Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, the shop is right off our kitchen and I have a very short commute.
Do you live here?
There is no set-in-stone answer to this question. I am a one woman show (except for the awesome help of my sister) and maintaining a shop 7 days a week 10-5 is impossible.
I'm open as frequently as I can be. A call ahead is always advised, especially if traveling a distance.
Buying trips & house calls, out of town shows, estate sale preparation, not to mention kid's school activities, 4-H, football & baseball games all keep me from regular shop hours.
We also play a lot. Our family is a very active family and I never wanted my kids to grow up and remember, "We never did anything because Mom always had to have her shop open." So I play with my kids while they still want me to.
I'm flexible and very happy to open when it's convenient for my customers.
What are your hours, when are you open?
Owning an antique shop is not like a gift shop where UPS drops off merchandise I've ordered from a catalog, I have to go and find great antiques to offer my customers. So yes, I buy regularly.
Do you buy antiques?
I'm not a collector, but a decorator. I'm not an interior designer, but I love to decorate my home with appropriate antiques.
I tend to be a purest when it comes to my own home. I'd love to have a house full of Federal period antiques in the formal rooms and primitives in the back country rooms.
What do you collect?
What do you collect?
When you are buying for a business and not yourself, it's a different frame of mind, although I always have my own personal shopping list!
How do you not keep everything?
My grandmother and great aunt dabbled in the business, but never had a space of their own, so it's in my blood. I also grew up in a house full of antiques and when it came time to decorate my own first home, I shopped in my parents barn. My future husband and I fixed up their cast-offs and I got the bug. Then I decided I'd like to stay home with kids and simultaneously run my own home-based antiques business. So we looked for a house on a busy road, but not too busy, with space for a shop.
Self taught, I read everything I can get my hands on including books, magazines, trade papers and on-line articles featuring and discussing antiques. I learn from my colleagues - fellow dealers who are always willing to share knowledge. I also visit house museums and see antiques in their original state.
How did you get started and how did you learn about antiques?
It's a constant search. I buy directly from people, either in their home or barn or things they bring to me. I buy at auctions (when I get a chance to go), shops, shows, estate & house sales, and when I'm real lucky on the occasional buying trip.
Where do you find your antiques?
Where do you find your antiques?
Of course! When you love them and you know their construction and history, it's impossible to buy furniture that comes in a box. Even with two growing kids, we use all of our antiques everyday.