Business First

 

And that's important, said Kelly McCall, one of the owners of the new Crazy Daisy antique mall on the edge of Butchertown. McCall and Jill J. Evans

bought the 1-acre property that includes a 21,000-square-foot, two-story building housing the mall at 1430 Mellwood Ave.

 

Until they started Crazy Daisy, neither had any substantial experience in the antiques trade.

 

Antique dealers, who are prospective booth renters, might think the two women are inexperienced and fickle -- and "that we're not going to stick around. But we're here to stay," said McCall, who has worked as an office manager and accountant.

 

McCall and Evans bought the building, the former Runyon grocery warehouse, for $600,000 on June 19 and opened Crazy Daisy July 9.

 

The main floor is fully rented, with room for about 50 more booths on the lower level. Total capacity is about 150 booths.

 

The antique mall is packed with treasures, including furniture and other collectibles.

 

"It's a real eclectic mix," McCall said. Hot items in a business with constantly changing tastes include mid-century modern furnishings such as Eames chairs, vintage jewelry and primitive furniture, said the partners.

 

The friends -- both antiquers -- had been thinking about opening their own store for months on the "wouldn't it be fun?" level, McCall said.

 

Once they found the building and property, they showed their respective mates -- Jill Evans' husband, Ed Evans, and McCall's husband, Greg Griffin -- "and they loved it," McCall said.

 

At Crazy Daisy, there are no commissions on booth space, just a straight monthly rental of $150 for the lower floor, $165 for the main floor. The mall is open 7 days per week, Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday noon to 4 p.m. Its Web site is www.crazydaisyantiquemall.com.

 

Evans, a former flight attendant, grew up with antiques, and her mother, Sandy Jones, is one of the vendors. "I see my childhood (for sale) in the back," Evans said, smiling.

 

McCall said she got into antiques "just because I love beautiful things."

 

Love them or not, neither has any problem parting with the rare and beautiful.

 

"I'm to the point where I can sell anything," Evans said.

 

What's difficult is, there's so much to learn, she said, "and you tend to gravitate to the things you like. That's natural. It's hard to break out of those interests" to embrace what you might not like but is in demand.

 

Television shows such as Public Broadcasting Service's "Antique Roadshow," on which expert appraisers travel city to city, separating museum pieces from junk, drive that demand. Ultimately, questions about the value of that 1840s Empire table or Grandma's sampler is resolved at the cash register.