Location: 2174 Elm Street NE, Covington
(678) 625-8500
Hours: Monday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sunday, 1 p.m. - 6 p .m.
"We have anything and everything," co-owner Matt Crowe said. "We have everything from high-end antiques to just ‘stuff.' That's the best way to describe it. We have a lot of ‘stuff.'"
Crowe and co-owner Clay Newman purchased the store in January, but Antiques and Stuff has been in existence for six years, as many customers and sellers know quite well.
Steve and Teri Hartbarger are avid antiquers who have been buying and selling antiques for years. Steve's business has recently struggled and he's down from 12 employees to two, so he and Teri have a lot of free time and need some extra money. So they decided to rent space from Antiques and Stuff and create their own small boutique.
"We needed something to do; we needed to make money," Teri said. "Steve makes furniture, and I like the hunting and gathering of antiques and other stuff. It's a great way to spend time together, and we have a lot of fun."
The store is not a traditional one, as the owners don't actually own any of the merchandise. Instead, they rent out 230 spaces to individuals who display and sell their antique collections. Crowe and Newman collect rent plus 10 percent of all sales, while the renters get to keep the rest.
Teri said she's close to reaching her goal of selling $3,000 worth of antiques a month, which provides a good monthly income. In addition, she and Steve also purchase things they need, including furnishings and unique Christmas gifts for friends and family.
The store is having a sixth year anniversary sale from April 24 through 26. In addition, the store is staring up weekly yard sales on Saturdays. People can rent parking lot spaces for $10 and sell their items. Crowe said he usually has about 40 vendors and maybe 1,000 customers who attend these combined yard sales.