If you can, take a moment to think about your last visit to an antique store. You’re probably conjuring up a vision of seemingly endless rows of booths piled high with forgotten knickknacks and souvenirs, outdated appliances and out-of-style clothing, and of course, the always thrilling, but only occasionally discovered “good find.” The diamond amongst the rough. It’s that piece, that thrill, that keeps you coming back for more and more. What if there was an antique store that catered strictly to the “good finds”? Well, there is, and it’s actually right in our own back yard.
Carol Fyhrie is the owner of the Warson Woods Antique Gallery and the mastermind behind that idea for a true antique store: one that is carefully curated by-and-for antique collectors in St. Louis. Each booth contains unique treasures to make your own.
Fyhrie recounts, “My parents had an antique shop, so I was basically raised in it.” She continues, “It wasn’t until about 30 years ago that I came to work for this company at our first location in South County. Five years later when we went to open this store, they asked me to run it. With the help of the owner, we developed this store to the level that you see today as our premier store. That was our focus, to have true antiques.”
And with that vision, Warson Woods Antiques Gallery has become a hub for collectors of all types, some that previously owned antique stores of their own in the greater St. Louis area. “So many of these antique dealers love to buy, they have a passion for finding and collecting, but not necessarily the business portion. We have all our own staff and take care of the day-to-day and selling of the merchandise, so they can keep doing what they like best.”
She continues, “We always keep active communication with our dealers on everything from pricing to their incoming offers. Throughout the years, you develop this community with them. I think that’s what keeps me coming back. It’s such a wide range of people we get to work with and collaborate with.”
In addition to her work with her collectors, Fyhrie also loves to interact with their many and varied customer base. “It’s such a wide range of people that we see walking through the doors. A lot of them are collectors, but we also have people coming in for furniture or artwork for their homes, or even designers that shop our store for their clients. We’re very glad to be able to be so much to so many diverse groups.”
So, whether you're in the market for the perfect present for the history buff in your life or making an investment to grow your own antique collection, Warson Woods Antiques Gallery is your next destination. Swing on by the store located on Manchester Road or visit their Facebook and Instagram for a sneak peek of their antiques.” See stlouishomesmag.com for more photos and resources.
