Perhaps one of the more distinctive parts of downtown Delaware is its collection of antique stores. Clustered along Sandusky, the three shops work together to foster a community of collectors.
Carlene Cutler has worked for DPS Antiques & Collectibles since its beginning. She began at the mall just six months from it’s opening 18 years ago, and then bought the establishment in 2007 after the former proprietor passed away.
Cutler is originally from Columbus, but has lived in Delaware since 1985. She said she has seen the growth and change of the downtown area over the years. “We have had a lot of businesses come and go, but we’re still one of the best downtowns available,” she said. “If you go to a lot of the other small downtowns, there is nothing there … it’s dead. Delaware has worked very hard in keeping this downtown hopping.”
Cutler credits Main Street Delaware and the force for keeping the downtown area alive. She sees First Friday as a valuable benefit to the business community.
Another antique store owner, just across the street from DPS Antiques, doesn’t feel quite the same. Debbie Aburmaieleh, of the Delaware Antique Mall, sees First Fridays as an opportunity for parents to let their children run free and use the downtown businesses as places to hangout.
“[First Friday] is a carnival atmosphere down here,” she said. “It does bring people downtown, but not to buy things. Nobody comes to shop, at least not here. A lot of parents come with vanloads of kids and dump them out in the street here and expect the shop owners to babysit.”
Delaware Antique Mall has been downtown for fourteen years, Aburmaieleh took over ownership two years ago and has seen an increase in sales since purchasing the businesses. “Its because of the economy, I think,” she said.
Aburmaieleh said that Delaware Antique Mall generates most of its business from outside of Delaware. “First Friday is not good for us because they take away all the parking and close down the street. So when people come from out of town, they don’t have anywhere to park and they’re not too happy about that.”
Both owners agree that there is no competition between the antique stores downtown. Cutler said, “The more you have in an area, the more it brings, because we are all different and we all have varieties. Its just like fast food restaurants, they always kind of group together for choice.”Aburmaieleh said they all share customers and will recommend the other stores to them.
Cutler hopes to see the antique businesses continue to thrive. “We all hope that it will keep evolving, but really it all depends on economy,” she said “We hope we have another eighteen years in business, but there’s no way to predict.”