Like the many dusty good reads stacked on its shelves, the story of the Antique Alley is about to end.
Antique Alley, 706 State St., is closing Dec. 27.
“The Antique Alley will disappear,” Owner Alan Howard told the News-Press.
Howard said that the building is on the market and the business will shut down. Howard could continue the business, but has decided to retire.
The store is home to vintage TIME Magazines, 90s records, jewelry, costumes and colorful dishware. Its aisles carry decades of history, nostalgia and memories.
The business has stood on 706 State St. for 33 years, with the building owned by Schleifer Family LLC.
Antique Alley history
Originally, Howard began selling pre-owned items at swap meets before opening a shop in the Funk Zone for five years. Then, in 1993, 706 State St. became available.
When one walks in, music encapsulates customers’ ears. The building is packed with items from the front door to the back walls.
Howard never imagined Antique Alley’s enduring allure.
“When I first came here, I was here all by myself and I was stocking the store, but then I came to the realization that business was busier than I expected,” Howard said. “I was selling things faster than I could get things.”
He quickly learned that he needed to supply more items due to high demand.
Howard journeyed to swap meets, discovered vendors and began renting out glass cases and sections of the store for people to sell their items.
“It’s almost like an indoor swap meet, except each person isn’t at their own space,” Howard said. “It’s like I’m the central cashier. They bring in their stuff, put it in the space that I rent them and I take care of it for them.”
He has continued to find other items at swap meets, thrift stores and through private sales when customers inform him they have things to sell.
Arnold Buckner is one of 25 vendors who rents a space in the store and has been a vendor of Howard’s since the beginning.
Whether it’s the signed Beatles polaroids, older cameras, instruments, or jewelry, Buckner has sold many interesting items, each one with its own story.
Buckner said he once found a jar filled with random jewelry pieces for $20 at a flea market, right before he was going to leave. Many of the pieces of jewelry turned out to be real silver or 14 karat gold that he was able to sell for up to $160 each.
“You never know what you’re going to run into,” Buckner said. “So hunting is what I like [to do].”
End of an era
The decision to continue renting the building was left to Howard.
He was given the option to renew the building’s lease for five more years, but declined since he planned to retire at the end of 2026. The Schleifer family hoped Antique Alley would stay.
One of Howard’s vendors was willing to take over the lease, thereby keeping the business alive.
This year, however, Sue Schleifer, one of the owners of the building, said her family decided to retire too, and put the building up for sale.
“I’m a bit sad,” Schleifer said. “It’s been a long legacy for our family, 70 years.”
The building has been passed through generations within the family. From Schleifer’s father to her and her siblings.
Howard said he was ready to retire and is excited to travel the world, but like Schleifer, he has felt sad to see an end to the legacy — and customers — of the store.
Over the years, Howard has had visitors from all over the world come to visit the store. He says the store has become a place where many go for entertainment — to see what interesting trinkets await them.
Between the plethora of eccentric items and the music playing throughout, the store offers a unique experience for everyone.
“I feel very melancholy for my customers,” Howard said. “It’s a loss for them and it’s a loss for the city.”
Despite the ongoing discussions about the future of State Street, he said that having the downtown street open to pedestrians has actually helped his business the past six years.
Even though the store will be closing, he thinks the continuous revitalization efforts of State Street are going in the right direction.
“I see hope that State Street will be vital again,” Howard said.
Schleifer also believes in the future of downtown.
“I think with Yardi coming in across the street that should be great for downtown and specifically for the block where our store’s located,” Schleifer said. “What we’re hoping for is a vibrant business with character will settle into the store building just like Antique Alley was a vibrant business.”
