🔒Q&A: What Vintage and Swoon wants you to know about antiquing

Mallory Stanton grew up surrounded by antiques. Her great-grandmother worked in furniture repair and passed down a trove of primitives to her descendants. They inherited her passion and it finally landed in Stanton, 35. While she earned a degree in education, her entrepreneurial spirit and eye for antiques meant she’d be in business for herself by her mid-20s. Having worked in email marketing and social media management for a brief time, Stanton launched her vintage decor and furniture business – first on Instagram and then with an Etsy store. Today, she’s the owner of Vintage and Swoon, which includes her flagship store in historic Sturbridge, a booth in the Crompton Collective in Worcester, and a space District V House, another vendor-based home goods store in Sutton.

How did you decide to open a store on Main Street in Sturbridge?

The idea of opening my own business was a little daunting because I didn’t want to have to worry about all the behind-the-scenes stuff. The owner of District V House encouraged me to do it, along with my fiance. I already had a little studio here in Sturbridge. It’s on the path to Brimfield Antique Flea Market. My official opening was in October 2022.

My store is in an old carriage house. It can’t get any better for what I do. When I saw it, I fell in love. That’s why I love Sturbridge so much. There’s so much charm.

How have you found being a part of the Sturbridge shopping and tourism scene?

That’s my goal as a shop owner: To get other businesses to connect and work together, because it is such a special area. The customers who have come in here have been amazing. They’ve embraced Vintage and Swoon. They want to see me do well.

My goal in this location is to bring something to the community that doesn’t quite exist yet. We’re not your typical antique shop. Everything in here is handpicked. It’s styled and curated, and it’s everything I love.

I offer a limited apparel collection. It’s my fiance’s collection. We’ve sort of combined the two, and people seem to the love that.

Do Brimfield Antique Flea Market weekends in May, July, and September bring you a lot of foot traffic?

I started going to Brimfield as a vendor myself, so my shop isn’t open. I was open in May during the flea market, and it was OK; but people are anxious to get to the event and afterward, they’re done shopping. I went in July and September. I basically take the entire store with me. It’s necessary to be there. People love that my store is local, though.

What do you love to sell the most?

I don’t know what it is about furniture. I love the big pieces; the statement pieces. It makes a room. I just love the idea of acquiring these pieces, and they’ll go to somebody who will create a whole space around it.

Do you have a favorite time period?

I like to mix really old to more modern. Right now I’m more drawn to more primitive antique stuff.

The need changes. Right now, it’s all pine: scrubbed pine tables and dressers. I'm really into primitive pieces that date back to the 1700s to 1800s. I have a super old cobbler’s rack in my Sturbridge store now. It’s amazing.

What is the key to being profitable in antiques?

Things sell for so much more online. You’ve got to make your pieces reasonably priced. It's only worth what someone is willing to pay for it. You’ve got to turn it over. I want this stuff to find new homes anyway.

What do you want people to know about antiquing?

I encourage people to shop secondhand. It’s better for the environment. There’s less waste. We’re just taking pieces people are done with and giving them new life. We prevent them from ending up in a landfill, which is really important.

This interview was conducted and edited for length and clarity by WBJ Correspondent Emily Micucci.