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display on the table might feature vintage glassware, a new bar cart stacked with old cocktail shakers and linens, and a stack of newly released cocktail-recipe books.
True to her business’ origin, Greer still seeks out vintage barware, trolling thrift stores and estate stores. She gets a lot of folks calling her to sell their grandparents’ stemware or a cache of old linens. But Greer estimates that at the moment, roughly 75 percent of the store is new merchandise, and 25 percent is vintage.
“It’s so much easier having new things than old things,” says Greer. Acquiring vintage goods entails a laborious task of researching origin, history, and value,
and there’s often cleaning and restoring involved. What’s more, in-demand items might be hard to find, whereas a delivery of new stock is just a phone call away.
Thinking ahead
creates opportunities
Within months of the store’s transformation from Table 7 Antiques to Table & Tonic, Greer is already noticing a marked difference. “Walk-in traffic is probably up 75 percent,” she notes. She’s also seen
an uptick in the number of invitations she gets from local organizations to exhibit at shows and bazaars, which she accept as often as possible since it helps spread the word about her business.
And in the coming months, Greer plans
to add another facet to her business, one that she wasn’t able to do as an antiques retailer: online sales. “You can’t sell online with an antique shop because things come and go out of the shop every day,” she says. “But I think adding online sales now will reach a broader number of people.” ■
For more information on Table & Tonic,
call 757.651.6772
or visit facebook.com/tableandtonicnorfolk.
Images by: David Schwarz Photography
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