Westside Stories
Born as a venue for sharing the stories of what has passed through our store...Westside Antiques Mall, we are launching "Westside Stories" this month. Many amazing antiques pieces have passed through our doors since we opened six years ago. At many an estate sale or antiques show we have heard antiques dealers express a sad commentary on the state of antiques in the Madison area, saying, "There is nothing left to be found in the Madison area; it's all picked over," and, "there is nothing left to be found." How very wrong those nay sayers have been! Since 2002 we have found many items on our trademark "House Calls", Estate Services, as well as Consignment services that we have offered.
In this section we will chronicle these stories in "Westside Stories". The stories are not just about the items in question, they are also about the people and the situations they are in. They are in situations that we all have found or well find ourselves in. What makes them different is that they are punctuated by finding a happy ending. Whereas they may have taking their items to an unscrupulous dealer, who offers them pennies on the dollar for their family heirlooms, they have taken them to a place that believes in finding out the truth as much as finding some monetary compensation. Each person who brought something to Westside Antiques Mall, ended up knowing the items worth and being counseled on divesting it. One of the most frequently asked questions about these stories is, "Why would a family ever part with this stuff?" Everyone's situation is different. It is our policy not ask why they are choosing to divest themselves, of the object, but to do our darndest to educate the buyer as well and seller as to what piece of history has just changed hands.
Perhaps one of the most unique elements of Westside Antiques is that we are very often selling a piece of history. Sometimes it is personal history, sometimes it is Madison or Wisconsin history. We never know what will walk in the door. We never know what lies behind the next door we knock on.
