Relocating my Antiques Shop to Arkansas, any suggestions? (Little Rock, Fayetteville: sale, to buy)

wonderlandntks1 · 05-26-2010, 07:38 AM

Hi, I live in SE Illinois and have owned a large antiques shop there for 15 years. In my shop I sell antiques, not yard sale junk, collectibles, or used CD's. I make a good chunk of my income online as well. I have always seen myself having a shop down a lane off a scenic highway, combining my living space with the shop, so a good touristy highway might be the answer. It would also need to be an area where I could buy antiques.

I have lived all over the country and really like the south and a warmish climate. I am also looking to relocate to Arkansas because of the huge savings in tuition for my son who is attending UARK this fall.

Any suggestions as to where the best place to open an antiques shop would be greatly appreciated, but here are a few starting points. I like smaller towns or at least towns that feel small, no Little Rock or Hot Springs for me. I ride a motorcycle and love to fish and canoe, hike, garden, and be outdoors. I also work as an artist so an artistic community would be great. If it matters, I am pretty forward thinking, more left than right, more DEM than GOP, not racially predjudiced (I just like nice people whatever color they are). I like educated people that have something going on and something to say.

Thanks in advance for your replies!!! You can visit my shop online at Home Page

RogMar · 05-26-2010, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wonderlandntks1

Hi, I live in SE Illinois and have owned a large antiques shop there for 15 years. In my shop I sell antiques, not yard sale junk, collectibles, or used CD's. I make a good chunk of my income online as well. I have always seen myself having a shop down a lane off a scenic highway, combining my living space with the shop, so a good touristy highway might be the answer. It would also need to be an area where I could buy antiques.

I have lived all over the country and really like the south and a warmish climate. I am also looking to relocate to Arkansas because of the huge savings in tuition for my son who is attending UARK this fall.

Any suggestions as to where the best place to open an antiques shop would be greatly appreciated, but here are a few starting points. I like smaller towns or at least towns that feel small, no Little Rock or Hot Springs for me. I ride a motorcycle and love to fish and canoe, hike, garden, and be outdoors. I also work as an artist so an artistic community would be great. If it matters, I am pretty forward thinking, more left than right, more DEM than GOP, not racially predjudiced (I just like nice people whatever color they are). I like educated people that have something going on and something to say.

Thanks in advance for your replies!!! You can visit my shop online at Home Page

Crawford County not making it anymore?

My suggestion would be to jump north to Arcola. There's your tourist traffic, and paved roads, not to mention a very skilled working base, and great restaurants.

For your "forward thinking" crowd, if you must come to Arkansas, you might want to target Fayetteville.

You are wanting to move to the land of antique shops, and you're not going to like the markup.

I have a number of civil war/pre-civil war pieces, and the highest I paid for any of them was $400 for a dining room table.

Good luck on that, and hire a manager that speaks southern.

BTW, you state on your website that Palestine is the oldest town in Illinois.

Did they relocate Peoria since I left?

bluenoter · 05-26-2010, 08:08 AM

Hot Springs. Bill Clinton's from here, Illinois mafia influence, racial diversity, antiques, cool town, fun, fish, canoeing, great roads for motorcycling, Southern!

Check it out!

Quote:

Originally Posted by wonderlandntks1

Hi, I live in SE Illinois and have owned a large antiques shop there for 15 years. In my shop I sell antiques, not yard sale junk, collectibles, or used CD's. I make a good chunk of my income online as well. I have always seen myself having a shop down a lane off a scenic highway, combining my living space with the shop, so a good touristy highway might be the answer. It would also need to be an area where I could buy antiques.

I have lived all over the country and really like the south and a warmish climate. I am also looking to relocate to Arkansas because of the huge savings in tuition for my son who is attending UARK this fall.

Any suggestions as to where the best place to open an antiques shop would be greatly appreciated, but here are a few starting points. I like smaller towns or at least towns that feel small, no Little Rock or Hot Springs for me. I ride a motorcycle and love to fish and canoe, hike, garden, and be outdoors. I also work as an artist so an artistic community would be great. If it matters, I am pretty forward thinking, more left than right, more DEM than GOP, not racially predjudiced (I just like nice people whatever color they are). I like educated people that have something going on and something to say.

Thanks in advance for your replies!!! You can visit my shop online at Home Page

bluenoter · 05-26-2010, 08:11 AM

No Hot Springs? Eureka Springs, Fayetteville, NW Arkansas (I need to read more closely)

thewizard16 · 05-26-2010, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bluenoter

No Hot Springs? Eureka Springs, Fayetteville, NW Arkansas (I need to read more closely)

Agreed. Eureka Springs or Fayetteville would likely be the best places for you. Eureka is small, but a very touristy victorian, liberal, artsy type town. Fayetteville is a larger, progressive town with a strong local arts culture. The overall tourist traffic is likely higher in Eureka, but Fayetteville has more day to day and large-event traffic (Razorback games, Bikes Blues and BBQ, Wal-Mart shareholders, etc.), but I don't know your target demographic so I have no idea which would be more appealing to you. Visit both towns, they're reasonably close to each other, and I think you'll find a nice niche for your business!

ArkansasSlim · 05-26-2010, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thewizard16

Agreed. Eureka Springs or Fayetteville would likely be the best places for you. Eureka is small, but a very touristy victorian, liberal, artsy type town. Fayetteville is a larger, progressive town with a strong local arts culture. The overall tourist traffic is likely higher in Eureka, but Fayetteville has more day to day and large-event traffic (Razorback games, Bikes Blues and BBQ, Wal-Mart shareholders, etc.), but I don't know your target demographic so I have no idea which would be more appealing to you. Visit both towns, they're reasonably close to each other, and I think you'll find a nice niche for your business!

I don't disagree, but doesn't that area already have an over abundance of "antique" shops? Probably not of the quality that is addressed in this Thread, but something to consider.

thewizard16 · 05-26-2010, 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArkansasSlim

I don't disagree, but doesn't that area already have an over abundance of "antique" shops? Probably not of the quality that is addressed in this Thread, but something to consider.

I'm not sure. I was in Eureka two weeks ago and it seemed like most of their shopping was touristy stuff (t-shirts, knick knacks, etc) or art/decor that was locally made. I didn't see too many real antique stores, but maybe I just didn't notice them.
Fayetteville only has a couple antique stores that I know of, and the only one I know of that is very nice is French Metro Antiques on Dickson street. But, I'm not really an antique-shopper so I may just not be aware of all of them out there.

wonderlandntks1 · 05-26-2010, 04:04 PM

Honestly, I think I make more $$ here than I would in Arcola. It isn't a problem with the location here or the shop not doing well, it is a matter of saving $40,000 over the next couple of years on a kids education. I moved back here 15 years ago to raise my kids near family and now it is time to do something else.
P.S. Since you mentioned it I checked into the Peoria thing, cause I had never even heard they were in the running for oldest town. They were chartered in 1845, Palestine was 1811. We are celebrating the state's first Bicentennial next year. The other town that claims to be "the oldest" is Shawneetown, which chartered in 1810, but had to move to higher ground and re-charter due to flood and fire.
Anyway, thanks for the ideas!

wonderlandntks1 · 05-26-2010, 04:09 PM

In my case a good number of antique shops is a good thing. The more shops you have, the more peopel, the more time they spend, the more often they come. It isn't the same for all businesses. I mean what barber wants 9 other barbers on his block? The only problem with being in an area with a lot of shops is that the competition to buy is tougher.

wonderlandntks1 · 05-26-2010, 04:12 PM

Sorry, I wasn't dissing Hot Springs or Little Rock... I just can't take that much city. I am a country girl from birth that has lived in Ft. Lauderdale, Shreveport, Ft. Worth and Phoenix (all for several years) and I just can't take it. I want to be able to ride when I get on my bike, not ride 30 miles to get out of town.