Allen — Once a destination for busloads of antique collectors from Chicago and beyond, Allen’s reputation as the state’s “antique capital” is fading, according to local business owners working to revive it.
With over 24,000 square feet of antiques, Allen Antique Barn owner Tyler Tracy is working to revive the small town that once was a tourist spot.
Tracy said that malls changed the culture of Allen. As mom-and-pop shops relocated to the larger barns and vendors rather than independent shops, the antiques became less unique and authentic.
“People were able to do it under their own umbrella, rather than this large conglomerate,” Tracy said.
Tyler and his identical twin brother Trevor have owned the barn, which features 130 vendors, for the last two years. Their goal over the next few years is to elevate the kinds of antiques their vendors are selling.
The barn, which has sold antiques for 27 years, has gone through many different owners and is at risk of becoming a mercantile rather than an authentic antique shop. Smaller vendors carry more low-price items and not necessarily high-end antiques, Tracy said.
With the rich history of Allen, Tracy said he is inspired by the people who contributed to the effort to make the town a destination and he is concerned the title is becoming “almost a has-been.”
Other Allen antique destinations include Hog Creek, Le Vintage Rose, and Green Top Village. Together, these businesses are working to rebuild the shopping destination that faded as older-generation owners retired.
“I’ve had the honor of meeting the folks that put the blood, sweat and tears for that name and title,” Tracy said. “We want a resurgence of that.”
Tracy’s vision for the barn and neighboring antique markets in Allen is to highlight items that are over 100 years old and vintage items over 50 years old, while inspiring other shops to do the same.
It is about collaboration, not competition, among Allen’s antique shops. This collaborative spirit could help bring back the bus tours from Chicago that once visited the town, Tracy said.
The market for authentic vintage furniture and antiques is a priority for the barn owners. By training vendors to determine product value through data collection, Tracy said he hopes to revamp the barn’s inventory.
It is a risk worth taking, Tracy said. Some vendors may not meet higher standards, potentially costing the barn rental income. But raising the bar will help enhance Allen, rather than dominate it, he said.
“We want to fine tune how we select people,” Tracy said. “We’re ambitious, and we want to research and give new life to Allen. We’re not afraid to be the forerunners, and we’re not afraid to take some of those risks financially so that we might land higher quality candidates.”
Anna Broussard is a contributing writer for Michigan Enjoyer.
