This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
05/31/2017 08:30 AMThe best endeavors in life often start as an experiment. Karen Emack-Dolson says her store, Old Saybrook Recycled Furniture, was exactly that when she opened it on a trial basis with her husband Peter in 1995, starting their business off with only a six month lease.
The store still stands at 33 Stage Road in Old Saybook, one building down from its original location.
Now, the experiment is expanding from what Karen characterizes as a customer base that is like family to her, to the entire community through the Old Saybrook Historical Society’s fifth annual Antiques & Appraisal Day on Saturday, June 3.
Karen says that she has always been “surrounded by old stuff” as a result of her parents’ habits. Her father, whom she called a “thrifty Yankee,” refused to throw anything away if it had a potential future purpose. And because of her mother, antiquing was always present in her life.
“My mother was an avid antique-r and tag sale junkie,” says Karen. “She refinished and repurposed before ‘repurposing’ was a verb. From furniture to cars to clothes, little was bought new in our family. History, charm—and price—was considered much more important than perfection.”
After graduating from high school in Madison in 1977, Karen attended a technical college in pursuit of an architectural degree. After college, she and Peter met while working for the same contractor and have been married for 28 years.
“My husband and I have always been history buffs,” she says. “We spent our honeymoon, and many weekends since, visiting museums, cemeteries, historic homes, and sites.”
The pair opened the Old Saybrook Recycled Furniture with the intention of moving away from the traditional idea of an antique shop focusing more on the qualities that Karen was brought up with: history, charm, and price.
“We sell useful furniture, interesting older items, decorative accessories, garden decor, and yes, even antiques. All is secondhand and most comes directly from local homes,” says Karen.
Rather than selling solely antiques, Old Saybrook Recycled Furniture will buy and resell any used item—most of which come from within a 10-mile radius of the store.
Because the way the buying and selling process works, the merchandise in the shop changes daily. As a result, Karen says that each day when the shop opens there will be a line at the doors. The merchandise is first come, first served.
“We have people that we’ve seen through different homes over the course of the last 20 years as they’ve either upsized or downsized,” she says. “Many people we buy from and sell to depending on their needs. This is one of the reasons we call it recycled furniture.”
Some clients, she says, even started coming into the store as babies, with their parents, and now come in as young adults to furnish dorm rooms and apartments. The ability to complete that task is something that Karen loves about her business.
“I like to think first of all, that you could come in here and for a very reasonable amount probably under $1,000, outfit an apartment top to bottom—dishes, furniture, linens, accessories—and have a really cool place that wouldn’t look like it just came from the Ikea store,” she says.
While her store houses items that can be from 1860 or 2017—some still with tags—the annual Antiques & Appraisal Day is solely focused on antiques.
“There will be many dealers—we’ve had as many as 84 dealers,” says Karen. “We’re on both sides of Main Street, which guarantees we are stopping traffic.”
This year, in addition to vendors, six appraisal experts will be present from 10 a.m. through 1 p.m. and will give a verbal appraisal to attendees for $7 or three appraisals for $20. Admission to the event is free, which Karen says is exceptional because most antique fairs do charge at the entrance.
Her idea for the event came some years ago.
“After serving a three year term on the society’s board, I was hoping to find another way to be supportive,” says Karen. “An antiques show seemed like a natural fit. With an incredible amount of help from my husband and numerous volunteers, we’ve managed to grow this show into an annual event that involves much of the community.”
Many of the dealers at the event are local, but four other states will be represented this year as well. She says that there are dealers specializing in textiles, jewelry, American, vintage, nautical items, and more that will be present.
“Some incredible items have been brought in previous years, but valuable or not, it’s fun to find out more about that painting you picked up at a tag sale, that old quilt you found in grandma’s attic, or the bottle you dug up while gardening,” says Karen. “And, you never know...maybe it really is a treasure.”
The Old Saybrook Historical Society fifth annual Antiques & Appraisal Day is on Saturday, June 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Old Saybrook Historical Society’s Hart House Campus at 350 Main Street. The Appraisal Tent will be open from 10 a.m. through 1 p.m. Appraisers will include:
Peggy Maraschiello, Riverwind Antiques and Appraisal Services, Deep River—generalist/certified appraiser
Kevin Timme, Madison—fine silver, jewelry, and decorative arts
Curt Wendler, Curt Wendler Rare Books, Old Saybrook, books, prints, ephemera
Dina Blais, Vans Elegant Antiques, Old Saybrook—antique dolls, miniatures, and vintage toys
John Newman, Deep River—fine glass, china, and pottery
Nancy Hoffman, Mason-Dixon Antiques, Old Saybrook—textiles, country, primitive and farm ware.
This is the first of many summer events for the Old Saybrook Historical Society. This year on Sunday, June 25 from noon to 4 p.m. the society will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the General William Henry Hart House, the society’s home and museum, with the with U.S. Coast Guard Brass Quintet, Revolutionary War re-enactors, and specials speakers and exhibits. On Sunday, July 9, the society will hosts its Concert in the Garden featuring the U.S. Coast Guard Dixieland Band. Both events take place at the Hart House at 350 Main Street, and both are free.
A farm to table dinner will cap off the society’s anniversary celebrations on Saturday, Sept. 9. For more information about the society and its roster of events, visit www.saybrookhistory.org.