Pastiche Antiques — Local services in Bainbridge Island

Studies show that if people are pleased with a store, they tell an average of one person. If they are displeased, they tell an average of 7. The owner of this store deserves any negative buzz that flies around Bainbridge Island, as he is UNBELIEVABLY, shockingly antagonistic and arrogant. I find hard to believe that anyone like that could possibly remain in business, especially in such an intimate community, or that he could possibly get along with anyone.

Soon after I walked into his store, I mentioned to the owner that I had lost five people to Covid-19 recently, so he knew that I was in a fragile state of mind. Then again, he appeared to be so dense that perhaps he did not understand that. More likely, he is an immature person who just doesn’t care how anyone else feels.

I considered four items in this store, but put back three because I felt one was too expensive, and the other two lacked price tags. Note to owner: Customers are skittish when antique items lack price tags, as we assume no research has been done on the pieces. After having asked for a price on one of the two untagged items, the owner quoted me $20. Only then did I notice a tag on it for $7.50. This experience led me to mistrust the owner, as I questioned the fairness of the price he had just given me verbally.

I gave back to the salesperson all the merchandise I then decided against. As I was pulling out my credit card to buy the fourth item, the owner turned to me and said, “I just have to say that you are an incredibly annoying customer. You think you know everything, but you don’t.”

I responded by putting my card away, buying nothing, picking up my belongings to leave, and saying, “I won’t be returning.”

He yelled back, “GOOD!,” loudly enough for the six or eight other people in the store to hear. The owner appeared to be at least 60, but he acted like he was five.

The owner’s dog is no better. I looked down at him and said hello when I approached the counter to buy the fourth item — he responded by growling and barking. I did not attempt to touch him. I said, “He just wants to be a baby,” to which the owner responded, “No, he just wants to be left alone.”

Well, you got your wish, obnoxious owner of Pastiche Antiques. I will leave you and your equally obnoxious dog totally alone...

WOW! What an experience!

On a visit to the island, I came to this store with a friend based on a recommendation from another friend. She said that we absolutely had to meet the owner of the shop. That he was super interesting and would give us a quarter to play in a vintage slot machine. Unfortunately, when we got there, the owner was not at the shop.

We enjoyed looking around at all the finds and my friend happened upon a jewelry case. Among the many glittering baubles in the case, a ruby ring jumped out at me. It was a stunner - but something I needed to think about.

We continued to browse and about 15 minutes later, a gentleman walked up to us and asked if we wanted a quarter to play a vintage slot machine. We asked if he was the owner and he said yes he was and we told him that we came in to meet him today. We started chatting and he began telling us about some of the items in his shop. He literally knows the backstory on every item and can tell you the family, the date, and interesting stories around each piece. I mentioned that I was looking at the ruby ring and he told me that it came from the Armour (meat) family. He then went on to show me other pieces from the estate which were dated back to the early 1900’s – engraved Tiffany baby plates, engraved flatware, bunches of amazing things. The stories he told about the previous owner of the ring were amazing and absolutely sealed the deal.

Denis, the owner, is fascinating and has truly amazing items in his shop that are all researched and come with great historical detail.

Can’t recommend a visit enough. It’s truly a treasure of a shop. But hopefully you will have the opportunity to meet Denis - who makes the visit an incredibly...

STAY AWAY!!!!

We were excited to visit this cute shop on our first visit to Bainbridge. We spent a few minutes in the store admiring the many different unique items. My father who was with us is a very large collector of antiques. He inquired about a couple items with the gal employee and she began BRIEFLY chatting with him regarding famous painters. The owner then says to my father it’s not time to “chew the fat” and “this isn’t the store for him” “he should find another place to shop.” Then as my dad kindly apologizes (which he didn’t need to because the gal was engaging the casual conversation about ANTIQUES with him-easily less than five minutes). We then hear the owner say to his employee “I like my store quiet and I’ve made it that way. He would’ve been here two hours.” This was fascinating to me because he had dog that yipped the whole time we were in the store and was rudely chatting to his employee which we could hear. It was also fascinating because there were no other costumers and it was mid-day on a weekday. Eccentric is not the right word for the owner-rude, egotistical and a general lack of ability to engage with customers is more accurate. I read some other negative reviews and although it was assumed that he only wants older, rich, white males shopping his store which is not true since my 70 year old dad fits that description. My daughter had picked out a few things and after I heard him speak to my dad like that I’d never buy anything from there. It’s his store and he CAN treat his customers how he wants but I have never experienced such unhinged behavior, tone and blatant disrespect for a customer from a shop owner for a simple conversation....