JoAnn and John Garner are Moore County natives, but for the first time this summer they have opened the doors to their very own antique shop right in West End.
When Susan, owner of West End Antiques, was told by the state that she would need to relocate due to the highway widening, she relocated her shop to 119 North Trade Street in Seven Lakes.
“We weren’t necessarily looking for something,” JoAnn’s husband said. “It was already here, and JoAnn already had a booth.”
With the old space available, JoAnn decided to make it her own. After having a booth in Susan’s shop, JoAnn was excited to use her creativity to fill an entire store.
Antiques, Consignment & Furniture is located at 5326 Hwy 211 in West End and is open Fridays and Saturdays 10am – 5pm.
With almost 40 years of experience as a Mary Kay consultant, JoAnn knows how to serve customers.
“I guess you could say I like sales,” she said. “I’ll retire when I run out of energy. We enjoy working here.”
JoAnn works the store along with Dollie, a 13-year-old Shih Tzu.
“Dolly is our greeter,” JoAnn said. “People always say, ‘I hear someone snoring,’ and it’s Dollie.”
She brought her husband, John, out of retirement to assist her with daily tasks.
“I’m just the maintenance man,” John said. “There’s a lot of variety in West End and Seven Lakes. People find whatever they want in one of the shops.”
The shops are always supportive of one another in regard to clients.
“We always tell to check out next door and across the street and in Seven Lakes,” John said. “There’s a lot of new different things. If you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for, you’ll find something close to it.”
John was the owner and founder of Seven Lakes Hardware which opened in 1978 and existed where Seven Lakes ACE Hardware currently stands.
The Garners prepared Antiques, Consignment & Furniture at the beginning of the year when West End Antiques moved out. However, their opening was delayed due to COVID-19. The official opening date took place the first weekend of June.
The shop sells a variety of items from glassware to antiques and have attracted folks from locations such as Rockingham, Wilmington, Laurinburg, and more.
“We interact with different people and hear some wonderful stories really,” John said.
While JoAnn does not have booths, she does have various “room setups” throughout the store that showcase items and furniture.
Consignment is available for those downsizing or getting rid of furniture. Consignment items must be approved before acceptance into the shop.
“Anyone who wants to sell a piece of furniture can bring it here or call us. We take consignment if we feel it will help the customers and ourselves,” JoAnn said.
With the turnover rate in the store, JoAnn is always rearranging pieces in the shop.
“By the time we get everything in place, something new comes in,” she said. “Week to week we get different things all the time.”
Antiques, Consignment & Furniture is located at 5326 Hwy 211 in West End. They are open Fridays and Saturdays 10am-5pm. To ask about consignment, call (910) 639-7860.
