Lorne and Mary VanSinclair were hoping to retire, but not like this.
The owners of Carousel Collectables will be shutting down the antique store at the end of the year.
They have been looking to sell the downtown business for a year and a half. A few people have shown “serious” interest in the shop on Mississaga Street West, but a sale has not materialized.
“The amount of work and the amount of compensation scare some people off,” said Lorne.
To be successful in this business, it takes more than simply showing up at the office every day, he explained.
“You’ve got to do your own buying and selling, and that takes a lot of time,” he said.
The couple opened Carousel Collectables eight years ago, shortly after retiring.
“We’ve always loved history and old things. I just like the design and look and feel and smell of old stuff,” Lorne said. “We’ve always sort of done it as a hobby because we like doing it. We like to buy and sell.”
But, as he has come to realize over the years, not enough people are wanting to buy.
“The whole collecting thing, which got big in the ’70s, is fading out,” Lorne said. “In this day and age, it’s more about repurposing stuff.”
“People aren’t interested in having so much stuff around them anymore,” he continued. “People are still doing it, but not as much.”
In addition to items they own, the VanSinclairs carry goods from about 16 vendors. About half of them have decided to retire, too.
Carousel Collectables will close Dec. 31.
“We always wanted the business to keep going,” said Lorne. “It was our legacy.”
“It’s bittersweet,” Mary added. “We’re happy to be retiring, but we were hoping someone would continue the legacy.”
They own the building, at 27 Mississaga St. W., and are now looking for a tenant.
“We hope someone will look at the possibilities of this space and open something that will complement the downtown,” Mary said.
A year ago, the VanSinclairs expanded their offerings and opened a café. It became too much work, so they recruited chef Melanie Robinson, who, in December 2017, opened Eclectic Café in the back of Carousel Collectables. They met Robinson at the Orillia Fairgrounds Farmers’ Market.
“As soon as we tasted her food, we said, ‘We’ve got to get this gal in here,’” Lorne recalled. “It worked. Our sales are up.”
He said Robinson is looking to open in a new location in town.
He is still open to someone buying the collectibles business, but with so many vendors deciding to exit with the VanSinclairs, it won’t be easy. He advises anyone interested in getting into the business to bring in more vendors – a few dozen, maybe – to ensure there is enough income to make it viable.
The VanSinclairs will do some travelling when they retire, and they will remember fondly their eight years in business in Orillia.
“We have enjoyed it,” Lorne said. “We like the business, we love Orillia and we love the downtown.”
Watch for plenty of sales as Carousel Collectables prepares to close its doors at the end of the year.
