Fireside Antiques Buys, Sells in Unsure Economy

Shops like Fireside Antiques gain more benefits than competition from similar businesses. That's a primary reason the business is looking forward to better days.

"The funny thing with antiques is that if you have five or six shops (in the same area), it's good," said Bob Weis, who helps his wife, Judy, run Fireside Antiques. "If you have one, people may say, 'oh there's only one shop,' and keep going."

Judy has operated shops at various locations in Lake and Geauga counties since 1989. She quickly realized that those who purchase and search for decades-old furniture and products prefer antique malls with several dealers at one stop.

Though Mentor has no other antique shops, the Weis family considered the region a high-concentration area for like-minded businesses. Just a few years ago, there were 64 shops that belonged to the three-county Northeastern Ohio Antique Dealers Association, Judy said. Literature for 2012 shows that membership has dwindled to 17, including Fireside.

"The more shops you have, the better you are. The reason being, nobody has the same things," Judy said.

Fireside, 7015 Center Street, has only been in Mentor since late 2010, so the couple has no plans of throwing in the towel, despite a tough market and less-than-favorable visibility. Instead, Judy says she enjoys building relationships with memorable customers, like the one who visited the area from Hawaii but wanted dibs on a set of sterling sandwich tongs.

"It cost more to send them to Hawaii than what it was to actually buy them, but she was thrilled," Judy said.

The shop buys and sells furniture, glassware, china, lamps and other collectibles. Fireside's inventory ranges from 50-cent cards to $1,400 pieces of jewelry. Bob and Judy also repair clocks and rewire lamps at the shop.

Fireside shares space with , a business that has been in operation for nearly 100 years, manager David Martin said. That proximity bred a partnership that allows each business to sell products and cover for one another when the other is closed or unavailable. Fireside is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, but Martin will still help with purchases on those days.

"Our businesses complement one another," Martin said. "We're very old school, in that you live thy neighbor as thy would thyself."

Some of the items in Fireside are 100 years old, including tables, cabinets and bookcases. Judy says that's no reason for someone to think twice.

"We have a lot better quality than the average antique shop," Judy said. "A lot of people come in and buy things to give as gifts.

"Everything we have in the shop is in excellent condition and is ready to take home and use."

For more information, call 440-255-3833.