January/February 2000 Issue

In Search of Antiques

Island time seems to run at a slower pace, reminiscent of years gone by. For people bitten by the antiques bug, who want to take one step further back, several local and mainland sources exist for vintage clothes, jewelry, furniture, and household or personal accessories.
   Albert Meadow Antiques, located on Captiva, is known for its early 20th-century decorative art and jewelry. Proprietor David Doherty and antique jewelry consultant Josephine Anderson open the shop for five days at Thanksgiving, and its regular season runs from the day after Christmas to the end of March. “We have a full-service antiques store,” says Doherty, “including art nouveau glass, Tiffany glass, and jewelry from 1850 to 1940. All are period pieces. We’re from Maine and do our buying in New England. Even though our space isn’t very big, we’re one of the largest dealers in early 20th-century decorative items. People don’t realize that. They think they have to go to New York.” He notes that clients include winter residents of the islands, and tourists. He has been in business on Captiva for 11 years. In addition, he opens his shop in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, during July and August. 15000 Captiva Drive, Captiva, 941/472-8442.
   On Sanibel and in Bonita Springs, Foxworthy’s Interiors sells antique kilim and Persian rugs. Its kilims, hand-knotted wool rugs made by nomads in Turkey and Iran, feature “motifs of nature such as flowers or bugs,” explains showroom manager Cindy Somerville. “The wool is dyed in natural dyes in small vats, which account for the differences in coloration of the beautiful reds, greens, and other colors. Many of our rugs are faded by the sun. And people like them worn.” Foxworthy’s also carries antique furniture and artwork “off and on,” and will search for antiques for clients. 2340 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, 941/472-1327; 3511 Bonita Bay Boulevard, Suite 2, Bonita Springs, 941/992-2223.
   At nearby Sanibel Square, Janet and Bill Lipman opened Jan’s Antiques and Art in August 1998. Their shop specializes in antique furniture, pottery, and art. “Our business here sort of evolved,” says Bill. “Jan is an artist—a potter and painter. And we’ve always looked at antiques and art when we lived in New Jersey, or when on vacation.” The store sells works by many artists, including paintings done in watercolor or other media. Lipman notes, “We sell antiques as an extension of the art. Accent pieces sell particularly well. For instance, Oriental chests are very ‘in’ now, as they go with anything.”
   The store’s wares are original pieces but not museum pieces, and people often find that antiques are priced better than buying the same thing new, he says. “What matters is the look of the piece. You are buying it as art,” Lipman adds. Recent inventory included turn-of-the-century carpenter trunks from Montana, a greenish-and-caramel-colored slag-glass lamp from the 1930s, tooled-leather chairs, and a French country table. 2242 Periwinkle Way, Suite 2, Sanibel, 941/395-0200.
   Dorry Christy, a Florida registered interior designer with the Sanibel office of Gary David Designs, says owner Gary Niethamer, who also operates stores in Naples and Bonita Springs, always tries to have antiques, “as we like to mix in antique pieces that enhance new pieces. It does work great. We all look for antiques at shows.” Christy reports that, lately, people have been enamored of antique armoires, especially pine pieces from the 1800s. She mentions that her boss likes old apothecary chests, and the company has a source that makes new stands for the popular pieces. “We try to make interiors interesting and eclectic,” Christy says. “It can be tricky—so it doesn’t look like grandmother’s attic. People can request an item, too, and we will look for it. Or we may suggest incorporating, say, an antique desk or interesting antique coffee table.” 1618 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, 941/472-9091; 24940 South Tamiami Trail, Suite 201, Bonita Springs, 941/498-0707; 1170 Third Street South, Naples, 941/262-3288.
   The right-hand section of the Islander Trading Post is devoted to antiques, although a few other pieces are mixed in throughout the rest of the store. Just inside its entrance, a handsome cigar-store Indian stands guard. Shelves are full of antique china “state plates,” ranging from Florida to far-flung regions of the nation. “People love those plates,” reports sales associate Edna Hanner. “And they also love all of the souvenir salt and pepper shakers, and cups, and vases; you name it. People also get a kick out of the bright-colored shiny aluminum drinking glasses. They say they remember them from the late 1940s to the early 1960s.”
   Feeling nostalgic about old-time sports? You might not feel quite the same when you see the store’s wooden tennis racquets and wood-shaft golf clubs. Domestically inclined customers have lots of fun looking through the advertisements in the back issues of Ladies’ Home Journal or McCall’s magazines, Hanner says. Also for sale are old Bibles and other books, hand-crocheted doilies, and antique handheld mirrors and hairpins. Hanner remarks that the Pennsylvania-based owner of the store is partial to an old soda bar that actually is for sale. It’s in a separate little room, which is also full of old mugs, bottles, and signs. In addition, reproduction signs are available in the store, too. Don’t forget to look up when in the Islander Trading Post. You will find a “hanging gallery” for such items as wooden sleds, barrels, scales, and suitcases. 1446 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, 941/395-0888.
   A search for more recent antiques is not complete without spending some time in downtown Ft. Myers visiting the wild and crazy shop known as Flowers to Fifties. The “vintage department store” was opened in 1993 by two sisters, Sharon Pitts and Cindy Kiesel. A dozen dealers also rent space in the large, ground-floor building on the corner of Main and Hendry streets. The store is chock-full of kitchenware, furniture, lamps, clothes, appliances, knickknacks, and other items dating from the 1950s through the 1970s.
   “Some things are newer and some older,” Kiesel explains. “The kids these days are all into the vintage clothing, such as leisure suits, polyester suits, or bellbottoms. Of course, our modern-type furniture sells well, too.” Many of the store’s wares, which often come from estate sales and auctions, vary widely and wildly. “State plates” abound, as do ashtrays, old athletic trophies, still-shiny toasters, telephones, and toys. Glassware is displayed appealingly by color; old postcards are on racks near copies of classical or Golden Oldies sheet music. 2229 Main Street, Ft. Myers, 941/334-2443.
   Also in Ft. Myers are dozens of antique shops lining McGregor Boulevard near the Cape Coral Bridge. This “antiques row” attracts many island residents and visitors. Included is George Brown Antiques, which is known for its gallery of sterling silver wares. In addition, the store, which buys and sells items, carries fine porcelain, furniture, and old paintings. 12730 McGregor Boulevard, Ft. Myers, 941/482-5101.
   Nearby is Judy’s Antiques and Curiosities, home to what proprietor Judy Haar laughingly calls “prissy stuff.” Her store carries a tremendous amount of costume, Victorian, and estate (gold) jewelry. The selection of men’s jewelry includes cufflinks, watch fobs, and watch chains, all of which are favored by collectors. Most of her inventory comes from this area, Haar notes, though she also features Navajo Indian jewelry. “We also have all of the things we associate with jewelry,” the proprietor adds. “These include old purses, perfume bottles, dresser boxes and jars, handheld mirrors, old compacts, and old hats.” In addition to jewelry, Haar’s store specializes in quilts and linens, and carries canes and Victorian picture frames. 12710 McGregor Boulevard, Ft. Myers, 941/481-9600.
   A few of the many other antiques stores in the neighborhood include Karen Lewis. The shop is known for its art glass, vintage watches, and jewelry from the 1930s to 1950s (12680 McGregor Boulevard, Suite 1, Ft. Myers, 941/481-5595). Tasteful 2nds sells period furniture, pottery, art glass, and crystal. “This is a good location,” explains co-owner Tom Tomich. “A lot of customers come from the islands, including end users and decorators coming to pick out special items.” Tomich says he travels for several weeks during the summer months, scouting antiques in New England and the Ohio Valley (12680 McGregor Boulevard, Suite 2, Ft. Myers, 941/437-5852).
   Jim Blough Antiques and Rugs deals in Oriental and Persian rugs, oil paintings, Hummel figurines, and fine porcelain. He is “always interested in buying fine antiques, Oriental rugs, etc.” (12680 McGregor Boulevard, Suite 3, Ft. Myers, 941/482-6300). Bayview Collectibles and Antiques has a mixture of wares, particularly porcelain, glass, and ceramic pieces. Recently, a huge horse sculpture dominated the store’s front window (12680 McGregor Boulevard, Suite 4, Ft. Myers, 941/432-0988). Valerie Sanders Antiques sells baby boomer collectibles and antiques, particularly glass, china, jewelry, and furniture. Her store is open seven days a week, all year round. Sanders explains that “one-quarter of what I buy walks in the front door; the other three-quarters I go to pick up” (12680 McGregor Boulevard, Suite 5, Ft. Myers, 941/433-3229).
—Libby Grimm