John Romani, a retired Philadelphia schoolteacher, took over Sales by Helen after his mother, Helen Romani, a secondhand legend in the Philadelphia region, passed away in 2019, writes Kiki Aranita for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Rather than continuing to focus on estate sales, he shifted more toward online sales. He recently posted a list of his favorite spots on the Main Line to find antiques, with three of them here in Chester County.
Romani visits the Velvet Shoestring in Wayne every day.
“It’s a bit higher end, and they focus on furniture, artwork, and rugs, but not a lot of smalls,” he said.
Neighborhood League Wayne is located right next door to the Velvet Shoestring and offers all the smaller items, such as glassware, plates, crystal, jewelry, collectibles, and more. The shop is a nonprofit with a basement, an upstairs clothing annex, and a discount bin called the Alley Door.
Goodwill Berwyn is where a lot of wealthy people donate expensive items.
“The stuff that I’ve pulled out of this Goodwill is legendary,” said Romani. “You’ll find MacKenzie Childs, Simon Pearce – high-end collectibles.”
Read more about the best secondhand shops in the area at The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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