Country Meadows Antiques Reflects on 39 Years of Business in Alton
Our Daily Show Interview! 39 Years and Counting for Country Meadows Antiques
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ALTON - As Country Meadows Antiques celebrates 39 years in the Alton community, owner Gary Voyles is reflecting on the work he’s accomplished over the past few decades.
Voyles and his wife, Pam, started the business 39 years ago on Broadway. They moved a few times over the years and finally settled into their current location at 401 E. Broadway in Alton. As they prepare to hit the 40-year milestone, Voyles noted that his love for antiques has only grown.
“Once it gets in your blood, you just can’t let go of it,” he said. “We’re there as long as we can be. That’s all I can say right now. It’s in our blood. We have plenty of merchandise to sell. We won’t ever run out, even if we never buy another thing.”
Voyles and his wife entered the antiquing business in the 1990s when they decided to refurnish their home. The couple began attending auctions with Voyles’s grandparents, and they quickly fell in love with the thrill of the hunt.
When Voyles lost his job at the refinery, they began selling the items they found. They experienced a lot of joy locating the perfect antiques to share with others.
Though Voyles was rehired, they never stopped and eventually founded their location at 401 E. Broadway. The two of them opened up the space to make room for other vendors and dealers as well.
“With the jobs Pam and I had, the antique business was a stress relief for us,” Voyles remembered. “It just kind of happened. It was a big building, and we didn’t have the merchandise like we have today. We just kept growing and growing and filling it up. Then we started renting space out to dealers and filled it.”
Nowadays, the shop offers a wide variety of items from across the decades. Voyles explained that a true antique is over 100 years old, and he’s starting to see more furniture and items from the 1920s that have that “true antique” status. But they also offer items from the 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond, with a retro feel that most people love.
Over the years, Voyles and Pam have “made a lot of friends” as they traveled to shows and met people across the region. They still welcome folks from all over the Midwest to their store, and they love seeing new and familiar faces at the shop.
No matter what, though, Voyles shared that the most important part of this business is honesty. The two of them have always prided themselves on their truthfulness and their genuine passion for the antiquing business.
“The thing about antiques is, which Pam and I have always tried to do, you’ve got to be honest with people. You’ve got to tell them how it is, why it’s priced like this, what makes it,” he said. “The key is just to be honest, not try to take somebody. We’ve always tried to be fair.”
This mindset has guided them for the past 39 years, and Voyles is proud of their work. For more information about Country Meadows Antiques, visit their official Facebook page or stop by their store from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday or 12–4:30 p.m. on Sundays.
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