Hi yaaaaa! I present to you, our first ever, everrrr BLOGPOST! Just another platform where I can bring the weirdness that is me, Stephanie. All while hoping, I don't scare my husband, Joe, away! There are signs around our town of Erie, PA that say, embrace whatever it is that makes you different, for me, it's my weirdness! Ha. I hope you'll read our story of how we got to where we are now. To see our (mostly my) full weirdness in effect head over to our Instagram, @coppercarriage.
Joe and I met in 2014 and married a little over a year later. Our mutual love for antiques/vintage and decorating came to the surface when we started hunting for our family's home in 2016. We both love history, old things and collecting but just never had the right space or person to share it with. And just like that, it all began...
This very large, very metal, Sterling Milk sign that once hung outside the Erie, Peach Street location was our very first purchase. We knew the dining room in our new home would be the perfect spot to showcase this amazing piece of local history. Fun fact, Joe grew up in Erie and I grew up on a dairy farm in Southeastern Indiana. So, some might say this was the perfect fit to start our collection. At the time we started collecting we never dreamed we would shortly start to sell some of our treasures also. We just loved the thrill of the hunt for the new treasure and finding it a new home in our new home for it. In the beginning, an old-time, lifelong picker, said to us, 'if you find something that isn't really your style, but you still find it interesting, get it!' I can still remember standing in his barn and listening to those words. It was then and there that I believe our buying to resell took off.
In August of 2017, 6 months after moving into our new home we started setting up at small, local shows. The following month we opened a 10x10 booth, named Copper Carriage at the Taylor Antique Mall in Edinboro, PA. Now, I wish I could give you this grand story about how the name came to be, but well, I can't. Copper pieces were just one of those things Joe and I loved collecting from the beginning and so we knew that would be part of the name. The 'Carriage' part just kinda evolved as we were creating a logo. It sorta took on the appearance Cinderella's carriage. Which I guess, there might just be some underlying meaning there, let me get back to you on that! Anywho, we grew our one booth to two by the following September, continued to collect for ourselves, sell a little here and there online and at local shows. We even branched into some major design projects for our home and other people's homes.
Somewhere in late October 2019 we were given the opportunity to take a chance on ourselves and our tiny toddler business and open our very own, 1,300 sq. ft storefront. Now, we know that going into 2020 we all had big hopes and dreams for the new year. Haha, well I think we all got a little derailed... Our toddler of a biz seemed to be going through the "terrible two's"!! What we expected to be a fun, festive Christmas 2019 Grand Opening turned into a 'One Year Anniversary/ Grand Opening', as I like to refer to it! We were finally able to open our doors to the Erie community on November 14th, 2021.
I get asked/told a lot, "It must've been tough to open a business during a pandemic..." Honestly, is anything easy during a pandemic, besides pulling on some leggings?!? Lol I have to laugh to myself and just answer, "no, actually it's been really, really great!" We aren't scared to roll up our sleeves and do the work. Joe and I have learned through a combined, 80'ish years of living (we won't get into who is the older of us), that things aren't just going to be handed to us. We are Copper Carriage Antiques & Decor! It is us and what we find, fix, create, restore, design, etc. that allow us to bring really great pieces and ideas to our customers. It is then those customers and the love for those pieces that allow Joe and I to grow! Which, ultimately allows Copper Carriage to grow!
So, here's to our first blogpost, a new year of growing even more and finding all the goods you guys want, along with a few items to keep for ourselves! HAPPY HUNTING! Stephanie and Joe