Bench in Honokaʻa to Hilo storefront: Knickknackery Hawaii brings old-time island charm to Hilo

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – You are invited to take a step into Hawaii’s past with a unique collection of antiques and collectables.

Let’s go holoholo to The Knickknackery Hawaii in Hilo.

Every morning, Keli’I Wilson sets up antiques right outside his shop, the Knickknackery Hawaii, which he co-owns and is a curator for.

“About 11 years ago, me and my partner started collecting a lot of antiques, and we visited this little store in Honoka’a, and we started on a bench outside selling antiques in Honoka’a 11 years ago,” said Wilson. “The lady that we bought from told us that we have a lot, we should try and sell it and see what happens. About 9 months later, we rented the spot next to her shop, and we had a store for the first time in Honoka’a.”

Wilson said they moved to the corner of Haili and Kapiolani Street.

And now, they’re along Ponohawai St. in Hilo.

“So, when we decided we’re going to open up a shop, we wanted to come up with a very cool name, so I scanned through this old Webster’s dictionary from 1913, and I found the meaning of antiques, it was called knickknackery,” said Wilson. “Collecting knickknacks, whatnots, and thingamabobs, things worthy of collecting, that was the meaning in the Webster’s dictionary, and I said, there’s the name right there.”

Wilson said he loves vintage wares, old furniture, and its history.

“It reminds me of my grandma, my aunties that had beautiful Hawaiian things in their old homes,” said Wilson.

In the shop, there are hula animatronics that dance hula, which Wilson said were made for the Kona Seaside Hotel in the 1950s and were displayed outside of their luau show.

There’s lots to see.

Look at Hawaii in the 1900’s through postcards or a trip down memory lane in the 90s.

There are all kinds of collectibles, from books, cameras, and old records.

“Well, it’s immaculate, for one thing, and it’s just beautiful the way everything is displayed,” said Vashti McMurray, who was visiting from Canada.

“I would say it’s like quirky, has like a lot of like life and personality, said Ivy McMurray, who was also visiting from Canada.,

“A lot of the visitors that I get is from off-island, or they’ve lived in the mainland for 20, 30 years, and they come here, and they see all the things that remind them of Hawaii and that’s what I think matters to me, that I put that back out in the world, the hospitality, the beauty, the nostalgia of vintage Hawaii,” said Wilson.