This story was published in the January 28 edition of The East Vision.

After 17 years, on December 31st, 2021, Eastown Antiques closed its doors for good. The building, located on 1515 Lake Dr SE down the street from the high school sold a wide variety of antique goods such as vintage clothing, postcards, maps, and sheet music from the early to mid 20th century, silverware, jewelry, books, magazines, cassette tapes, CDs, old records from the 40s to 80s, as well as other trinkets.

It was a great place to stop in if you were looking for a unique gift for someone. Shortly after I first moved to Grand Rapids, I went to Eastown antiques and was fascinated with the letters written on the back of postcards from many years ago. It was very neat to get a glimpse into what someone’s experience in say, Costa Rica was, back in the 1950s, and get to read a message to a family member or friend.

Sometimes the postcards would contain inside jokes that would leave me and others trying to figure out what the context of the joke was. My personal favorite was a postcard sent from Omaha, Nebraska, from the 1960s, that talked about “stepping on a woman’s foot” “Roundup Time in Nebraska” exclaimed the front cover.

It was quite a surprise to me when I learned of it’s impending shutdown, as there seemed to be a large supporting consumer base. Everytime I went inside there appeared to be plenty of people shopping. I overheard the former owner talk about how the building next door bought the space, and that he had no future plans for a new shop. Eastown Antiques will be sorely missed.

There’s been a resurgence in antiquing, especially among younger people. This is due mostly in part to the affordability, the uniqueness of items you can find, the popularity of vintage pieces, and the experience of antiquing itself. You never know what you’re going to find when you visit an antique store, and that’s one of the most appealing aspects of it.

The closing of Eastown Antiques reminds me of Warehouse One, another antique store located in the downtown area in the old Sligh Furniture Building. The Sligh Furniture Building is home to multiple small businesses and antique stores. Early 2021, the proposal to bulldoze the buildings to make room for a 753-unit apartment development, and new commerce such as a one story cafe was put forth but received backlash due to the uniqueness of the stores in the Sligh building, and the destruction of the small businesses.

In my opinion, regarding Warehouse One, I think they should be allowed to stay open. I recognize that the motive for bulldozing the building could be positive, as it is attempting to address the housing shortage, However, the building is a historical site that was in use back in the early 20th century, when Grand Rapids was the leading manufacturer and exporter of furniture, and is used by small business owners to sell unique and meaningful products, that are pieces of history in itself.