Downtown business peddles a little of everything
Published 12:00 am Wednesday, May 15, 2002
Stepping into the Main Street Peddler in Austin is like taking a step back in time.
Walk in and you'll find yourself surrounded by items you may have seen in your mother's home, your grandmother's home or even your great-grandmother's home.
Dianne Wiste describes her shops as "based on antiques, unique collectibles and new and used cosigned clothing."
With 17 dealers who rent space in her shop and dozens of people who bring in items for consignment, she has plenty of everything.
"I try to stay current with trend items – pottery is always big, transfer wear … I'm seeing more of a push for primitive painted cupboards and other pieces of furniture, but there's also a push for wood grain, natural finished wood furniture from the late 1800s and early 1900s," Wiste says.
The store is an eclectic jumble of items and seems to have very little rhyme or reason as to how everything is arranged, which makes it a treasure-hunter's paradise. The only truly organized part of the store is the clothing section, where anyone looking for a bargain will have no trouble finding their size.
Wiste says all her dealers "are in charge of their own area. They arrange it themselves and make sure everything is where they want it to be," so no two aisles look alike.
Owning her own business has been a dream of hers since she was a business student in college. Her dream became focused on owning her own antique shop when she received her first piece of furniture from her mother as a Christmas present. "It was an antique writing desk and it was so ornate and so pretty and so unique … I loved it and I started looking for pieces of antique furniture like that," she says. "I worked at a similar store for awhile and when I stopped, I couldn't stop looking for antiques. I can't see paying new prices when you can get something for a fraction of the retail price. Most of these things have been around for a hundred years, so you know they're going to last."
She's always looking to giver her customers a good deal and tries to give them exactly what they want, so if someone asks for a specific piece, she does what she can to find it. That service and her prices keep drawing people back to her, such as Vivian Lachance of Austin.
"I can tell her in advance about something I'm looking for and she'll let me know as soon as something comes in that is similar," Lachance says. "I think she spends a great deal of time researching and she shops well for the customer. If you have a question about a piece, she's always ready to jump right in and tell you what period the piece is from and anything else she knows about it."
Lachance has become enchanted with Wiste's shop. "Every time has been a wonderful adventure in her store. I can't believe how inexpensive her things are … that's one of the reasons why I purchased items there in the first place, the reasonable price," Lachance says. "I purchased a steamer chest from her, and usually they're $400 or $500, but from her I got it for $45. That was a price that was just honest, and I've found that to be true with most of her items."
Keeping her prices reasonable, is something Wiste strives to do. "We try to keep our prices at a point where those who are our customers and our dealers can afford it," she says.
That's been her philosophy since she opened last May, and like her desire to offer quality pieces at a low price, she says her store and her business philosophy haven't changed very much. "I think when we started we had 10 dealers and now we're at 17 rental dealers, but we also take in consignment, so if you have a few pieces from your grandmother's estate and it's not enough to fill a stall, you can bring those in and we'll sell them for you, which saves you the cost of a rental stall. We want to give everyone an outlet for peddling antiques and collectibles."
Opening a new business can be a daunting challenge and having it succeed can be even tougher, but Wiste is amazed at how well she's done. "I've had an incredible following and support of clients and dealers. When I did my end of the year figures, I was very impressed. It's really tough to succeed after your first year and that just shows that there was a need for a business like this in town," she says.
The Main Street Peddler is located at 328 North Main St. and is open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 434-0277.
Amanda L. Rohde can be reached at 434-2214 or by e-mail at amanda.rohde@austindailyherald.com