Last updated 7 September 2026.
1. Who we are
These Terms govern your use of this website and any purchase, layaway or rental agreement you enter into with us.
The Cabinet of Curiosities — and otherwise needful things
341 Ottawa Street North, Hamilton, Ontario, L8H 3Z8, Canada
Telephone: 905-818-5728 · General enquiries: curator@cabinetofcuriosities.ca
Production and prop enquiries: props@cabinetofcuriosities.ca
Opening hours: Wednesday to Friday 1:00–4:30pm · Saturday 11:00am–4:30pm · Sunday 12:00–4:30pm · Monday and Tuesday closed.
By placing an order, entering a layaway agreement or using this site, you accept these Terms. If you do not accept them, please do not use the site.
2. The nature of what we sell
Almost everything we sell is one of a kind. We deal in antiques, oddities, natural history, medical and scientific instruments, ephemera, ethnographic material, fine art, and objects that resist categorisation.
Accordingly:
- Every item is sold as-is, in its existing condition, with all faults, wear, repairs, restorations and alterations, whether or not noted in the description.
- Photographs are of the actual item, not a representative sample. Colour reproduction varies between screens.
- Age-related wear, patina, old repairs, losses, fading, crazing, foxing and structural movement are inherent characteristics of antique objects and are not defects.
- Organic and natural-history material — taxidermy, bone, horn, shell, botanical specimens, leather, feather — is sensitive to humidity, light and temperature, and will continue to change over time. This is normal.
- There is exactly one of each item, except for Gift Shop goods, Cabinet Originals and Mystery Boxes, which are made or assembled in small numbers. We cannot substitute, reorder or replace a one-of-a-kind piece.
3. Descriptions, provenance and authenticity
We describe every item as accurately and honestly as we can, drawing on our own research and on information supplied to us.
- Statements about age, origin, maker, materials and history are our considered opinion, given in good faith. They are not guarantees of attribution unless we say so explicitly and in writing.
- Where an item carries documented provenance, we say so and identify the source.
- Where we are uncertain, we say we are uncertain. “Attributed to”, “in the manner of”, “probably” and “circa” carry their ordinary trade meanings.
- If you require independent authentication or valuation, please arrange it before purchase. We will accommodate reasonable inspection by appointment.
4. Prices, currency and tax
- All prices are in Canadian dollars (CAD).
- HST at 13% is added at checkout where applicable under Ontario law.
- Shipping is quoted per item, because nothing we sell is a standard size. It is not included in the displayed price.
- We try hard to price accurately. If an item is listed at a manifestly incorrect price, we may decline the order and will refund you in full. We will always contact you first.
5. Orders
An order is an offer to buy. A contract forms only when we accept it — we will confirm by email.
We may decline any order, and will tell you why, where:
- the item has already sold (with one-of-a-kind stock this occasionally happens within minutes);
- we cannot lawfully ship the item to your destination (see section 8);
- the price or description was materially wrong;
- we have reasonable grounds to believe the order is fraudulent.
6. Payment
Card payments are processed by Square, online and in the shop. We also accept cash and debit in person. Title to an item passes to you only on receipt of payment in full.
7. Layaway
This is a formal agreement, not an informal arrangement — see §7.13.
We offer interest-free layaway so that a piece can be held for you while you pay for it over time. There is no finance company, no credit check and no interest.
7.1 What layaway is. You pay a deposit, we withdraw the item from sale and keep it safely at the shop, you pay the balance in instalments, and the item becomes yours when the final payment clears.
7.2 Eligibility. Layaway is available on items priced at $250 and above. It is not available on gift certificates, Mystery Boxes, prop rentals, or items we are unable to ship or transfer to you lawfully. We may decline layaway on any item at our discretion.
7.3 Deposit. A deposit of 50% of the item price is payable to begin. The deposit forms part of the price — it is not an additional charge.
7.4 Term. The balance is due within 60 days of the date of the agreement. You may pay it earlier, in part or in full, at any time and without penalty.
7.5 Payments. There is no fixed instalment schedule — pay the balance in whatever amounts suit you, provided it is cleared within the 60 days.
7.6 No interest, no fees. We charge no interest, no service charge and no storage fee for the duration of the agreed term.
7.7 Where the item lives, and who carries the risk. The item stays in our possession at 341 Ottawa Street North until you have paid in full. We bear the risk of loss or damage while we hold it, and it remains covered by our insurance. We photograph and record the item’s condition at the start of the agreement and give you a copy.
7.8 The item comes off sale. Once a layaway begins, the item is withdrawn from the shop floor and from the website for the duration. Nobody else can buy it.
7.9 Title. Ownership passes to you on the date your final payment clears — not before.
7.10 If the balance is not paid within 60 days. The agreement ends and the deposit is forfeited. The item returns to general sale. There is no grace period, so please talk to us before the 60 days are up if something has changed — we would far rather find a way through than end the agreement.
7.11 If you cancel. You may cancel at any time, but the deposit is not refundable. The item returns to general sale.
7.12 If we cancel. If we can no longer perform the agreement — the item is damaged in our care, lost, or was materially misdescribed — we will refund you in full, with no deduction.
7.13 It will be in writing. Every layaway is recorded in a written agreement identifying the item, its curiosity number, the total price, the deposit, the instalment schedule, the term, and your cancellation rights. You get a copy before you pay anything. This is a requirement of Ontario consumer protection law and it protects both of us.
7.14 Collecting your piece. Once paid in full, collect in the shop or ask us to ship it under section 8. Please arrange collection within 30 days of the final payment. After that we will contact you to agree storage.
7.15 Restricted items. If an item is subject to shipping or export restrictions (section 9), layaway is available only where we can lawfully transfer it to you. We will tell you before you pay a deposit.
8. Shipping
- Shipping is quoted per item. Nothing we sell is a standard size, and much of it is fragile, heavy, or both. We pack accordingly and we insure what we send.
- We ship within Canada, and internationally where the item and the destination permit.
- Customs duties, import taxes, brokerage and clearance charges are the buyer’s responsibility and are not included in our shipping quote.
- Delivery timescales are estimates given in good faith and depend on the carrier.
- Risk passes to you on delivery. If something arrives damaged, keep all packaging and tell us within 48 hours, with photographs, so we can claim.
- Larger pieces may need freight or a specialist art shipper. We will quote before you commit.
8.1 Shipping to the United States. We are not currently shipping to the United States.
Cross-border costs and customs requirements have changed substantially, and one-of-a-kind antiques are among the hardest things to classify and value for customs — there is no catalogue number to point at, and no second example to compare against. The practical result is unpredictable charges, prolonged clearance, and a meaningful risk of a fragile object sitting in a warehouse while it is sorted out. Rather than pass that on to you, we have stopped shipping south until it settles.
US customers are very welcome. Come and collect in person — we are worth the drive — or arrange your own carrier or freight forwarder from our door, and we will pack the piece properly and have it ready. Write to curator@cabinetofcuriosities.ca and we will help however we can.
9. Restricted, protected and sensitive material
Some of what we hold is subject to law that varies by country. This matters, and we take it seriously.
- Certain items cannot lawfully be exported, imported or sold into particular destinations — including material covered by CITES, protected-species legislation, cultural-property and repatriation law, and material restricted in specific jurisdictions.
- Where an item is restricted, the product page says so, and our checkout will prevent delivery to destinations we cannot lawfully ship to.
- It remains your responsibility to satisfy yourself that you may lawfully import and possess an item at your address. If you are unsure, ask us before ordering.
- We may cancel and refund an order in full where we conclude a shipment would be unlawful.
- Some material we simply do not sell. Our reasoning is set out on the Ethical Sourcing & Provenance page, which forms part of these Terms.
10. Returns and refunds
Because we sell one-of-a-kind objects sold as-is, our returns policy distinguishes between them and ordinary retail goods.
10.1 Antiques, curiosities and one-of-a-kind pieces. Sold as-is and not returnable on change of mind. We would always rather you asked every question first — send us a message, ask for more photographs, ask for a video, or come and see it.
10.2 If we got it wrong. If an item is materially not as described, tell us within 14 days of delivery and we will take it back and refund you in full, including your original shipping. This right is not affected by anything else in this section.
10.3 Gift Shop and Cabinet Originals. New, non-antique retail goods may be returned within 14 days, unused and in original packaging, for a refund or exchange.
10.4 Mystery Boxes. A Mystery Box is sold on the understanding that its contents are a surprise chosen by us. Because the surprise is the product, Mystery Boxes are not returnable on the grounds that you did not care for the contents. If a box arrives damaged, incomplete, or is materially not as described, section 10.2 applies in full.
10.5 Damaged in transit. See section 8.
10.6 Return shipping. Paid by the customer, unless the item was misdescribed or arrived damaged. Please do not return anything without contacting us first — we will tell you how to pack it.
10.7 Your statutory rights. Nothing in these Terms limits your rights under the Ontario Consumer Protection Act, 2002 or other applicable consumer law.
11. Gift certificates
- Available in any denomination, redeemable online and in the shop.
- Our gift certificates do not expire, and carry no activation, service or dormancy fees. Ontario law prohibits expiry dates and such fees on gift cards of this kind, and we would not want them anyway.
- Spend less than the full value and we issue a new certificate for the remainder. Nothing is lost.
- Not redeemable for cash, except where the law requires it.
- Treat a certificate like cash — we cannot replace one that is lost or stolen unless you can identify it.
12. Prop and set rentals
Rentals to film, television and production clients are handled separately, by quotation, under a written rental agreement that covers period, fees, transit, damage, loss and insurance. Nothing on this website constitutes a rental offer or agreement. Start at For Productions or write to props@cabinetofcuriosities.ca.
13. Selling to us, and items brought in
If you bring us something to sell or to consign, terms are agreed in writing at the time. See Selling to the Cabinet.
14. This website
- Content, photography, descriptions and design are ours or used with permission, and may not be reproduced commercially without our written consent.
- You may share links, and quote short extracts with attribution.
- We try to keep the site accurate and available, but we do not warrant that it will be uninterrupted or error-free.
15. Privacy
Our Privacy Policy explains what we collect and why, and forms part of these Terms.
16. Accessibility
We want this site to work for everybody. If you need information from it in another format, or have difficulty using any part of it, tell us at curator@cabinetofcuriosities.ca and we will provide what you need and fix what we can.
17. Liability
We do not exclude or limit liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for anything else that cannot lawfully be excluded. Subject to that, our total liability in connection with any item is limited to the amount you paid for it.
18. Governing law
These Terms are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable there. Disputes are subject to the jurisdiction of the Ontario courts.
19. Changes
We may update these Terms. The version in force is the one published here when you place your order or sign your layaway agreement. Last updated: 7 September 2026.
20. Contact
curator@cabinetofcuriosities.ca · 905-818-5728 · 341 Ottawa Street North, Hamilton, Ontario, L8H 3Z8.