Recently I walked into John Hill’s Second Treasures antique store in Oak Bluffs on a whim. Poking around flea markets and antique shops is one of my favorite pastimes. I get lost looking at all the beautiful, sublime, and sometimes downright weird items. The fact that I can reach out and touch a hand-carved cabinet from the 1600s is a tad mind-boggling. This piece has a story to tell — probably many.
My late mother was an antique dealer, estate appraiser, and household sale guru, so wandering around Second Treasures was bittersweet. The scents, sights, and sounds took me right back to my mom. Around each corner, I discovered new delights — furniture, paintings, clocks, glass cabinets filled with jewelry and other smalls, figurines, masks, lamps, and much more.
Hill has spent his life coming to the Island in the summers, but has been a full-time resident for the past 17 years. His interest in antiques spans decades. “My family has always collected — my grandparents and parents were all collectors. I’ve always loved digging and searching and shopping at flea markets and stores,” Hill said. “Originally I bought and sold antiques, then I worked for an auction house, and got my auctioneer license in 2000.”
Hill’s first antique store was across from Black Dog in late 2017, and he ran it part-time. “I was still working in the restaurant business. I managed a number of restaurants on the Island,” Hill said. “I also had a booth at the Featherstone fine art and flea market for 10 years. I loved it because I got to go play antiques and get away from the restaurant biz for a while.”
Aside from owning Second Treasures, Hill also works as an agent for families, and as an appraiser. “I go in and value things and tell people what viable options they have. If there is anything of value to them personally, I tell them to keep it — ‘you won’t get it back,’ I always say. ‘You can always sell it later, but once it’s sold, it’s gone.’ One family I recently worked with had been on the property for 170 years. They had a lot. You get to learn the history of the people doing this work. This particular home was historic. They had artists in the family, so there was a lot of art, and nautical stuff — wonderful stuff.”
Hill predominantly acquires antiques from local estates. “I would prefer to keep it all on-Island, and I don’t have a lot of space. I turned away three estates recently,” he said. The pieces Hill carries are also based on the neighborhood he is located in (near the historic Campground). “I carry a lot of smaller scaled furniture because many of my customers furnish their cottages with items they get here.”
Choosing what to carry is nuanced. And, of course, preferences change. Not every item will sell for what it’s appraised at, no matter how priceless or beautiful. “It’s hard to tell families that some of the stuff they see as very valuable isn’t,” Hill said. “Styles change. While the internet is a fabulous tool, it is also a hindrance. People often misjudge the value of something. They may have a Waterford crystal piece that is valued at $10,000, but it’s only worth what someone is willing to pay. I have a $20,000 Waterford chandelier, and I can’t get $3,000. Not because it’s not beautiful, but because it doesn’t meet the style of what someone today might want in their house.”
One of the things that seems to move on the Island is art. “We are blessed with good art and artists here, so art seems to sell well. Also, anything Midcentury. If I get it, it’s out the door. I’d love to have a barn so I could store more items,” Hill laughed, as he pulled back a curtain to reveal a small space filled with new rugs that had just come in.
Alongside the old, eccentric, and historic, Hill also carries some nautical and beach-themed pieces. “I do some staging for real estate agents and designers, so I try to keep a few things to complement that look. I’m very eclectic,” he said.
I wondered what, if anything, Hill personally collects. My mom went through phases. When I was a little kid, she had a glass cabinet filled with delicate painted antique tea cups. Later, she had a Japanese Satsuma vase that she coveted, glorious antique Christmas ornaments, and one day when I came home from college, I walked in to find that her favorite tiger maple dresser was gone. “Rent was due,” she told me.
Letting go is something most antique dealers must come to terms with. “I had a huge collection of religious icons,” Hill said. “I started collecting when I was about 12, mainly for the art form. I had mainly Russian icons from the 15th century forward. I also had one small Fabergé egg, but I got robbed in the ’90s. I still have my personal collection, but after losing a very large collection, I learned to let go.”
Though able to release things, Hill still gets excited when pieces come in that catch his fancy. “One piece that I was really excited about was a 1903 Tiffany Studios octopus pen stand,” he said. “And I just sold a Tiffany Studios’ 1915 Favrile (iridescent glass) harp lamp. I just wanted to stare at them forever, and didn’t want them to go. That’s hard. I start to covet them, and I don’t need to covet them!”
Fifty percent of Hill’s customers are repeat clients — summer people and year-round. “I keep a ‘wish list’ book of what certain customers are searching for, and what others have available. I try my best to match them up so it’s a win-win,” Hill said.
Scott Slarsky, a year-round Campground resident, came up to the counter to purchase two M. A. Hadley pottery mugs while Hill and I were chatting. Given the banter Hill and Slarsky shared, it was clear Slarsky was a regular. “What I love about it here,” Slarsky said, “is the broad collection of stuff. There is incredible stuff here — art, antiques, fashion. It’s a great shop.” As he was about to pay, Hill simply gave him the cups — no charge. Joyful, surprised, and thankful, Slarsky thanked Hill, and turned to me and said, “See, this is what it means to be part of a community!”
Second Treasures is well worth a visit, or two or three or four. I know I will be returning, if for no other reason than to feel my mother’s spirit, and talk shop with Hill. So what’s next for Hill? “This is kind of my retirement,” he said. “I’m happy to be doing what I’m doing. I enjoy it. Every day is a learning experience. It keeps me going.”
Second Treasures: 8 Uncas Ave, Oak Bluffs. 850-293-4345. store@secondtreasuresmv.com. Hours are: Sunday, 12-5 pm, Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturdays, 10-5 pm, and by appointment. Visit the website to learn more: secondtreasuresmv.com.
