Catskill Collectibles is built around a single idea: everything here should connect directly to the Catskills. Owner Tom Illari has been collecting, studying, and sharing the region’s history for decades, and the shop reflects that depth without ever feeling academic. This isn’t a themed store, it’s a working collection shaped by curiosity, memory, and firsthand knowledge.

The shelves are layered with vintage souvenirs from long-gone attractions, artifacts tied to the great hotels, railroads, and steamships, and nostalgic objects from a time when the Catskills were a national destination. Milton Glaser’s I Love NY posters from the 1980s sit alongside Rip Van Winkle keepsakes, postcards, and ephemera that reward close looking. Serious collectors and casual visitors end up browsing the same cases for different reasons, and both feel at home.

Books play a central role. Regional history, folklore, art, and travel titles fill the shelves, including rare volumes dating back to the 1800s. These aren’t decorative, they’re meant to be opened, referenced, and talked about. Conversations here often start with an object and turn into stories about old hotels, forgotten attractions, hiking routes, or how tourism once shaped the region.

Catskill Collectibles also stays grounded in the present. Locally made wood signs crafted from reclaimed barnwood, custom pieces, original photography, paintings, and locally produced foods like syrups, honey, and jams keep the shop connected to today’s Catskills. It’s a place where history isn’t frozen, it’s shared, handled, and carried forward.