Mission Road Antique Mall, the antique mall where I've peddled my goods for almost twenty years, will close on Dec 30, 2018. The property was purchased several years ago by an out of state developer who plans to tear down the building despite the property's landmark status. The building was once part of the horse stables that housed the 1938 Kentucky Derby winner.
At one time it was a furniture store, and in 1994 opened as an antique mall with the tag line "A New Way to Look at Old Things", and it really was. Unlike the antique malls I was used to visiting, with their rows of rectangular shelf lined "stalls", this mall was full of meandering spaces, and nooks and crannies. The booths were set up like rooms and full of treasures - true antiques, pieces from Europe and architectural salvage. The first time I visited the mall, I was in love. I knew it was truly a special place but I would never have dreamed that I would be able to find room for myself there.
A friend rented a spot at Mission Road in 1998, and after watching how she ran her booth, I thought maybe I could try it, too- for maybe a six months or so. Back then "shabby chic" was the new style, and Rachel Ashwell's books were our bibles. We brought in furniture that was painted, pastel and often times, less than pristine, but people seemed to like the contrast to darker heavier pieces.
After a year or so at the mall, a couple of new dealers moved into the booth across the hall from us, and we enjoyed visiting with them during "dealer work night". Eventually, I ended up sharing a booth with one of those new dealers- a friend who I've mentioned many times- Karla Nathan.
Karla has left the mall, but we're still friends. And I'm lucky enough to have made many friends while tending to my booth; both dealers and customers. Some are people I see outside of the mall, some are just always friendly faces to visit when I'm at the antique mall. It's wonderful to have a place to go where you can share your love of the old and unusual with people that feel the same way.
As a dealer, I feel that the mall is a "home away from home"; but many many customers feel the same way. Customers and staff are also friends, and many customers stop in a least once a week just to say "hi". Customers tell me they visit the mall because it makes them happy to see the displays and pursue the thrill of the hunt.
But that will end on Dec 30, and we're all feeling sad. As the Shawnee Mission Post reports, "it's the end of an era". And that's how I feel, too.
