Antiquing – Lost and Found

It’s the perfect name for an antique shop.

If you’re into 60’s and 70’s Dansk cookware, vintage lamp or African art then this is your spot.Like every other place on Rt. 209, you could easily drive right past it and the store itself is hidden behind a downhill driveway so look for the ‘Open’ flag marking the entrance.

You don’t necessarily have to be lost to find to find the place. Pasquale Giordano owns Lost and Found and he says he’s been at this location for 5 years. He doesn’t get a lot of foot traffic, but the ones he does get are loyal… and mostly from Brooklyn…

 

Walking through the Main Floor is a little odd because everything is the original less expensive version of the reproductions in Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, and Pier One etcetera.

For me a repro is like seeing you favorite band after the guitarist has been swapped out. The original lineup is always better (barring death of course).

Pasquale’s got an eye for aesthetics; he knows what he likes and more importantly, what he doesn’t. Lost and Found’s collection pretty much works like this; Pasquale has to stare at the stuff all day, so if he doesn’t like an item, he won’t buy it, he won’t clean it and it won’t go out on the floor.

Clean is the best word to describe Lost and Found. When I stopped in, he was busy buffing the head of a 60’s mod floor lamp to get rid of fingerprints left by a previous customer.

He admits he’s a neat freak, maybe even OCD and spends his spare time in the store cleaning. But for some people, having a place for everything and knowing where it is, can be more calming than yoga.

Lost and Found isn’t cluttered like a lot of antique shops. Pasquale pieces are clearly laid out and nothing overwhelms anything else.

He says he likes clean and simple lines, pieces that are in good condition and above all, functional. He says that’s why he favors modern antiques that express that best.

“Some other dealers can come off like hoarders, because they’ll just buy and buy and buy as much of whatever in hopes that they’ll appeal to the most customers.” Pasquale says his store is about style not volume and he only expects to appeal to customers with tastes similar to his.

“After a while you just know how you want things.” Pasquale should know, he’s been in selling antiques for over 20 years and this is his 3rd business.

Believe it or not, hard to find Dansk cookware isn’t even Pasquale’s biggest seller. It’s lamps and lightening repairs.

        

 

Pasquale has a workshop in the back and customers are welcome to bring him old lamps, broken lamps, heirlooms, he’s got a cache of old lamps he harvests for spare parts.

He says fixing hem isn’t anywhere near as complicated as you’d think. Most problems are usually just a faulty wire. Pasquale says he’s self-taught and has given himself a few good shocks along the way. But no matter what kind of lamp it is, Pasquale swears he can fix it.

If you do find yourself in Lost and Found, buy away, just about everything will fit in your car, however if you live in Brooklyn and you gotta have something big, be ready to arrange a delivery, Pasquale only deliveries locally.

He’s also felt the squeeze of eBay, a lot of his customers shop online as well, but I still believe walking into a brick and mortar is always better.

Lost and Found is open 11 to 6pm on weekends, Friday, Saturday & Sunday.

Lost and Found (behind the stone house) down Waters Lane, Stone Ridge, NY 12484