Treasure hunting in logan
Looking for a unique way to decorate an apartment, pick up some classic music or add to a collection?
Shawn Fullmer, owner of Hidden Treasures antique and collectible mall located at 692 N. 600 West, said he suggests giving antiquing a try.
“Antiques are popular,” Fullmer said. “People are really getting into it.” Fullmer said he currently carries a little bit of everything at his store because everyone is into something different. Among the popular items, he said, are Coca-Cola memorabilia, juke boxes and old coin-operated vending machines.
“Everyone has their own thing that they’re looking for,” Fullmer said.
Fullmer said Logan is a great place for antiquing because it is not picked over like more populated areas and people often don’t realize how valuable the items they sell to antique stores are.
“There are a lot of antiques up here,” Fullmer said, “but you don’t see a lot of high-end stuff. Most of it’s oak-type furniture and bedroom sets.”
Logan resident Mary Jo Hanson said she frequently shops for antiques because most antiques come from descendants of Mormon pioneers who settled the valley. Hanson said she has no doubt they owned a lot of nice things that had to be discarded as they made their way to Utah.
“We don’t have the depth of history as a lot of places on the East Coast,” Hanson said. “When people came here, they lost a lot of their belongings.” Fullmer said the most unique piece he currently has for sale is an antique dentist/doctor’s chair once owned by a doctor. Fullmer said he had his eye on the chair for many years, but it wasn’t until recently that he was able to purchase it.
“I’ve only had it about a week,” Fullmer said. “I’m hoping a local doctor will come in and buy it and put it on display or something. They just don’t come up that often.” Fullmer said he had the opportunity to open an antique store two years ago when the previous owner decided she wanted to go a different route. Fullmer said he had always loved antiques and jumped at the chance to turn a hobby into a career.
“I collected GI Joes for quite awhile because they were my favorite item as a kid,” Fullmer said.
Fullmer runs the store by himself and said he has invested many hours into hunting down collectibles and keeping the shop clean. Since Fullmer is the only employee, he said it gives him freedom to interact with customers personally and give them better deals.
“I am famous for wheelin’ and dealin’,” Fullmer said.
In order to be an antique dealer, Fullmer said a wide variety of knowledge is needed for pricing as well as classifying the items that come into his store.
“I have a hundred books, and I’ve read ’em a hundred times,” Fullmer said, “and I watch ‘Antique Roadshow.'”
The antiques and collectibles in Hidden Treasures come from a variety of places such as auctions and garage sales. Fullmer said people will often just call him up, describe what they have and deliver it right to the store. “I get excited when people call me up and tell me they are bringing a bunch of things over,” Fullmer said. “Like you would on your wedding day.” To Fullmer, finding exotic antiques is not just a casual activity. It’s a treasure hunt and part of the reason behind the name of his store, he said.
“I saw the name on a book at Borders and pulled it out because I thought it was interesting,” Fullmer said. “Turns out it was written by two of the appraisers on ‘Antique Roadshow’.”
Fullmer said he knew instantly he wanted Hidden Treasures to be the name of his store and is proud to say it perfectly describes his store, which houses everything from vintage records to antique slot machines. Fullmer said his all-time favorite item was a mint condition Gustav Stickley dining room table and chairs from 1898. Fullmer said he got the set from someone who did not know its value and was able to sell it to a man from California for $4,000. The item, said Fullmer, was a very rare find.
“That’s what’s nice about this business,” he said. “It’s like treasure hunting.”
-amanda.m@aggiemail.usu.edu