Falls Church Antiques Annex Re-opens Oct. 6
In a surprise retail turnaround, the Falls Church Antiques Annex (FCAA) – one of the City’s most beloved shops which closed last April – will be re-opening its doors to customers at 250 W. Broad St. this Monday, Oct. 6.
For residents and visitors saddened by the closing of nearby retail landmarks, Dominion Camera last September and Brown’s Hardware last April, the return of the beloved antiques shop with multiple dealers’ booths to browse, will likely be most welcome news.
And, according to owner Paul Quinn, 82, while the re-opened shop might “look the same,” it will actually be “vastly different,” than before.
The Falls Church Independent popped in Oct. 7 to chat with Mr. Quinn as well as a few of the antique dealers in the shop setting up their wares, attaching price tags, and freshening up their spaces.
“You know my grandmother used to rock me in that,” Quinn said, describing the plush vintage rocker he invited me to sit upon. “When my grandparents died, nobody wanted the bloody thing. So, my wife and I said, ‘Yeah, we’ll take that home.’” [Laughs]. Asked if he was okay selling the comfortable piece, he quipped in signature laconic fashion, “I’ll be dying soon – as we all do. And you can’t take it with you!”
Quinn had decided to close shop in April when his wife fell ill and a few of his longtime dealers at the location had passed away. His hopes, however, were to sell the building yet try to preserve the antiques co-op on the site because the business and customer base were so strong after over 40 years of operation.
Unfortunately for the economy, but fortunately for Quinn and his antiques venture, “lots of people looked, but no one was interested in buying the business or the building.” He added, “We did try to sell, but it’s been a weird market financially.” Also, none of his dealers could be persuaded to take over a new operation with all of its complexities.
Now, however, Quinn has found enough antiques dealers, some new and some from earlier, to re-launch under the same co-op model as before – where each dealer commits to working in the shop proportional to the amount of space they lease and each is responsible for their own business's finances, taxes, etc.
With nine dealers now, Quinn is looking to add another three or four, or so. And, he’s confident he can to do so quickly. “We’re going to keep expanding until we’re completely full,” he said. “My objective is, if something’s not filled here, it will be when we’re open because I’ll bring stuff in and [the booths/spaces] will have a ‘For Rent’ sign on them, while being functional.”
“You know, we’re a stronger group because we’re a pack of antique dealers. And it’s wonderful. They bring lots of new ideas," Quinn Said. "And you’ll get a chance to look and see. There are a lot of things that are different from before. There’s a different flavor.”
Allison Tibbets, a newbie dealer who only signed on to FCAA weeks before it closed last April, but has now decided to return, added that it’s important the dealers be truly committed to their work. “It’s really critical that we have the right fit,” she said. “You know, they want to be able to work, but the people who are going to be able to do that are people who are passionate about antiques and passionate about being part of a community that loves to talk about antiques. So, having it as a co-op like that and having people be working that way, already narrows down the people who are only casually interested. Because you wouldn’t commit if you weren’t passionately interested.”
Asked if the market is still strong for antiques at this spot, Tibbetts said, “Yes, I think financially, this store was doing very, very well. And people loved it because this was one of the remaining cornerstones of the community because it was here for so long. So, people were really sad when it closed.”
Over the years, Quinn has observed that many customers are, “People who visit their parents and then come back to visit their parents because they want to come to the antiques shop. Or, people who put us on their list when they’re driving through town and they’re stopping as they go from here to somewhere else…. And you know, it takes people back to their own memories, their grandparents and so on. And there’s always a dealer here, it’s not just an employee. So, I can answer questions about who’s here and what’s here.”
“I do think people are thinking about history and memories,” Quinn continued. “And they’re thinking about the way they want their house to look that may echo something of the past. Or it may allow them to buy something they can’t find at another place that’s more reasonably priced…. And as we’ve emerged now for this second version, there are dealers with more integration of things like the art world and people's lifestyles, etc.”
“I think a lot of places close because they’re not doing well,” Tibbetts said, “But, this one was doing really, really well and had a great community of regular shoppers, and people who were just walking by, and it’s just an excellent location. And I think it can only be helped this Christmas season because people buying used and vintage are just going to be on the rise right now because it just costs more to buy imported things.”
“I think so many of the items here are unique,” Tibbetts added. “I mean, there are a lot of one-of-a-kind artisan items, or the art, or the paintings. We have a lot of original art, original sculpture. We have a lot that's unique.”
New Concepts for the Re-Opening
To demonstrate some of the new concepts in the shop, Tibbetts took me on a brief tour. Now there will be a “furniture gallery” in an open area of the shop once occupied by tightly packed booths. “All of the dealers will be able to put furniture in there and it will change periodically. So, each piece of furniture will just have a limited time [on display] so the selection will stay fresh. It’s a new concept. When we have booths that are limited in size there’s no room for furniture and most of us have furniture that we’d like to sell… So, this will give everyone an opportunity to view new furniture items. Paul [Quinn] introduced this and I think it’s a great plan.”
Another new dealer, Pam, features her own painted furniture. “She’s amazing at designing,” Tibbetts said, pointing out the beautiful wallpaper background she’s just installed that matches her sale items.
Where the step-up area in the back of the shop used to have glass display cabinets, it’s now going to be a mini “art gallery,” Tibbetts said. But, it’s a work in progress.
At her own booth in the back of the shop, Tibbetts pointed out her “eclectic” collections of hand-painted, signed, and artisanal original works from around the world. Hand-blown glass. Fostoria from the Henry Ford Museum. “I like original art and pieces that are hand-painted which obviously happens in every culture. So I have things like this Native American hand-painted one, or Talavera which is Mexican hand-painted, or this Greek pottery which is also hand-painted.”
“I like things from different places, which is where the ‘eclectic’ comes in. All these are original. I like folk art and hand work…. I had a Matryoshka hand-painted vase, like this one. [Points] And it was the cutest one ever! And then people bought it. But I was just happy to see it go to a new home.”
Another new dealer, Kayle, will be offering vintage clothing for the first time in the shop. “She’s younger, so she’s going to add a new and different appeal,” Tibbetts said. “She’s bringing vintage clothes and I think she just did a beautiful job on this [booth]. It’s amazing…. And she’s going to set this mirror up so people can try the clothes on…. Vintage clothes are really hot right now. So many people in their 20s are buying vintage clothing right now.”
Tibbetts is most enthusiastic about re-opening. “I think people are really excited,” she said. “This is a great location. We get a lot of walk-bys. You know, people come here intentionally, but we also have a lot of people who are walking by and they come in because it’s fun to browse. And there are always unique things here. And there were always unique things in our previous iteration. And it will be a little different now, because we’ll have a little diversity of ages and experiences and so I think the items will reflect that.”
We spoke with Erin Leonard, a new dealer from Burke, Va. with a choice spot at the front of the store. “I’m a military spouse and we’ve lived all over the world,” she said as she explained how she got into selling antiques. “So we’ve had great exposure to different interior design ideas, and cultures, and all of that kind of stuff. Our last station was in Germany and I really loved antiquing and seeing everything there. And one of my good friends there was really into antiquing. She had an antiques booth there, and I thought, ‘Well, wouldn’t that be fun when I get back?’ So, I checked it out. And, I started going to other shops within the community and I met people and by word-of-mouth heard of this shop opening up again.”
“I’m still meeting folks as they move in and I’ve met quite a few dealers in here already,” Leonard said. “But, again, being new to this particular community, it’s been fantastic to meet locals and to get out and make new friends.”
Asked about her choice spot in the store, Leonard said, “Oh, I can’t complain about that. It’s fantastic. I feel a little pressure. [Smiles]. But, it’s fantastic. Lots of great light too.”
So, why’s Leonard so passionate about antiquing? “I think it’s about sharing cultures,” she said. “But it’s also about sharing traditions and cherished heirlooms that you don’t know what else to do with. And giving cherished things a new home, even if they weren’t part of your family. And to appreciate the way things were done in the past and to kind of give them a new life.”
Leonard then showed us some of the items she’s put on the shelves, from her many years of traveling abroad, from Turkey, to Japan, to England, and to Germany.
Pointing to some Delft vases, Leonard said, “These, I bought. They’re rare Delft, because they’re in green. We were in Germany and we took a trip up to the Netherlands to support my daughter’s school sports. And I took a little detour to a little antiques shop – actually it was like a thrift store – and I ran across them. And the green was just so unique. So that’s where I got them.” She also pointed to her hand-carved dough bowls, “very popular across Europe,” and her Japanese teak mugs and platter.
“I’m excited for this new hobby,” Leonard said. “I’m excited to continue to search high and low, with estate sales, etc. And to meet people. And just to become a bigger part of this community through this opportunity.”
For our earlier story on the Antiques Annex, see below:
Christopher Jones
By Christopher Jones
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