Mary Catherine's Antiques

Mary Catherine's Antiques is a fine little nook of an antiques store in the Short North, two rooms of various furnishings and random crap that wouldn't look too out of place at a nicer flea market or on a local access version of Antiques Roadshow. The minute I walked in I was greeted by a palpable musk of antiquity, the smell of age. Old paper, wood varnish, a hint of mustiness- a great smell to certain noses, including the one on ol' yours truly.Not much at Mary Catherine's really inspires my fancy, although I did see a great battle map of (or from?) WWII here that was absolutely gorgeous- and cheap! (Although not nearly cheap enough for me.)The only jarring moment of my visit to Mary Catherine's was the prominent Garfield poster hanging above the passage between the rooms. While Garfield is certainly about as funny as an old cabinet, I didn't quite expect to see a monstrosity of corporate cartoonage amongst all the earth tones and old books. A slight complaint, to be sure, but so it goes.

Mary Catherine's smells like an old book. I love the smell of old books. This might be the only antique store in the Short North that's truly in my budget. Most of their stuff is homespun, probably scavenged from attics and basements. I like to picture Melaine, the owner, exploring someone's dusty old storage room and happening on some really great foot stool or a set of owl shot glasses and getting all excited.My favorite things in the store are the old wooden mismatched chairs hanging in the back near the ceiling. I'd like to handpick and buy a set of them someday. I love getting a great antique piece; it's like checking a classic out from the library and wondering who thumbed its pages before you. The best is when you find some piece of personal history like a receipt or a recipe or a note they wrote to remind themselves to do something.I've seen too many Sylvia Browne specials. When I walk into any antique store, I imagine all these lost souls that, through some twisted story, are tied to their former armoire or broach. And when you buy that broach, you get the ghost too.Speaking of broaches, check out the old jewelry at the counter (desk). It's all pretty costume-y, but I like that kind of stuff.If you're in, go through the passage behind the counter (desk). The store is twice as big as you think it is.

Relatively speaking i live in a pretty small place and recently outgrew my closet.I really wanted a simple chest of drawers with enough space for the clothing of a small girl and the height of one so that I could reach it.Amazingly I found just this very piece of furniture at this store. I love antique stores that offer items in every price range and don't claim that an 8 year old ikea desk is 'antique.'Even better a knob was loose (not missing) on my purchase and they gave me a few bucks off and even carried the thing out to my car. This is a good place to find an inexpensive functional piece or high priced antique if you are ready to throw down some serious cash.

This place is great. There are plenty of overpriced vintage and antique stores around, but this is the one I've found with the most reasonable prices. My wife and I bought a beautiful desk, albeit one that needed a little work, for under $50.The service is great too. We went over on a Sunday to buy the desk and the store wasn't open. However, someone was inside cleaning and saw us looking in the window. She opened just for us and let us look around at our leisure, which was very nice. She also helped us load the desk and its stool into our car.I'd definitely recommend you check out the store, as there are some great finds at fair prices, and these are nice people who deserve your business.

This cute little shop is too close to my apartment. I'd been in a couple of times before, but now that it's within easy walking distance, I've been twice in the past week and bought things each time!The store is jam packed with everything from furniture to glassware, art prints and books, textiles and jewelry. Some of the things look like they've been there a while, but it's always fun to look around. I found a box of old recipe cards and a vintage cookie press, each priced at only $5. And last time, I ended up buying a framed Charlie Harper poster, priced at $89, but when I asked if they were flexible on the price, I was able to get it for $75! So it doesn't hurt to ask! The ladies who run the shop are very nice and will happily engage in conversation -- there are obviously many regular visitors who they know by name.

I wasn't really crazy about Mary Catherine's, but I think it's just because I'm not really into the antique aesthetic. I like old things that can be made to feel new again and this place just FELT really old. I didn't see anything that fit my personal style or taste, but that's my thing - not theirs. They seemed to have a few customers who were enjoying browsing and the woman at the desk seemed to be very helpful with a woman's questions (though I wasn't greeted or needing any help). I looked around for a few minutes and realized I could move on. For someone really into antiques, you may want to check this place out. For me, it just wasn't my kind of store.

This is a go-to spot on High Street containing many hidden antique gems. If you're into antiques, this is a must for you. Stop in and take a look. You may find yourself returning on an almost weekly basis, like I do!

Some Great Finds here at this cute little Short North Antique Shop . Nice people too .

So disappointed. Drove from the Dublin Hilliard area only to find a For Lease sign in the window.

This place is such a gem! I may not always leave with something, but I always enjoy coming in and seeing what they have. Over the years, we've bought a small table, a mirror, and a unique light fixture from Mary Catherine's -- all of which were things we weren't necessarily looking for, but we're just drawn to in the moment!I was recently in Short North for the first time in years, (finally reentering society after the pandemic and a move further from the city) and had JUST enough time to stop in. Luckily, it was a Thursday afternoon, which is part of their new limited hours. I'm glad they are still keeping the storefront open a few days a week, even after being in business for so many years! For me, it's such a short North staple!