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The Falls Church Antiques Annex will reopen Monday, Oct. 6, at 250 W. Broad St., returning to downtown only months after closing in April.
The revival offers a rare retail reversal for Falls Church, where nearby landmarks Dominion Camera and Brown’s Hardware also recently shut their doors. Owner Paul Quinn, 82, said the antiques shop may appear familiar, but customers will find a substantially different operation inside.
Quinn closed the store after his wife became ill and several longtime dealers died. He hoped to sell the building while preserving the antiques cooperative, which had developed a strong customer base over more than 40 years.
Although numerous prospective buyers viewed the property, Quinn said the unusual financial market produced no takers for either the building or business. None of the existing dealers wanted to assume responsibility for the entire operation.
Quinn instead assembled nine new and returning dealers to relaunch the store under its previous cooperative model. Each dealer leases space, works in the shop for a corresponding amount of time and manages their own finances and taxes.
He hopes to recruit another three or four dealers and intends to keep every available area active while the cooperative expands. Unleased spaces will hold merchandise and display “For Rent” signs rather than sit empty.
Quinn believes the new group will benefit from the ideas and varied perspectives of its members. He said the store will retain its collaborative character while developing a different flavor.
Dealer Allison Tibbetts joined the Annex only weeks before its April closure and has returned for the reopening. She said the cooperative needs participants who are serious about antiques and willing to contribute to a community of dealers and customers.
The requirement to staff the store helps attract people with a genuine commitment to the trade, she said. It also ensures that customers can speak with knowledgeable dealers instead of employees unfamiliar with the merchandise.
Tibbetts said the Annex had been performing well financially before it closed. Its long history, regular clientele and prominent location made the shutdown especially disappointing for customers.
Quinn said some visitors include the shop in trips through Falls Church, while others return whenever they visit family in the area. Antiques can reconnect shoppers with memories of parents and grandparents while offering distinctive household pieces that may be less expensive than new alternatives, he said.
The reopened cooperative will also connect antiques more closely with art and contemporary lifestyles. Tibbetts expects vintage and used merchandise to gain appeal as imported goods become more expensive, particularly during the Christmas shopping season.
She said the shop carries numerous one-of-a-kind pieces, including original paintings, sculpture and artisan work.
Galleries Replace Tightly Packed Booths
A new furniture gallery will occupy an open section that previously held closely arranged booths. Dealers will be able to display larger furnishings there for limited periods, keeping the selection changing while giving members with small booths room to offer bulkier items.
A raised area at the back of the store, formerly filled with glass display cabinets, is being converted into a small art gallery. The space remained a work in progress ahead of the reopening.
Another dealer, Pam, will sell furniture she painted herself from a booth featuring wallpaper coordinated with her merchandise.
Tibbetts’ own eclectic collection includes signed, hand-painted and artisanal pieces from several cultures. Her inventory ranges from hand-blown glass and Fostoria associated with the Henry Ford Museum to Native American artwork, Mexican Talavera and Greek pottery.
She said she enjoys finding handmade objects from different places and seeing them leave for new homes.
The store will also offer vintage clothing for the first time. A younger dealer named Kayle is preparing a booth with a mirror where customers can try on garments. Tibbetts said vintage clothing has become particularly popular with shoppers in their 20s.
She expects the mix of dealers from different age groups and backgrounds to broaden the store’s merchandise while preserving the browsing experience that helped build its following. The Broad Street location draws both intentional shoppers and pedestrians who notice the store while passing.
A New Dealer Brings Finds From Around the World
Erin Leonard, a new dealer from Burke, has secured a bright space at the front of the shop. A military spouse who has lived in several countries, Leonard developed an interest in antiques through her travels and exposure to different cultures and approaches to interior design.
Her family’s most recent posting was in Germany, where a friend operated an antiques booth. The experience inspired Leonard to consider opening one after returning to Virginia. She learned about the Annex’s reopening through local shops and word of mouth.
Leonard said joining the cooperative has already helped her meet Falls Church residents and other dealers.
Her shelves contain objects acquired during travels in Turkey, Japan, England and Germany. Among them are unusual green Delft vases that she found during a detour to a thrift store in the Netherlands while traveling for her daughter’s school sports. She is also offering hand-carved European dough bowls and Japanese teak mugs and a platter.
For Leonard, antiquing is a way to share cultures and traditions, preserve cherished objects and give older pieces another life. She plans to continue searching estate sales and other sources while becoming more involved in the local community.
The Annex’s return follows an April closure that appeared permanent. Instead, Quinn and the new cooperative have brought the longtime shop back with fresh dealers, redesigned display areas and plans to keep growing until the building is full.