: We love our cats. We have our “Kittybunkport Katiques” section that is a play off of the town of Kennebunkport, Maine. We claim our seven cats own it and offer cat nip, cat toys, cat decorations and plenty of other cat-related items. We also have cat-themed antiques, which is great for people and their kitties. We are always looking for cat-related items when looking for new products. We love our cats, who are all rescues, they are just like little kids in fur coats.

Patch: What are your future plans?

Sherry: We are always looking for new vendors and open to new, different ideas. I want to add more products men would enjoy, things like fishing gear, car products and tools. Most of our customers are women and it would be great to get the male audience to explore the store. We have already added vendors, such as jams and jellies from Paradise Farm, but are also looking for new opportunities.

Visit their website here.