Invest In the Future, Buy from the Past...

Hi! I’m Kathleen Corazza Banks, and even after forty years in the antiques trade, I still remember my very first find. It was 1975. Furniture outlets were brimming with chromium alloy, mirrored glass, hard silhouettes—things that are all the vintage rage today! Newly married and on a weekend trip to New England, I discovered a neglected oak dresser at a second-hand shop. It was nearly hidden behind a stack of vintage crates.

A rag dipped in Old English furniture oil was all it took to revive its golden patina and highlight the craftsmanship of its gently carved legs and dovetailed joints. Perhaps I was a bit giddy from the mineral fumes and faux lemon scent, but I decided in that very moment to pursue a career in antiques. Just like that, my husband and I launched our first venture—TomKat Antiques. 

One divorce (we’re still good friends), four grown children, a handful of grandkids and four decades later, that dresser has stood the test of time. And that’s probably what I love most about antiques and vintage collectibles. They tell a story. They have soul. They can be endlessly mixed and matched. And best of all, they are well-crafted and durable, which is kinder to the wallet as well as the earth.