BECKLEY — For the past 14 years, Dorothy Wills has managed the Beckley Antique Mall on George Street.
But at the end of this month, Wills, 72, is passing the torch to Alice Eanes, who will lease the building and take over ownership of the antiques operation.
“I’ve worked the last 30 years,” Wills said. “I enjoy working, I enjoy meeting people.
“I’ve always worked with people,” she added.
When Wills moved to Michigan with her husband in 1959, she started going to flea markets, she recalled.
“I collected different things,” she explained. “I started buying collectibles, then I started buying antiques. Soon I had a large collection, so I started selling.”
Wills and her husband moved back to Coal City, and she became a vendor at the Beckley Antique Mall and also the former Carpetbagger’s in Oak Hill, she said.
“When I came into the mall, I was just a dealer,” Wills said. “I started cleaning up the mall.”
In 1999, she started managing the mall for the building owner, who lives in Canada, she said.
“It was kind of fun,” she said. “There were 11 empty booths, and I started cleaning and working and trying to make it a better mall.
“Now, it’ s a real, well-established mall,” she said. “We gave it a little bit of class, and I really enjoyed working here.”
The mall draws customers and vendors back time after time, Wills reported.
“I love my vendors, the people I work with, and I love my customers,” she said. “Some of my customers have been here probably for 14 years.”
The antiques mall draws customers from out of state, year after year, according to Wills.
“They always stop by, every time they come in,” she said. “We try to get lots of antiques. We try to have mostly antiques, and we also have collectibles and just this and that.”
A walk through the mall will show old hats, antique mining equipment, vintage jewelry, collectibles and vendors from around five different states.
Wills’ trained eye can examine an antique and make a sharp judgment about the era and value.
When she looks her guess up “in the book,” she’s usually on-target.
People enjoy antiques for different reasons, Wills reported.
“It brings back fond memories from when they were growing up, (something) that their grandmother had,” she said. “It’s just a lot of things bring back good memories.
“And some things are just made better, like the furniture.”
Eanes said she’s enjoyed working with Wills over the past five years.
“She’s a sweetheart,” she said. “She’s got a heart of gold.
“She helps every one of the dealers in any way she can,” Eanes added. “She’s always been wonderful help to me.”
Wills, who has eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, said she’s got mixed feelings about retiring.
“I feel sad and glad at the same time,” she reported. “I’m sad I’ll be away from our customers, but I feel glad because I can now go to the antiques shows and all the antiques markets I haven’t been able to.”
The mall is open seven days a week, closed only Easter, Christmas and Thanksgiving, she said.
Wills emphasized the mall is not closing.
“It’s going to be bigger and better than ever,” she added.
Eanes, who has dealt antiques for around 20 years, plans to keep the same hours.
The Beckley Antique Mall is the largest antiques mall in the area.
Source: www.register-herald.com
But at the end of this month, Wills, 72, is passing the torch to Alice Eanes, who will lease the building and take over ownership of the antiques operation.
“I’ve worked the last 30 years,” Wills said. “I enjoy working, I enjoy meeting people.
“I’ve always worked with people,” she added.
When Wills moved to Michigan with her husband in 1959, she started going to flea markets, she recalled.
“I collected different things,” she explained. “I started buying collectibles, then I started buying antiques. Soon I had a large collection, so I started selling.”
Wills and her husband moved back to Coal City, and she became a vendor at the Beckley Antique Mall and also the former Carpetbagger’s in Oak Hill, she said.
“When I came into the mall, I was just a dealer,” Wills said. “I started cleaning up the mall.”
In 1999, she started managing the mall for the building owner, who lives in Canada, she said.
“It was kind of fun,” she said. “There were 11 empty booths, and I started cleaning and working and trying to make it a better mall.
“Now, it’ s a real, well-established mall,” she said. “We gave it a little bit of class, and I really enjoyed working here.”
The mall draws customers and vendors back time after time, Wills reported.
“I love my vendors, the people I work with, and I love my customers,” she said. “Some of my customers have been here probably for 14 years.”
The antiques mall draws customers from out of state, year after year, according to Wills.
“They always stop by, every time they come in,” she said. “We try to get lots of antiques. We try to have mostly antiques, and we also have collectibles and just this and that.”
A walk through the mall will show old hats, antique mining equipment, vintage jewelry, collectibles and vendors from around five different states.
Wills’ trained eye can examine an antique and make a sharp judgment about the era and value.
When she looks her guess up “in the book,” she’s usually on-target.
People enjoy antiques for different reasons, Wills reported.
“It brings back fond memories from when they were growing up, (something) that their grandmother had,” she said. “It’s just a lot of things bring back good memories.
“And some things are just made better, like the furniture.”
Eanes said she’s enjoyed working with Wills over the past five years.
“She’s a sweetheart,” she said. “She’s got a heart of gold.
“She helps every one of the dealers in any way she can,” Eanes added. “She’s always been wonderful help to me.”
Wills, who has eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, said she’s got mixed feelings about retiring.
“I feel sad and glad at the same time,” she reported. “I’m sad I’ll be away from our customers, but I feel glad because I can now go to the antiques shows and all the antiques markets I haven’t been able to.”
The mall is open seven days a week, closed only Easter, Christmas and Thanksgiving, she said.
Wills emphasized the mall is not closing.
“It’s going to be bigger and better than ever,” she added.
Eanes, who has dealt antiques for around 20 years, plans to keep the same hours.
The Beckley Antique Mall is the largest antiques mall in the area.
Source: www.register-herald.com