Bain, who said he is drawn to vintage items and has been collecting antiques for as long as he can remember, is the owner of KT Antiques. The job is perfect, Bain said, as it gives him an opportunity to showcase and sell antique artifacts and share his passion for history with any customer who walks in the door.
“I want to maintain and preserve anything historic or vintage,” he said. “My wife says I’m hopelessly lost in the ’40s.”
Aside from the wide range of antique items sold inside the shop, the building that houses KT Antiques has a unique history itself, Bain said. In 1947, World War II veteran William Dube Jr. purchased the grocery store on the site and opened a modern, air-conditioned supermarket that featured a neon building sign. The business remained open until Dube retired in 1974.
The building has also been home to other shops including a variety store, a hardware business, the Katy Post Office and a secondhand store. Bain purchased the building in 2010 and opened KT Antiques immediately after, and though the building has been renovated, it is still full of history.
For example, the lobby recreates an 1890s bank with original teller windows and storefronts, and the neon sign from Dube’s supermarket has been reinstalled outside. Many artifacts from the building’s past remain in the store, including a Mosler Co. safe from the 1880s. Bain found the safe, which was full of Dube family artifacts, upon taking ownership of the building in 2010.
Today, nearly every inch of KT Antiques is full of vintage or reproduction vintage items from 40 to 50 dealers who lease space to sell their treasures in the shop. In all, customers can find a variety of items, including vintage decor, antique furniture, clothing, old records, colored glass, old vintage China sets and children’s toys.
Everything in KT Antiques has its own history, Bain said, which makes the antique store a popular spot for customers to stop in, browse and find nostalgic items that remind them of the past.
“People come in all the time just to reminisce,” he said.
KT Antiques hosts several events throughout the year, such as Ladies Night Out and an annual Christmas party. At the end of the day, the store is focused on preserving antique objects and showcasing history to the Katy area, Bain said.
“A lot of people come in to KT Antiques and find something they never knew they were looking for,” Bain said.
