On the Road with Contributing Editor Elizabeth Young Tickled Pink Louisville, KY
One cannot help but notice the bright pink awning on the Tickled Pink Memorabilia Mall when driving down Taylor Boulevard in Louisville, Kentucky. Originally, the property served as Heartmann’s Grocery from 1918-1965. The tin ceiling and fireplace mantle still remain intact. Owner, Tony Lechner purchased the building in 1991 and, working closely with Russ Nalley, has run an extremely successful business ever since.
Three floors filled with collectibles, antiques, gift items, vintage toys, retro kitchen accessories and more await collectors and dealers alike. Specializing in 1950s to 1980s era items, Tickled Pink promises affordable items at a low cost. Tony states, “We guarantee that 95% of our stock will be priced $9.99 and under and 5,000 new items will be added each week.” Sixteen dealers rent booths and three of the vendors bring in new items daily. Lately, anything from the 1970s with butterflies, mushrooms or owls has been popular. “We only offer furniture that our customers can handle by themselves. We often have the popular white metal cabinets and shabby chic style furniture. Our rough room out back offers a wide variety of garden furniture.”
Sunday is Crazy Hat Day and many regular customers will stop by just to see what hat Tony is wearing that day. Others come on their lunch hour for a walk down memory lane or a little bit of talk therapy. The friendly and welcoming environment makes for a wealth of repeat customers. Tony’s sister Carol runs a second location in Ireland, Indiana near Jasper. When in town, Antiques Roadshow voted Tickled Pink the third best mall in Kentucky.
Location: 3269 Taylor Blvd., Louisville, KY
Phone: 502-366-5577
Hours: Monday through Friday 10:00 – 5:00, Sunday 9:00 – 6:00, Closed Saturday
Nice article, Elizabeth. I can attest that both Russ and Tony are great people to do business with.
Posted by: Ann | August 28, 2010 at 05:37 PM
Nice article, Elizabeth. I can attest that Tony and Russ are a delight to do business with.
Posted by: Ann | August 28, 2010 at 05:47 PM