Willows Antiques Est. Dubuque · IA
Willows471 W. 4th Street
A quiet shop in Old Dubuque

Where timeworn things
find their next chapter.

Mahogany sideboards with brass pulls still warm from the maker's hand. Porcelain teacups chipped once and mended with gold. Leather-bound books that smell of a grandfather's study. We curate the slow, the singular, the quietly treasured.

Sunlight falling on an oak dresser with brass handles, a ceramic vase of dried eucalyptus resting on top.
No. 01 — The Oak Dresser
— Section II

What you'll find
when the door opens.

Every piece in the shop is chosen by hand — pulled from estate sales, country auctions and a handful of trusted collectors we've known for decades. Nothing here is mass-produced. Nothing here is rushed.

No. I
A.

Heirloom Furniture

Solid-wood sideboards, dining tables, library chairs and blanket chests from the late Victorian through mid-century. Most pieces carry the soft sheen of decades of careful use — we refinish only when a surface truly needs it.

Browse furniture →
No. II
B.

Porcelain & Glass

English bone china tea sets, hand-painted vases, cut-crystal decanters and pressed glass from American and European makers. We pay particular attention to pattern, maker's mark and condition — and we tell you honestly about any flaw.

Browse tableware →
No. III
C.

Small Treasures

Brass candlesticks, leather-bound novels, vintage linens, oil lamps, framed oils and watercolors, carved frames, and the kind of small objects that earn a place on a writing desk for a lifetime. Often one-of-one.

Browse smalls →
A shopkeeper's hands gently dusting a carved wooden frame with a soft cloth under warm lamp light.
— About the Shop

A small shop. Long hours. Real conversations.

Willows is a one-room floor above a quiet stretch of West 4th Street. We open when the lamps are lit, we close when the light fades, and we would rather sell a single piece to the right home than move ten pieces to the wrong ones.

If you've come in with a story — a grandmother's clock, a chair that needs a drawer pulled, a teacup you'd like to know more about — bring it in. We will look at it together, with the lamp turned low and the kettle on.

— The Willows
— Common Questions

What people ask
before they visit.

If you have a piece you'd like us to look at, or a question about something on the floor, the fastest way to reach us is the form below. We answer every message ourselves, usually within a day.

Do you restore furniture, or only sell it?

We do light restoration in-house — re-gluing joints, tightening drawers, touching up finishes with reversible materials — and we partner with a small refinisher in East Dubuque for larger work. We will always tell you when a piece has been restored and what was done.

How do you decide what to buy?

Honest condition, interesting provenance, and a maker or pattern we can stand behind. We do not buy reproductions, we do not buy anything with structural damage we cannot repair, and we will turn down pieces that don't fit the floor even when the price is right.

Can I bring a piece in for a free opinion?

Yes. Bring photographs first if the piece is large — we are a small shop and our floor space is limited. Once we have looked at a piece together, we'll talk honestly about what we think it is, what it might be worth, and whether we can help you find it a new home.

Do you ship, or is everything local pickup?

Small items we can wrap and ship anywhere in the continental U.S. Furniture pieces are local pickup from the shop, though we can recommend a white-glove carrier we've worked with for buyers outside the tri-state area.

What are your shop hours?

We open by appointment outside our regular posted hours — if you're traveling from out of town, send a note and we'll do our best to have the lamps on when you arrive.

— IV · Get in Touch

Come in for a look around,
or send us a note.

The shop is on the second floor above a quiet stretch of West 4th Street. Ring the bell at the side door and someone will be down. Or write to us here — we answer every message ourselves.

Visit 471 West 4th Street, Dubuque, IA 52001
Call the Shop (563) 563-0111

Send a note.

Tell us what you're looking for, or what you'd like us to look at.

We answer every message, usually within a day. No mailing list, no follow-up sales calls.

Thank you — we'll be in touch shortly.