BOARDMAN, Ohio (WKBN) — Vintage stores and antique shops have seen a surge in popularity — so much so that it’s driving a local business to look for a bigger space.
Haley Richley opened her booth at Mr. Darby’s Antique Shop back in July of 2023.
“I was a longtime shopper with my grandmother,” Richley said. “She was the one who brought me here first. She really was the one who got me into antiques in general.”
She’s one of approximately 75 vendors who call Mr. Darby’s home. A sort of new age-business incubator that curates what’s old.
“So there’s really many different ways that we can get our inventory. Thrift stores. Estate sales. Garage sales,” Richley said.
Antique and vintage have always been in style, with many shoppers turning back the clock on their tastes.
“We notice a lot of younger buyers,” said vendor Carma Talbott. “College kids redoing their dorm rooms and just wanting to find that older item, better quality. Just something different. You don’t find it everywhere.”
But they’re not just selling nostalgia. In a time of cheap mass production, there’s something to be said about the quality craftsmanship of the past.
“Kind of cliche but it really is the truth,” Richley said. “Especially when it comes to furniture. Furniture was so much better built a long time ago. We’ll see pieces that are antique. They’re 100 years old. They still look so beautiful.”
The trend is so popular it’s got the store stuffed, so come February of 2025, Mr. Darby’s will be moving down the road to a portion of the old Jo-Ann Fabric location across from the Southern Park Mall and adding about 35 more vendors.
“Every day we have people coming in wanting to know if there’s space available for them,” Talbott said.”
Underscoring a new generation that’s going bold with going old.
“I think now consumers are becoming more and more aware of what they’re purchasing,” Richley said. “So supporting small businesses, supporting local businesses is becoming more and more important. People are seeing the impact that makes in the community.”
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