| Northern Illinois antique shop under new ownership |
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SANDWICH, Ill. – Located about 60 miles west of Chicago, this small town of nearly 7,000 residents has long been an antiquing haven.
Not only does it offer two antique malls, but also there’s at least six more privately-owned shops catering to collectors. There are also the monthly antique shows, at the county fairgrounds between May and October, which pulls in both buyers and sellers from throughout the northeast section of the state, including Chicago.
During many of the past springs, Sharon Rogers – who has owned the Sandwich Antique Mart for 22 years – hosted an annual garden show. However, this year Rogers won’t be behind the Mart’s sales counter, have decided to retire and rest on her laurels of establishing a popular antiques venue. But, new owners Becky Kukuk and Sharon Maroo are already putting their own “personal stamps” on the business.
“We’re lucky to have started with such a shop that Sharon has established over the years,” Maroo said. “She really did a great job with the store, but it’s kind of fun trying new things.”
The new owners have added display cases, which they have found gives more dealers amble space to display their wares in, at a reduced price.
“From the beginning, we were not really case people,” Maroo said. “But, we found that a lot of our new customers didn’t want a full booth. But, they would take a case. That way, they could display their higher value items, at lower pricse than they would have to pay for a full booth.”
The display cases also offer better security for the dealers.
The new owners also plan on staging more events – like the recent garden show – in the future.
“The garden show was a real success,” Maroo said, “beyond our dreams. People love these events, and I think we’re going to become an “event-oriented” antique mall. It really brings the people out.”
Kukuk and Maroo also are using more social media tools, such as Facebook, to connect with customers.
They also plan to fully capitalize on the town’s reputation as an antique mecca.
“Sandwich has been known for years as an antique town,” Maroo said. “That helps us in a big way. It’s a destination. There are a lot of nice restaurants; you can easily spend a whole day looking at antiques … Our new dealers have added to our already broad selection of primitives, dolls, furniture, jewelry, glassware and advertising memorabilia.”
Located on Illinois State Route 34, they are open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information, call 815-786-6122 or go online to www.sandwichantiquemart.com |
| 5/6/2011 |
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