Joseph Davis Antiques Opens (Again) in Lakewood

Sometimes, things are better the second time around.

At least that case with antiques. 

As well as for Joseph Davis Antiques, the new store at on Detroit Avenue.

“If it were left up to me, department stores would be out of business,” said Joseph Davis, the store’s owner. “The best stuff has already been made and there’s a lot of it. This stuff is unique — you can’t order this out of a catalog.”

Davis previously owned an antique store near Wagar and Madison avenues, but it closed a few years ago.

“I’ve never been out of business, I was just without a store,” he said. “I needed a space for the inventory and I like talking to people.” 

Davis travels all over the country — from Atlanta to Chicago and beyond — for traveling antique shows, and he also does a fair amount of business online.

The new store at 17413 Detroit Avenue is part showroom, part storage. 

However, at the beginning of the year, he’ll be moving into a slightly larger space, just one storefront to the west.

“I wanted to get open and re-established before the holidays,” Davis said.

It’s turned out to be good timing.

Among his top sellers — also popular gift items — are items from the Cowan Pottery line.

That company opened at the intersection of Nicholson and Lake avenues in 1912, before moving to Rocky River in 1921, and closing a few years later. 

Those rare pieces of pottery are now very valuable, and Davis has a large selection of them.

When he was 12 years old in Seattle, Davis started buying pottery and selling it, and “making a little money.”

“I started doing this when I was a young kid,” said Davis, 46. “I tried to go around buy clothes, and my mother wouldn’t let me.”

Davis, who moved to Northeast Ohio in 1984, has made a career out of his passion.

“I’ve been doing this a very long time,” he said. 

While the store certainly carries some high-priced items — into the thousands of dollars — there’s also something for everyone.

Items start at around 10 bucks. 

“It’s more of a decorator market,” Davis said. “I find people are more decorating their things, instead of hoarding or collecting things. Most people aren’t like that today. They decorate and have small collections.”

Also popular at Joseph Davis Antiques are the many decorative, and vintage lamps for sale.

Most of them are high-end American-made lamps, from companies such as Wildwood and Frederick Cooper. Most of those manufacturers went out of business a long time ago, said Davis.

He also buys items; so he says if you’ve got something special, bring it by the shop.

After Jan. 1, the store will be open from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. He suggests calling ahead — at 216-314-1907 — before stopping by.