TV shoot transforms James N. jeweller into New York coin shop

Typically "heritage white," the walls of Robert Keleti's jewelry shop on James Street North are a bright olive green this week.

They're covered with maps and clocks and candelabras. The glass cases usually filled with jewellery now house coins, baseball cards, antiques and watches. The front window boasts a new name, painted in gold letters: "The Happy Dollar: Rare coins with a smile."

Nothing in the store Thursday, save a few potted plants, belongs to Keleti. The back entrance hasn't been opened for decades, but this week, a two-tonne safe was moved out of the way to make that possible. Camera crews are on-site to film in the converted store all day Thursday.

And the metamorphosis has Keleti's imagination spinning.

"I've never been to a New York City coin shop/pawn shop," said Keleti. But his Hamilton Jewellers shop has been transformed into one this week for a day of filming for the NBC pilot Warrior. 

I can't even think of what I want the store to look like on Monday.- Robert Keleti, owner, Hamilton Jewellers

His parents opened the shop in the location near Cannon Street in 1939, moving it from a location further up James near Acclamation. Keleti took over operations about a decade ago. 

Keleti always seems to know what's happening up and down James Street. He's been watching the street's changes, wondering how his shop could fit into that.

The filming will be that catalyst, he said Thursday morning.

"After the store being the same for decades, all of a sudden there's a massive change," Keleti said. "They're willing to put it back exactly how it was, but I said no way."

Younger shoppers strolling up and down James in recent years has sparked Keleti to think about including watches and other antiques alongside the items he's known for: Italian gold, crosses and chains. But the idea of redoing his store from top to bottom was always "very daunting."

Now that all of his merchandise has been moved out and the store turned upside down, it gives him the blank — or olive-green — slate to think about his next iteration.

"My imagination — I can't even think of what I want the store to look like on Monday," he said. "It won't be going back to how it was 10 days ago."