Nestled in the heart of Thunder Bay’s Westfort Village, Black Cat Antiques has been operating since 1993, as a family run business.

Paul Kimberley and partner Lee Searles’ lifestyle as passionate and enthusiastic antique dealers is deeply rooted in family history across generations.

Kimberley’s first antique purchase was at the age of 12 years old, followed by his first antique sale at 15 years old. As a child, Kimberley recalls seeing the sentiment and value in an old un-restored ‘Victorian Settee’ that was stowed away for decades in a crawl space within a relative’s dwelling. He was always drawn to it and expressed his desire that it never be tossed and eventually Kimberley was, to his surprise, gifted the “settee” by family who had had it fully restored as a gift for him. To this day, Kimberley recalls its significance to him through the years.

Kimberley’s family origins as antique dealers transcends through generations and is rooted in the past of his ‘collector’ great grandparents and great aunt.

Kimberley’s great aunt provided for her and her disabled husband through her antique shop in the 1950’s. His great aunt’s shop sold new china and now generations later it is the same antique china Kimberley is currently purchasing and reselling to clients.

Kimberley’s day to day business encompasses the practice that he purchases and sells anything that is both legal and moral. “Everything ever made might have value. So you have to look at what you think of it. Items that I buy are not necessarily what I love. A lot of times items that I love may have no value. An item that is worth money, I may not like it, but I know about it and can then sell it.”

Kimberley recommends new antique enthusiasts, “get to know their dealer, as it is an education. You can learn on your own and there are tons of online groups.” He also, advises joining Canadian groups online, as Canadians are very friendly. Kimberly, cautions, “Not to always believe prices online, as pieces worth no value can be listed at very high prices. Doing your research is important and one strategy is to discard both top and bottom prices when considering purchasing an item.”

When planning your next visit to Thunder Bay, plan to make a stop at Black Cat Antiques to find yourself something unique.