Scott Davis and his wife, Rae, should have known they were made for each other back in the days when they were courting in Philadelphia because, on their very first date, they decided that, instead of going to a movie or out to dinner, they would go hunting for antiques.
Now, more than 25 years later, the two own and operate the Rhode Island Antiques Mall, a venue unique to the state because it offers more than 20,000 square feet of space on two levels and features the wares of 200 dealers. “We have items shipped in [by dealers] every day from the Czech Republic, Texas, Europe [and] Canada,” Davis said, citing a few examples. The store also offers antiques offered for sale by the Davises themselves.
Scott Davis began his foray into the antiques world as a collector at an early age before he even know what antiques and collectibles were all about. He collected cameras and anything related to photography. “When you look back, you realize you were collecting things and other kids weren’t,” he said, “and you realize later in life that not everybody does that.”
Scott and Rae both have bachelor’s degrees in art – hers is from Penn State University and his, University of The Arts in Philadelphia – and moved to Rhode Island about 25 years ago. He is an industrial designer who owns an unrelated manufacturing business. She worked for a time at a university in Providence, but they both wanted more from life as they neared mid-life, Scott Davis said. “We thought, ‘why don’t we just do something we love instead of something that just pays the rent?’ We were spending most of our lives in antique stores anyway.”
They took over the former Jabbour Electronics store, located near Route 95 with plenty of parking, and turned it into what they say is the largest antiques mall in Rhode Island, opening in September of 2007.
The couple’s own specialty is art deco – pieces dating from the early 1920s until 1939, according to Davis. Ushered in with the Roaring Twenties and Prohibition, before the Great Depression hit, art deco reflected a flamboyant yet elegant aesthetic, with a certain “[joy of life],” Davis said. By 1939, as war erupted in Europe, “it all came tumbling down and life became very somber, and people stopped thinking about flappers and martinis and things like that.” An art deco resurgence started in the 1950s and hasn’t ended yet.
This cycle is typical of the antique trade, where certain items will be hot for a while and then go completely out of style, only to return years later more popular than ever. Another example is modernist furniture, dating from the 1960s, which Davis said is “very hot” and “at a peak right now.” The simple furniture, spare and sleek with clean lines, often can be seen in today’s converted mill buildings, a stark contrast to brick walls and plank floors. “Much of it was very high-end office furniture,” Davis said.
Other hot trends right now include architectural artifacts for use indoors or out, such as actual pieces of old buildings like balustrades, doors, columns and arches. Hot about 10 years ago, Beatles and Elvis mementoes have dropped in value because “young people today have no emotional connection with it,” Davis said. Also passé in New England are oak furniture, Victorian furniture because it’s usually large and uncomfortable, and “what I call grandma’s antiques,” Davis said, referring to run-of-the-mill plates, dishes and glassware. Oak and Victorian pieces sell well in California, Davis said, while mahogany and walnut do well down South.
Rentable space at the Davises’ antiques mall varies greatly in size from “a small, single shelf” to booths, glass cases, wall space and two large galleries, available on a monthly basis to dealers, amateurs, even heirs who need to sell off an estate, Davis said. “This is a business anyone can get into,” he said. “It’s a great way to start a little cottage business. With just a little knowledge, you can go out hunting at yard sales and flea markets, buy low and then put the items up for sale.”
As a result of the recession, Davis said he sees fewer sales, but the items sold have prices higher than in the past and, rather than dealer-to-dealer sales, more retail transactions take place. He suggests that dealers want to cut back on inventory, while private buyers will pay more than before for investments whose value will not diminish. “Antique furniture always has a ready market,” he said. “You can get your money back if you want to.” •
COMPANY PROFILE
Rhode Island Antiques Mall
OWNERS: Scott and Rae Davis
TYPE OF BUSINESS: Antiques and consignment store
LOCATION: 345 Fountain St., Pawtucket
EMPLOYEES: 11
YEAR ESTABLISHED: 2007
ANNUAL SALES: WND
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