Antique Emporium offers chic, unique items

14 years ago

Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
BU-CLR-Antique-dc1-pt-2ANTIQUE OPENING —Gina Parent of Hodgon is opening the Antique Emporium on 17 Court St. in Houlton Wednesday (today). The boutique will feature various antique items that Parent has accumulated over the years from a variety of sources.

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer

    HOULTON — Fulfilling a lifelong dream is something many hope to achieve; yet few have the opportunity to accomplish.
    For Gina Parent of Hodgdon, opening an antique store has been such a dream. And now that dream is coming to fruition with the opening of the Antique Emporium. Located at 17 Court St., the Antique Emporium was set to open Wednesday (today).
    A hairdresser by trade, Parent said she was looking to pursue another line of work when she decided to open her new shop.
    “I’ve been a hairdresser for a number of years and I actually went to college and got a degree to work for mental health services, but all I have ever wanted to do was sell antiques,” she said. “This is my passion, so I have to give it a try. If it works, I’ll stick with it, until I change my mind again.”
    Parent said she noticed the Court Street location had been empty for a few months, so she contacted the building’s landlord to inquire about renting it.
    “I am thrilled with this location, the landlords are great and the rent is reasonable,” she said. “It’s like this was totally meant to be.”
    Most of her inventory comes from her own personal collection, which she has amassed by visiting yard sales for numerous years.
    “I’ve been collecting items for years,” she said. “You could probably say I am something of a hoarder, but now I am turning over a new leaf by selling some of these things.”
    One of Parent’s daughters, Meghan Kervin, will have a room inside the Antique Emporium, where she will sell children’s clothes and other items.
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
BU-CLR-antique-dc3-pt-2BABY DOLL —This China doll is but one of many items to be found in the Antique Emporium.

    “A lot of people have already stopped outside and looked in the window to see what was going on in here,” she said. “This is my faith in God adventure. Everything fell into place for me. Life’s a highway and I am just riding it.”
    Originally, Parent considered having a barbershop inside the building along with the antiques.
    “I decided not to go that route because I have been doing hair for more than 15 years and to be honest, I am burnt out from that,” she said. “Right now, I just want to do something that I really, really enjoy. And that is antiques.”
    She first became hooked on antiques as a young girl when her mother would take her to yard sales. She started out collecting old baskets and dolls, but her tastes have changed over the years.
    “I love Victorian-era antiques, but I am open to all kinds,” she said. “Things don’t have to be perfect for me. If they have a crack in, that’s OK. I have just always loved old stuff.”
    Determining how much an item is worth is one of the bigger challenges, she said.
    “I try to place a value on what the item is worth to me,” she said. “Sure, there are books out there that give values for items, but people around here can’t afford to pay that. I’m going to charge what I think something is worth.”
    In addition, Parent will be offering what she calls “altered-art” at her store, combining several antique pieces into something new.
    “We’re going to have a little smattering of everything,” she said. “It will be fun.”
    The Antique Emporium will be open Monday through Saturday, at hours that have yet to be determined.