The Stillroom

“Summer’s lease hath all too short a date.” – William Shakespeare

You know, one of the cool things about shopping on Amazon is that you get things delivered in such a short amount of time.  Online shopping has absolutely changed how we purchase pretty much anything.   As I’ve gotten older, I have taken advantage of having things brought to my door.  I like seeing a box the size of cereal on my stoop. I love opening it up and emptying the contents.  Best of all, I love puncturing the plastic to watch it explode into a queen size mattress.  You have to admit, that is kind of cool.

Now I will tell you what is not cool.  NOT cool is that online prices are now coming into question as far as “are you getting your best deal?”    Well, I suppose it is innocent until proven otherwise.  This news made me really think of how shopping has changed over time.  Change is good but then again, so many things get lost along the way.

Diamond Antiques is here to be sure you don’t get lost.  When a little kid looks at a rotary phone and says, “how do you use this?”, I realize just how easy it is to forget what it feels like to take a minute to actually do some real shopping.  By that I mean you walk into Diamond Antiques & Gifts at 311 East Sixth Avenue and when you do you begin to realize that you have entered a very special place.  Diamond Antiques & Gifts is a blend of old, vintage, retro, new, repurposed, primitive and also includes a special array of the unusual and useful.

Besides the offerings of over 25 vendors in the co-op, Diamond Antiques & Gifts also houses the longest running retail tea shop north of the city.  The Stillroom Gift & Tea shop has been around since 2001 and in this charming space besides an excellent assortment of Stash and Harney & Sons tea, you will find anything from a pair of delicate gloves to a groovy assortment of odds and ends.  If I don’t have the tea you are looking for, you will most likely find it at Margaret’s Fine Imports on Forbes Ave.

The great thing about coming into Diamond Antiques and Gifts is that you see the prices and you know exactly what you are getting.  There is no guess work here. There is no disappointment. There is no question.  On the chance that you have a question, there will be someone here to help answer it.  Diamond Antiques & Gifts has been voted the numero uno place to shop for so many reasons.  It’s a helpful staff, the vendors have exquisite  taste in what they offer, the shop is huge with two floors of shopping heaven and we keep it clean!  PLUS AUGUST IS OUR ANNUAL MONTH LONG SALE WITH SAVINGS UP TO 20%!  That is a nice savings to reap.  We go miles around the Pittsburgh area on the hunt for the pieces of the past and tow them back to the shop with occasional pit stops for polishing and primping.

We are housed in a  beautifully repurposed building that was built in the early last century and I only remember it as the former Van Sciver’s wallpaper store.  We do carry local history books for Alle-Kiski area and they are awesome.  These are a great way to take a trip down memory lane as you flip through the multitude of old photographs.   Proceeds for these sales go to the local historic society.

You got what we need. The way the internet experience is changing our lives and shopping habits, I sometimes fear that brick and mortar stores will be a thing of the past and places like Diamond Antiques and Gifts will end up in the history books. It is you, the customer,  that helps to keep stores like Diamond Antiques and Gifts doors open year around.

Some of us are old enough to remember how each community had its own little city-like hub.  There was the local bakery, Isaly’s, Murphy’s, Hart’s Home Store, Hart’s Bridal in New Ken, The Acme where Wile E. Coyote bought all of his gear.  Then, slowly, it all just went away.

Things are cyclical.  What is old becomes new.   Where there is abandonment, there is resurgence.  People that will roll the dice and say, “I want to offer something to my community here.”  “I want to make this place my home.”  “I want to make my livelihood here.”

From the beautifully maintained Tarentum Park to the dice rollers that dot the town, you got what we need.

Diamond Antiques & Gifts is open

Wednesday- Saturday from 10-5 and Sunday’s from 12-5.

Visit us at the Tour Ed Fleatique every third Sunday of the month!