From 1800s antiques to a motorized Schwinn, Peekskill shop celebrates the thrill of the hunt
Early Electrics owner Steven Ernberg says his collection grew from a lifelong love of antiques and the thrill of finding something he has never seen before.
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A Peekskill shop is taking visitors on a trip through the past, with everything from antique lighting and early radios to prosthetic limbs, arcade machines and vintage scientific equipment.
Early Electrics owner Steven Ernberg says his collection grew from a lifelong love of antiques and the thrill of finding something he has never seen before.
"There’s a real eclectic mix of things here," Ernberg said.
The shop features original antique lighting alongside Radio Guy Antiques, a collection Ernberg describes as "all the other crazy stuff."
That can mean anything from early cameras and World War I artifacts to horn violins, carousel pieces and prosthetic legs wearing bowling shoes.
"I like things that have personality, so I collected," Ernberg said.
One item dates to the mid-1800s, while another is a 1948 Schwinn bicycle equipped with a Whizzer engine. Ernberg also has early scientific classroom demonstrations, static electric generators and vintage radio equipment.
For some visitors, the collection brings back family memories.
"Some things they recognize," Ernberg said. "Oh, my father had that. My grandfather had that. But we try and look for things that are different."
And while the collection may look like it belongs in a museum, Ernberg says nearly everything has a price.
"People walk in and they say, ‘Is this a museum?’ And I go, ‘If you don’t buy anything, it’s a museum, but it’s all for sale.’"
