Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaarina Stotts.
Hi Kaarina, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
When I was young, my family had an old mom ‘n pop convenience store with an antique section. I would go with my Mom to source things, which was always an adventure! As I grew older (and that old store got torn down), I still craved the hunt of finding “treasures” and would hit any garage sale that I came across (they were few and far between where I lived in Washington), online auctions and even a few storage units by word of mouth. Years later, I had the opportunity to buy an 1895 house, and turned it into a (beautiful) antique store. I ran that for a little over four years when “life” happened and I had to sell it. For the next several years I pursued looking for another opportunity but nothing really seemed plausible. Then, in the middle of a wet, gloomy and depressing January winter, I suggested to my other half that we take our kids and move to Florida where there is SUN and he said “okay.” I didn’t really take him serious and when I mentioned that I was, he said he was too. So, we started looking for a place to land in Florida with a few stipulations in mind, including an area where we could open an antique business. But this time, I wanted a larger scale… a mall instead of a small boutique. After we got all moved from Washington, it took us about eight months to find a space that would work for us and another five months to get the space ready. And…here we are!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I don’t think any new adventure is ever smooth, however it seemed like everything fell into place easier than I thought it would. I think the hardest thing for me was going from a small town where I know everyone to a huge city where we know nobody. We weren’t sure where to start, how to get the word out or who to ask for advice. We had to rely solely on ourselves and our ability to research and talk to “strangers”.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Starrdust Antiques and Treasures is a great place for all ages, all genders and all styles. You can find jewelry, toys, home decor, clothing, gifts, collectibles, furniture, history, or even just inspiration! There is never an obligation to purchase so what better place to go kill a couple of hours, reminiscing the days visiting Grandma’s house, looking for a unique birthday gift or finding that special piece to add to your collection. We are open every day from 10am-6pm to fit everyone’s schedules!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://starrdustantiques.com
- Instagram: @starrdustantiques
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1E4gMpKx7j/?mibextid=wwXlfr
