Isaac John Arts & Antiques & Antiques

I saw some of the reviews below and was troubled by the accusation that the owner is racist. I could be wrong, but have never experienced such attitudes from him. I am, myself, an Arab American and he always treats me well. That said, some of the "quirks" of his personality COULD understandably lead people to leave with a bad impression. Let me explain. The first time I went approached his store, the door was closed and locked. But the owner was inside and saw us outside the door. He opened and asked if we (my mom and I) had an appointment. I said no and he told me he only opens for people with appointments. His voice was a gruff and I was initially turned off. I started to leave and he interjected and asked if I wanted to make an appointment. My first instinct was to say no. But at the last moment I relented and said yes instead. A slight grin crept up his face and he said he had an appointment for right then. At that point he opened the door and let us in. I think he likes to play the curmudgeon sometimes. But after that first experience, he was always warm and friendly. He even remembered at later visits that I had been in before. As for the assertion that he was racist, particularly towards people of Asian descent, I just have not seen that from him. Quite the contrary, I was in the shop once with a friend from Thailand who lives here in Albuquerque. The owner greeted us both with a friendly hello and let us in. He even pointed out some antiques from SE Asia for my friend to see. He was friendly and conversational with my friend as they discussed the origin and cultural history of the items. Obviously, I haven't seen the owner's interactions with every customer. And I wouldn't want to support a business owned by someone who discriminates or acts hatefully. So I want to be clear - I could be wrong. I just wonder if perhaps he was doing his "curmudgeon act" and it was misinterpreted. I'll be back to shop until I see something more definitive than a few vague yelp reviews. Accusing someone of racism is no small allegation and I hope the people who've made it here are absolutely certain that that is what they experienced and not a older person who sometimes likes to play the grumpy old man.

This place is incredible! Easily one of the most eclectic, interesting collections I've ever seen. The owner is very knowledgeable about the pieces and enjoys sharing a little bit of history. I've been here a few times and have always discovered new (to me), interesting items. The store has actually been around for over 40 years, with all the items being found himself. The owner does recognize me and was very thoughtful through the experience. He tries to be open during the weekends 11-1ish, or calling to make an appointment. Please give it a chance! Truly a one of a kind location run by a genuine person.

This is actually John IsaacAntiques, which is hidden in the second story of a group of shops in Old Town. We are antique hounds, have lived in ABQ for over a decade and just stumbled on this store last weekend. Please go visit this store immediately. The owner is a treasure and has apparently been selling out of this space for over 20 years. He has a wealth of stories for all of the items he has packed into the several large rooms in his store. Very authentic, with an emphasis on traditional Mexican arts. Loved the entire experience... and will definitely not wait another ten years to come back.

Horrible, pompous, and bigoted owner. We were denied admittance to this shop even though the door was open. As physicians who have relocated to the area to serve the people of Albuquerque, this experience definitely did not make us feel welcome. We love and have collected antique pieces from across the country and Europe. We simply wanted to look at pieces to decorate our new home. We will never go back, and will advise everyone we meet to do the same.

I have known Jack since we had adjoining stores on Charlevoix on the other side of Old Town. Yes, he is a complex person; and yes, he expects a modicum of manners from his customers, which includes making an appointment. This is something he has earned, as he is the true personification of an expert in his field. Like all professionals he deserves the courtesy. Once you're in the store and have established a relationship--note: relationship--you will find his knowledge in his field near inexhaustible. And that he is most willing to share, but, on the other hand, does not suffer brash or demanding individuals gladly. So, make an appointment. If outside the door, ask: "Since we're here, can we possibly make an appointment now?" I bet you'll be amazed once you're inside the store.

John is a great person - the 3 neg reviews below all are the same group - who knows what happened - i see they had a kid with them - this is a high end antique store. I knew John for years - bought many pre-columbian items. But then i'm a professor, not a kid. Grow up complainers - not everything is about race.

Fantastic store and the owner is knowledgable about the art, culture and subject matter of the art and artifacts he has in his store. Reading the derogatory reviews (and looking at the dates the reviews in question), it's clear this was a concerted effort on the part of a small group of people to paint the owner as "racist" because somehow, someone felt slighted. One doesn't spend a lifetime immersed in the art and culture of others without having great respect for people. As a long term customer of this store, I've learned much from the owner and only seen evidence of reverence for other peoples.

This place has stuff no one else has. The owner is a treasure who is so enthusiastic about NM. Really go here!!

My colleague and I were exploring the Albuquerque area and looking for pieces to decorate our new home. We were denied entrance to the store by the owner who apparently does not want an asian customer. He blocked our entrance into the store and basically slammed the door in our face. He opened it back up for business once we had walked down the stairs. It was a horrible, embarrassing experience, especially since my 8 year old daughter was with us. It hurt my heart for her to experience such racism and bigotry. Albuquerque is such a beautiful and diverse city, we certainly didn't expect to experience that here.

John Issacs is a great store but not for everyone. He restricts his clientle to serious antique buyers. Most of his business is by appointment. Since there are many breakable items he usually does not allow children to roam around the shop. It's his business and just like your own private home he can decide who he wants in the shop. One particular individual with children recently demanded she be let in with her children. Since John declined she took it upon herself to go on the "Next Door Neighbor" blog and riled up everyone claiming she "thought" it was because she was Vietnamese. There was no basis for her claim of racism but people on that blog decided to go on yelp and say this store was racist. These are people who have never been in the store. Unfortunately, this lynch mob mentality is being allowed to post on Yelp. However, it probably doesn't matter much since John Issacs has established clientle and doesn't need these phony posters for business.