ABINGDON 鈥 A walk through Zephyr Antiques is like a stroll along memory lane.
If you鈥檙e stopping by for the first time, be prepared to see an overwhelming amount of vintage and antique treasures, ranging from vinyl records, glassware, home d茅cor, jewelry, paintings, toys, furniture, clocks and the list goes on.
It鈥檚 a treasure trove for collectors.
Known for its variety of antiques and welcoming atmosphere, the antique store at 270 West Main St., is a staple in the community, offering customers a treasure hunt, a time capsule of unique items from the past.
鈥淚 tell people this is the closest to time travel that you鈥檒l get,鈥 said owner and manager Tim Morgan. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e standing in front of an object that you remember from your childhood and at that moment you are taken back in time.鈥
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The antique store is like a visual overload, featuring merchandise from 24 vendors.
鈥淧eople get the impression that we have one of everything,鈥 Morgan laughed. 鈥淏ut, we don鈥檛. This store represents maybe one one-thous-andth of what鈥檚 actually out there.鈥
With only a $5,000 loan, he opened Zephyr Antiques in 2000, setting out on a journey that would eventually lead to celebrating a major milestone.
While other local antique shops have shuttered throughout the years, this antique shop has been in business for 25 years this month, surviving ebbs and flows in the economy and major events in history including the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, a global financial crisis in 2008 and the global pandemic in 2020.
The only other long-standing business on Main Street to endure such an evolving economy is Potter鈥檚 Abingdon Opticians, which opened in 1980.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a challenging environment,鈥 said Morgan, who believes the effects of Hurricane Helene in Washington County will pose another challenge to his downtown business. 鈥淥ne of the reasons people come to Southwest Virginia is to hike or bike on the Virginia Creeper Trail.鈥
He believes damages to the trail will have immeasurable effects on his business this summer.
鈥淲e try hard to be welcoming to everybody who鈥檚 interested enough to walk in the door. Seventy-five percent of my customers have not been here before,鈥 he said.
Christine Podracky of Tannersville, Virginia, and her mother Marianne Cook of Bristol, Virginia, visited the antique shop for the first time last week.
鈥淚t鈥檚 gorgeous here. I like the layout,鈥 said Podracky, who spotted several pieces of furniture and Carnival glass she was interested in buying.
Just like the items he sells, the business has a story of its own.
The antique store is named after the former Zephyr Theatre which opened in the same building in 1939 and was rebuilt in 1941 after being destroyed by fire.
鈥淚 named it to preserve the 20th century history in this historic town,鈥 said Morgan.
He still keeps the pulls from the original doors when it operated as a theatre.
Big shop in a little town
As the store celebrates operating a quarter of a century, the owner reflects on what鈥檚 made the business successful all these years.
As a young entrepreneur, Morgan鈥檚 main goal in 2000 was to create a business where anybody could come in and buy something.
鈥淚 wanted to have a big shop in town where even kids in this very remote region of the country could come in and see how big the world is,鈥 Morgan laughed, reminiscing about his childhood growing up in Abingdon.
Morgan was one of those kids whose love for antiques started at an early age.
鈥淏oth of my parents openly disliked antiques, but I thought the antiques were really interesting. I guess it was an odd rebellion on my part,鈥 he said with a laugh.
Back when the Virginia Highlands Festival displayed antiques on the grounds of the Martha Washington Inn, Morgan rode his bike from his nearby home to scout out the 鈥渙ld stuff.鈥
During his excursions in town, he fondly remembers frequenting the Sterchi Furniture store downtown and talking with the store keeper, Charlie Sweet.
鈥淗e was nice to me and it made a big impression on me,鈥 said Morgan.
Morgan continued to maintain an antique booth at the store even after he sold the business in 2015 and moved to Richmond. He was offered to buy back the business in 2021.
鈥淓ven though I left for awhile, I鈥檝e been selling antiques on Main Street for 25 years,鈥 he said.
The merchandise isn鈥檛 the only thing that reflects the past. Just stop and listen to the music playing in the store while shopping. It鈥檚 also nostalgic and reminiscent.
As a 1940s Dinah Shore tune softly played in the background, Morgan made his way through the spacious four-level store, pointing out unique items that have caught his eye.
It鈥檚 the excitement of not knowing what you鈥檒l stumble on during what Morgan calls 鈥渢he thrill of the hunt.鈥
鈥淲ho does this remind you of?鈥 asked Morgan, holding a vintage military hat that resembles what Sgt. Carter wore on the Gomer Pyle television show in the 1960s.
鈥淗e was the drill instructor for the U.S. Marine Corps,鈥 Morgan said. 鈥淲ith the military insignia and Eagle on top of this hat, everyone recognizes this as Sgt. Carter鈥檚 hat.鈥
Morgan made his way to an area of old tools.
鈥淚 call this part of the store my 鈥榤antiques,鈥 These are functional and historical items men like to browse through,鈥 he said.
鈥淭his is a highly collectible brand,鈥 said Morgan, removing a Keen Cutter ax from a wall display. 鈥淵ou can tell by the way it鈥檚 made that this is an original. It鈥檚 probably from the 1970s.鈥
A social function
Though antiques are growing in popularity for many homeowners, the market still represents only about 5% of the public.
鈥淭he market is so small for antiques in general that the sales are pretty much at the same level they were in 2000,鈥 he said. 鈥淭his is the dead last money that people spend, for sure. Food, haircuts, and transportation are necessities, but antiques are not necessities.鈥
He said his store operates more like a 鈥渟ocial function with retail involved. 鈥淚t makes for a nice environment because people are having fun while they are looking around.鈥
The only thing more sporadic than the supply is the demand, he said.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e buying things for resale, you have to have an idea of general appeal of the item. You need the right person looking at the right thing, at the right time, in the right mood and with the right amount of money,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t takes a lot of patience.鈥
鈥淚 tell people my business plan consists of keeping the hours that are posted on the door, unlocking the door in the morning, sitting down, and not freaking out if business is slow that day,鈥 Morgan said with a laugh. 鈥淚 have survived, but some days you wonder. That鈥檚 just the nature of retail.鈥
Carolyn R. Wilson is a freelance writer in Glade Spring, Virginia. Contact her at citydesk@bristolnews.com.
