Carmel Old Town Antique Mall

Roman and Linda Chang are the owners of the Carmel Old Town Antique Mall. Both started out in the business as collectors and then ventured into having booth space in a local antique mall. A decision was made to open their own mall and in 2002 that became a reality.

The first mall was located on Rangeline Road in Carmel in the Mohawk Shopping Center. Five dealers joined with the Changs to get this little mall up and running. The doors officially opened on October 1, 2002 with ten dealers. By November 2002 the number had grown to 19 dealers with an additional 25 on a waiting list. In February 2003, Roman began looking for a larger building to house his dealers and their merchandise.

The perfect location, 38 W. Main St, was found and the deal closed in May 2003. Bev Owens was hired to manage the new mall and interviews of potential shop owners began. Renovations to the building were completed over the summer and the doors to the Carmel Old Town Antique Mall (COTAM) were officially opened on October 1, 2003. Filled to capacity at its opening COTAM celebrated 72 shop owners filling 84 spaces and showcases.

Located in the heart of Old Town Carmel and in the newly formed Arts and Design District, the antique mall is thriving in the 100 year old building it is housed in. We would love for you to stop by and visit us sometime.

Applicants for shop space are juried by Roman, Linda, and Bev before acceptance into the mall takes place. Our desire is to keep the merchandise diverse, trying to make sure that we do not have too many shop owners selling the same types of antiques and collectibles. In our efforts to keep this variety, we don't necessarily pick the applicant that is first on our waiting list. If that person specializes in Depression Glass and we already have two shops in that same specialty the applicant will be passed over. We will look for the applicant who offers a line of merchandise that the mall doesn't have represented.

Spaces in the mall are referred to as shops instead of booths. Dealers are shop owners. We feel this fits better with the "mall" concept in the other sector of retail shopping. Customers, not necessarily familiar with the concept of an antique mall, seem to grasp this a little easier.

Items placed in the shops must be 30 years old or older to be placed in the antiques and collectibles section of COTAM. This policy is policed on a daily basis with the newer items removed from the shop and placed in a back room. The shop owner is given the item or items on their next visit and asked to take them home.

An Interior Design section has been added upstairs in the past year. This section allows designers with new and imported merchandise to display merchandise for their customers to preview.

Our sales staff is superb with a great deal of knowledge about antiques and collectibles along with courteous and friendly service.

It is easy to know a staff member at COTAM, they are always wearing a shirt or apron with the mall logo on it.

One area that we have championed since the inception of the mall is the Specialty Shop owner. We encourage shop owners to have a specialty that we can promote as a part of the mall.

Current Specialists:

• Coin Operated Vending Machines
  
• Vintage Clothing
  
• Vintage and Antique Purses
  
• Costume Jewelry
  
• Depression and Elegant Glass
  
• Vintage Pinball Machines
  
• Clocks
  
• Vintage and antique Lighting
  
• Toys
  
• Dolls
  
• Carnival and Specialty Glass
  
• Estate Jewelry
  
• Books
  
• Antique and vintage linens

Antiques were green way before it was cool to be green

Copyright: May 4, 2009 by BevsPaper (Beverly Owens)