A Look Inside: Hickoree's Hard Goods.

I recently took a trip out to my old stomping grounds on the Morgan Ave stop of the L.
Having not been back in some time, there were definite changes that have occurred over the years. But the reason for this stroll down memory lane, and itself a recent addition to the neighborhood, was to have a look at the Hickoree's Hard Goods HQ, run by brothers Emil and Sandy Corsillo, creators and purveyors of The Hill-side.
With an interest in a curated selection of uncommon goods, the Corsillo brothers aim to create in Hickoree's an online(for now) environment in which things both new and old (which are referenced as "Old Hickoree's" goods) seamlessly blend into a cohesive retail outlet which borders on a museum of Americana. As Emil explains, "we want the site to be as clear and useful as possible. We want the user to focus on the products and we don't want them to be distracted by anything else. For this reason, the site itself is very neutral. You have the option to view "EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE" and we encourage this. To me this feels more like walking into a real store where you can wander around somewhat aimlessly and just see what catches the eye."
From a 1880's Sweet-Orr S.M.A.A. pinback to the iconic Trace Carrier belt(which I've recently acquired for myself) to a WPA era poster printed by hand to the exact specs of the originals to, naturally, the Hill-side line, Hickoree's is a true collection of good things. Although Made in the USA is a focus, it isn't limited by it. Rather, they look for items with clean and uncomplicated design, that have or will hold up through the years and that ultimately, they would wear or use personally. "It is an honest practice to sell people things that you would buy yourself." notes Emil.
While the site continues to add new products and functionality, the ethos will always remain the same. "we want to provide a clear, easy-to-use shopping experience, and we want to do so with extreme emphasis on customer service and lack of pretense."
It's a nice thing to spend a few hours with some guys that are carving out a place for themselves and do so with earnest interest in the things that they both make and sell.
Simply put, "Hickoree's is about quality, craft, provenance, and pure, indigenous American design." Well put indeed Corsillos.
Look for Hickoree's to set up shop at the Pop-Up Flea (Nov. 20-22nd) where they'll be debuting some new US made items not on-line yet, limited and special edition Hill-side ties and even astronaut's ice cream.