After St. Helens antique shop closes suddenly, nine vendors start anew
The loss of Antiques St. Helens, the 3-year-old antique shop in the heart of St. Helens’ waterfront district, has shaken vendors and customers, but several sellers have started a new venture, Elegant Clutter, which will open across from the St. Helens Post Office in early February.
After less than three years in business, a well-loved antique shop in Olde Towne St. Helens closed its doors this month, leaving two-dozen vendors in need of a new home and hundreds of disheartened customers.
For many vendors inside Antique St. Helens, located at 215 S. First St., the sudden announcement of the store’s closure hit at an inopportune time.
“We were preparing for the Christmas season and were all excited. Then, we found out that we had to leave in a few weeks,” said Barbara Dickerson, one of the dozens of vendors who sold antiques, collectables and other gift items at the South First Street antiques shop. “It was a shock to all of us. None of us expected it.”
Although she said it would have been nice to have additional notice, Dickerson does credit the building’s owner, Philip Stanton, with extending the closure date for a few weeks after the snowstorms hit in mid-December. The antiques shop closed to the public Friday, Jan. 9 and manager Mary Gressett stayed on for another week to help organize.
“The regulars are devastated,” Gressett said of the store’s closure. “One man said he couldn’t believe we were closing, that he thought we were the best shop in town.”
Having worked at the antiques store for the past two years and facing an uncertain employment future, Gressett, 62, said she’s scared to job search in such an unstable economy.
