Joe Ley Antiques

This is easily one of the coolest and most diversified antique shops I have ever been in. With three floors of treasures to explore, it would be easy to get lost in here for hours.
The price range varies greatly, so make sure you carry to code around with you to decipher the cost of the items you are interested in.
The items in his store range from traditional (dishes, toys) to extremely high end (chandeliers, furniture, artwork) to everyday items that anyone can afford (salt and pepper shaker sets).
The staff was funny and helpful and engaging. I am so glad I stumbled across this amazingly charming little shop!

Visited Joe Ley Antiques today on a scavenging run for some new stuff!
When we got there it was over whelming due to the size, which I did love! They have three stories of some of the most unique eclectic antiques I’ve seen under one roof. They also have an out door section with old bath tubs, gates, backyard seating, tables etc.
The pricing system here is something to behold. It’s quite amazing in itself and you’ll have to see it.
We only made it through two floors before we had to go, but we have our eye on a bunch of items we want to come back for.
The only downside I found was that a lot of the items seemed over priced, but there is still something for everyone.

It’s a must stop in place when you’re in the ‘ville. You like vintage? You need to pop round here. Especially if you have a historic home that’s missing some tiles or other rare fixture or oddity – chances are good that you’d find it here. You’ll tend to see lots of the same stuff here as a lot of it is pretty pricey, but fun to look at, nonetheless. They have some postcards that they attempted to organize at one point, but it’s now just a fluster cluck, so if that’s your thing, plan to invest some time.

By far the best Antique Mall around. We’ll go back again to see more of what 2.5 hours wouldn’t let us see. Great stuff

Pretty cool place to walk around and have your soul possessed by random dolls or clowns. They pass out tiny Enigma machines to decipher prices on antiques. Have fun.

Ok and pick up my girlfriend 600 miles we drove and went to the hotel casino horseshoe! I have been to Joe leys antique store several times!!! Wonderful place beautiful when I take my baby there love her and Joyce she loves antiques!!! The website said it was closed on Sunday and Monday so we checked out early at the casino after 3 days to visit the world famous antique store on Tuesday! Like I already said I have been there a couple of times loved it my girlfriend had not the casino was not a highlight of the trip!!! The website said they are closed on Sunday and Monday fine with me will show up Tuesday and then we’ll have lunch somewhere next to Joy Ley! What a wonderful day was going to be but they did not put on their website that they are closed from the 25^th of December to January 5^th so thanks for screwing me and the other 20 people that walked up there I could not get in!!! And by the way I’m a lottery winner I was going to spend a lot of money!!!

For a long time, I’ve known about Joe Ley but didn’t go because people had commented on how confusing the pricing code was or how expensive it was, and now that I’ve been, I just think it’s a damn shame I waited so long. I went on Wednesday before Thanksgiving to wander, measure, and take it in and back on Black Friday to buy. As soon as you walk in the door, you get the slip of paper with a word, and each letter has a numerical equivalent, so for the word DISHPAN, each of those letters would match up to 1,2,3,4,5,6,7, etc. with D for 1, I for 2, etc. It took me a little bit to get my head my head around it, but once I did it wasn’t that hard. Also, MOST of the codes will have their regular code with an additional amount off. so it’ll have the code and then say –200 or something. I found that the most expensive things were in the first few rooms, and was actually stunned to find some gorgeous bedroom suites for about $ 1000 for four pieces on sale. Also, there were *many* pieces that had been put on sale and had regular prices marked, not following the code at all. So if you’re totally freaked out by that, it’s possible you can find something that doesn’t follow it. Also, there’s always a couple of friendly employees making rounds asking if you need assistance, and a couple of times I found things in the basement that weren’t marked, and they went back up and got prices on them for me. Not to mention that several of the people who work there have worked there for many years, and to me, that says something about a business.
Which brings me to what I see as the prime feature of Joe Ley: the basement. Yes, there are awesome and strange and bizarre things in the upper floors, gorgeous antique dishes, strange toys, racks of navy uniforms, etc. But as a new homeowner of an almost hundred-​year old house, I could NOT BELIEVE the sheer amount of architectural salvage, that’s actually very neatly arranged, marked, and well priced. I took loads of pictures that I’m uploading for others to see. Tons of antique doorknobs. There was brass, ceramic, etc. And I didn’t even photograph the super fancy ones in glass cases. Escutcheons to go behind knobs. Boxes and boxes of wooden spindles for staircases. There were more mantels than I could count. Loads of old iron beds. Glass globes and hanging light fixtures, with a whole other section down some stairs below the main part of the basement. I was disappointed with the selection of fireplace surrounds and screens until I went outside to the garden/​patio area and found that there were probably 40 iron fireplace surrounds and inserts stacked up against the side of the building.
Frankly, it’s hard to convey the wonder I felt here. I hope the pictures I took of some of the things there will show it. I could wander in here for hours. I wish I could take a hobby horse with me. I feel so much happiness in a place like this that is going to such pains to keep what is old from being destroyed, and it makes me giddy. Don’t be deterred by the clown on the side of the building. It’s so much more than that.

This is the prime place for any antique lover! However, unless you are searching for something specific, be prepared to browse a LONG time. Or maybe that’s advice I should give myself. Usually, I’m there far too long and I wonder where the time went once I leave. Though, I so enjoy looking around the place. The building is a majestic, three floors-​labyrinth of wonderful antiquities. The mystical-​feeling exterior welcomes you inside. Once inside, the lighting is quaint. It’s just light enough to see small items and just dark enough (in some areas) to be surprised by them. Seemingly, most of the rooms have a theme, kind of. At least, furniture and things with similar function are in the same room or on the same floor.
The pricing scheme is quite unique. When you walk through the door, you are greeted warmly and given a piece of paper (For simplicity, I’ll call it the «price paper».). The small piece of paper has two words and numbers under each of the letters in the words. The price tags on the antiquities contain 1 – 4 letters. To determine the price of an item, you match the letters on the price tag to their associated numbers on the «price paper». Constantly thinking about the price codes keeps you «on your toes» as you browse and languish throughout the store. Although many items seem to be quite costly, you can find some unique, non-​costly items. If you are looking for something specific (and in a little of a hurry), it’s best to ask a worker for help. They can tell you whether or not the item is available and its possible location.
I truly enjoy window-​shopping thru Joe Ley because It’s a relaxing experience for me.

I’m not necessarily a ‘antique’ guy… Wound up walking out with a BOX of items; spent a
$ 100+ and loved this shop. It’s massive; 3 floors, a basement, outdoors. The heat rises; gets hot upstairs! It’s a mini workout going up there! Owner is humble and kind, friendly. I LOVED THIS STORE. Lot of fun, made shopping very enjoyable. Can’t wait to return; wish I could leave ST LOUIS (it sucks!!!) right now and go back tomorrow…

It’s more like a museum than an antique store. I hope they except you to haggle because things are way over priced. I guess it’s a neat place to walk through and see some interesting things, but I felt claustrophobic. The place is HUGE, and for me it was overwhelming.
I like to browse antique stores and find a hidden gem, but I think Joe Ley Antiques is more for hardcore antiquers who can spend hours looking at old junk.
Obviously a lot of people love this place, but it’s not for everyone.
Also, it’s probably haunted. So if you’re into ghost hunting I’d recommend it for you.

Interesting place. Lots of architectural details: door knobs, doors, fireplaces, hinges. Antiques part was pricey but fun to look at.

One of the coolest places to check out in Louisville. A huge place with anything at all you can imagine. They have some items for a few bucks all the way up to many tends of thousands. If you like antiques you need to check it out. It’s location is great as well as its near many great restaurants.
Highly recommended!

This is one of the most interesting antique stores I’ve been to. Not only is the building an amazing piece of architecture, but it has a quirky vibe you don’t get at other antique places. The pricing system is unusual but fun. Their collection of items ranges from high end collectibles to carnival fun house props to architectural salvage. Then throw in a hodgepodge of all the other oddities and you have Joe Ley’s antiques. A must see for the antique enthusiast or curious passerby. I will definitely go back.

Best antique store I’ve ever been to! It has to be haunted or something! It used to be an old school house, which is so interesting!
They have floors and floors of antiques. It’s like a maze of interesting things. You can even go into the basement. I love having pretty much free reign of the place. It really takes you back in time.
We bought an old framed black and white photo of a bride and groom who look like they may or may not be happy in the marriage. I love it.
I can’t wait to come back with more money so I buy some furniture!

This place is so fun. I don’t usually go to antique shops, but my friend and I were visiting Louisville and Joe Ley’s caught our eye with its big mural on the side of the building. It has four huge floors full of old, random crazy thing, anything you could think of. Be sure to check out the basement, that was our favorite — it would be a DIYers dream, with all the misc. old pieces of wood, metal, doors and containers. We only bought a few small things, but man was it fun to wander around, and the pricing system was like decoding puzzles. If I had the money and space, I’d probably buy a lot more!

I am not a shopper at all (and I have never really been antiquing), but I entered Joe Ley Antiques reluctantly due to a friend’s insistence. I really enjoyed this place. Tons of great finds around every corner and in each nook and cranny. Others have said it, but it really is like going through a museum. I mainly just wanted to look around, but every now and then something so cool would appear that it almost literally jumps out and screams «BUY ME!» It’s also great to go through the store with a friend because so many pieces are great conversation topics. I know I would not have enjoyed it as much on my own.
Others have mentioned that the pricing is annoying, but I actually enjoyed trying to decode the price on the items of interests. What can I say? I’m a bit of a nerd. Yes, the pricing system is a bit odd, but it’s also a bit fun.
I will definitely be returning to Joe Ley Antiques when I need an hour or two to kill or if I am in search of a special gift for someone. You may have no clue what you’re looking for exactly, but you will definitely find something interesting here!

Someone else mentioned in a review that this place is like a museum. I totally agree. They have tons of old and unusual items… check out my pix. Don’t expect the items to be cheap though. I got a jewelry box for $ 45.

For real antique hunters, not bargain hunters.
For a scene in a movie or a crazy photo shoot.
For people with large homes to accommodate large furniture.
Or for those seeking something fun to do and see — tables full of teacups, neon signs, giant wardrobes, animal heads, broken instruments, stairs lined with books, even a casket in the same room as old broken dolls (creepy).
The only thing we found there that we could afford was an old road sign. But otherwise, it was great fun to roam around and marvel at.

We frequent antique stores and this is by far one of the best. Rather than having the typical «antique» items found in some stores (i.e. flea market items), Joe Ley’s has one of the best selections for interior designers and/​or artists. If you are looking for a great place for artistic inspiration or if your remodeling a historic home, you need to check this place out!
The prices seems reasonable and you’ll have plenty of options between the four floors of retail space (including the basement). The basement is one of the best places we have ever seen that stocks a huge amount of old door knobs, doors, stained glass, etc. This floor inspired me so much we plan on returning soon.
If you haven’t been here and you enjoy antiquing and creating… this is a definite «must see».
Also, many of the other reviews are correct… there are many items that look like they belong in a museum.

If you’d like to play a game while looking through some neat antiques — I recommend heading to Joe Ley Antiques. The game I suggest you play is «Spot the creepiest thing in the room» and then try to out-​creep your friends. Spot I thought most likely to harbor a serial killer? — the basement, of course. There’s nothing for sale in the lowest part of the building, but you can certainly check it out.
There are so many nooks and crannies and knick knacks and doohickies and treasures!