One of downtown Oxford’s best known businesses is closing its doors after 10 years of selling the past.
The Oxford Antique Mall will soon be just another empty storefront along Washington Street.
‘Our target date (for closing) is May 15. It’s going to be very quick,? according to owner John DeMuch. ‘If everything is not liquidated by then, we might extend it a little bit. But we must vacate by May 31.?
Right now, all merchandise is 25 percent off.
The mall’s 15 antique dealers were informed of the closing at a store meeting held April 24.
‘The signs went up Wednesday (April 25) morning,? said mall manager Sandy Moore, who sold the business to DeMuch in August 2006.
The mall’s closing was prompted by an eviction notice from the building’s owner, Atesian Properties in Troy.
‘They are being evicted,? said Property Manager Ara Atesian. ‘They couldn’t do the rent and they didn’t want to take less space. . .When someone’s not paying you have no choice but to evict them.?
The 18 N. Washington St. building offers 6,500 square feet of space on the main floor plus another 1,000 square feet in the basement.
‘We’re going to try to lease it out,? Atesian said. ‘Someone had approached us to buy it. . .But we’re going to re-lease it.?
However, he noted the company is open to idea of selling, if the right offer was presented.
Moore attributed the mall’s closing to the state’s poor economy.
‘It’s a very small amount of people that can still afford the extras,? she said. ‘If it comes down to buying an antique or buying groceries, I think groceries win out.?
Any ‘excess inventory? that doesn’t move during the sale will be consolidated to a ‘much larger? antique mall in Marine City also owned by DeMuch.
‘It just makes more sense to concentrate operations there,? he said.
DeMuch noted some dealers from Oxford will be moving their merchandise to Marine City.
‘We have commitments from two and there will probably be more,? he said.
The antique mall’s closing is difficult for Moore, who originally remodeled the building and opened it on April 8, 1997. She referred to it as ‘my baby.?
‘I put my heart and soul into that place for 10 years,? she said. ‘It’s pretty hard to take. It’s been very hard to walk in there.?
In its heyday, the mall featured 45 dealers plus Moore occupied seven booths herself.
But Moore wasn’t the only one upset by news of the closing. ‘A couple customers came in and actually started crying,? she said. ‘That’s where they go to get away from everything else. They had a real hard time with it.?
‘It’s unfortunate, but nothing ever stays the same,? Moore added.