It’s named Renaissance for a reason. There is so much re-birth inside the red door that’s always open inviting pedestrians and motorists along First Avenue to come inside and see the uniqueness of a modern day flea market, boutique, secondhand store, and First Avenue treasure.
The shop, with its nine different little rooms crammed full of the new, the old, the exotic, the treasured and the unusual, is now owned by Jerry Antonatos the business partner with the late Alice Covery, the partner who had her own array of charming items for sale prior to her death earlier this year.
And, both in memory to Alice and her wide expanse of friends and customers, as well as to the ever growing interest in making purchases of items that are particularly meaningful, Renaissance is including more vendors and will be offering even more unique items. In the near future.
Janice Godfrey is one of the local residents who owns owned of the ‘rooms’ at Renaissance. There are four women who run the shop, taking turns opening it each of the seven days it’s opened, greeting customers, and handling the sales for each of the others, all settling up on what’s been sold from their shops every week.
Janice has been part of Renaissance for decades, and her love of both customers and products she and the others sell here is contagious.
For instance, Janie has items in her room ranging from 50 cents or so to hundreds of dollars, and has acquired them all at other thrift shops, garage sales, unusual boutiques when things she liked have been on sale, and donations. But never from gifts. “I get it when I can get it,” she laughs, explaining that sales of unusual new items in stores are a definite draw for her. But she would never sell something that has been a gift to her. She learned that the hard way, she concedes. There have been times she did try to sell a drawing, a painting, a special book that were given to her. “But when I started to ring it up, and looked at it and remembered how I got it and how important it was, I just couldn’t sell it.” So now, she and her daughter do some creating and recycling. For instance, there’s a large crystal vase that’s filled with artistic array of seashells, or some smaller items that combined different items which might have sold for a few cents each into something truly unique and beautiful that can command a higher sale price.
Janie has also been part of Renaissance long enough to know Bob Schoeffling, the former Mayor whose love of history and books is a local legend. She can show you where Bob’s books are still on display, though Bob himself has retired from active industry in the shop. She points out the bookcases neatly arranged and organized by topics and can also tell the story behind the magnificent tall armoire that’s next to Bob’s books, and where he also sometimes displayed some of his rarities.
The armoire is clearly the most expensive item in the store, its price in the thousands both because of its age, its magnificent walnut structure highly decorated and trimmed, and its height. “Everyone loves it and some people really want to buy it, but don’t want to spend that much,” she explains. Then she adds, “but you know, when those prospective buyers are thinking over the price and taking a second look at the treasure, they end up saying,’ it’s really too tall for my house anyway. My ceilings aren’t that high>”
While the vendors are mostly local residents who run their businesses for fun and income, the Calvary Chapel Ministries has its booth as a fund raiser for the needs of the church. Volunteers staff the booth, the minister visits and “”they’re part of our family” The booth is crammed full of unique items from jewelry and Bible sayings to furniture and DVDs.
Each vendor has her booth crammed full of unique items, and changes are made on a regular basis, so one stop is definitely not often enough to visit Renaissance. There might be something as unique as intricate ship models Janice has had in the past and sold for $400, or greeting cards and unique works of art. There are huge displays of Barbie dolls in avario9u array of dress and accompanying objects, and a display of cookbooks that range from the modern to the once of a kind. There are tables and chairs, stuffed animals and ceramic birds, plenty of jewelry and more gift ideas than you can count.
On a recent morning, a chef in a well known local restaurant stopped in just to ‘pick up something for myself” and spent time looking through all the booths. .”There are so many things for women here, “ he said, “I can’t wait till bring my wife.”
And while he said there was nothing there for a man, he walked out with three special items he couldn’t resist: a horseshoe he wants to hang over his door for good luck, an incense burner he wanted to use for its aroma and beauty, and a hand carved piece of tree wood made into a key chain holder. “I have a friend who will carve my name into the wood for me,” he commented, with a bit of pride and excitement.
The store takes both cash and credit cards, and opens ar 11 seven days a week, open until six week Mondays through Fridays, and until 9 Fridays and Saturdays.”
And check out that unusual watermelon-like pitcher , bowl and napkin rings just after you get inside!. Almost as unusual as those tall urns in the room on the right!
