Last summer, the Jackson Square Antique Mall in La Grange shut down to make way for new condominium development. This left many antiques dealers seeking new venues. Some moved to the La Grange Park Antique Mall, but that location closed abruptly too. Eventually, several dealers found a new home at 31st Street Antiques, located at 9046 31st St. in Brookfield.

The new owners of 31st Street Antiques are Todd Soliday, Kim Crivello, and Kathy DiModica. They collaborated with Nancy Lisowski, who managed La Grange Park Antiques for four years. Soliday explained that when Lisowski decided to retire, they saw an opportunity to start a new business. “I have a background in real estate and started searching for commercial spaces,” Soliday said. “Kim joined in from her experience at Vintage Design Mart, and together, we organized the venture.”

31st Street Antiques currently hosts 32 antique vendors. Vendors pay rent and a 15% sales commission to the owners. The store opened last month after extensive renovations by the owners, without hiring contractors. Crivello’s husband handled the electrical work. Soliday’s booth, Antiques Rewound, and Crivello’s Pretty Creepy Things display a range of unique items, including a human skull.

Nancy Lisowski, whose Budget Box resale store has supported La Grange Park since 1952, contributed to setting up the shop. In recent years, she turned Budget Box into a fundraiser for BEDS Plus, an organization assisting the unhoused. “By buying these items, customers continue to get the same quality products,” she stated. “Now, every purchase supports BEDS Plus.” Lisowski also maintains a booth at 31st Street, emphasizing a collaborative effort among dealers.

New vendor Wendi Kunz operates Wendi’s World, specializing in midcentury modern glass. Her passion for glassware traces back to her grandmother, a Woolworths manager who cherished a single glass vase. “I adored that vase,” Kunz recalled. “I began collecting glassware 20 years ago and now have over 500 vases.”

Fellow vendor Ellen Vanderhoof offers a diverse array in her Eclectic Deja Vu booth. “I sell a bit of everything,” she described, including ethnic items, vintage purses, and jewelry. Her collection varies with whatever fits in her display case.