Shop Talk is a weekly column featuring locally owned and operated businesses. This week, we talk to Nick Sanna of Old Gristmill Antiques and Collectibles in Portlandville.
How long have you lived in the area?
We've lived up here for the last five years. My brother has owned a business here for the past 20 years. We moved from Long Island to move up here, and we've always been involved with antiques. This place was for sale, and we decided to go for it.
Tell me about your business.
It's a unique collection of antiques and rare collectibles and fun things to look at, and even buy.
How did you get started in this line of work?
We started by buying antiques for our home, and going to antique shops and seeing how amazing things were that people used 100 years ago. I was in construction all my life, and was getting too old and slow to climb up on roofs. It's easier and more rewarding to work on furniture. And Sue enjoys it also. She always has two cents to add.
What are some advantages and drawbacks to doing business in the area?
First of all, I moved up here because I love the area. I enjoy the slower pace, the country setting, the people. Down on Long Island, it's so fast-paced. It's a rat race. There's more people and more business there, but it's a more enjoyable life up here.
What sets you apart from your competitors?
We're friendly people who like to share information about antiques and collectibles. We like to talk to our customers and not only give information, but get information from them. We'll get something we don't know what it is, and someone will come in and tell us.
What have you learned from your work?
I've learned that I don't know everything. I'm a know-it-all, but I don't know everything. I've learned to listen to people and take advice from people who know more than I do. People will talk about the good old days a lot. And they were tough times. It's amazing how these people would till their farms with a horse and a plow. They worked hard.
Where do you see the business in five years?
I'm going to work on the building. It's probably the crookedest building in the county, but I don't have any intention of straightening it up. We're also going to add heat.
What's the most enjoyable part of owning your own business?
It's good to be king. It's good to be the boss, and be able to take time for yourself.
What advice would you give to someone trying to enter your field of work?
I would say do what you enjoy. If you enjoy being around antiques, working with antiques, owning antiques, then do it. And you have to be patient.
Shop Talk interviews are conducted by Cassandra Miller. To reach Miller, e-mail cmiller@thedailystar.com.
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We monitor comments regularly Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Approval of comments outside of this time (including weekends) will be sporadic.
Welcome to our story comments feature. We welcome your thoughts and your opinions, including the unpopular ones. We only ask that you keep your conversations clean, civil and on the topic of the story you are commenting on.
Coinciding with our websites redesign, we launched our new story comments feature through Disqus.
Disqus gives users the ability to log into our story comments feature so that they may be able to track their conversations, receive emails when their comments get a reply or to even have your comments update onto your Facebook or Twitter accounts.
For the time being, our story comments feature will continue to have the ability to post comments anonymously. We reserve the right to require registration in the future using your name and verified email address.
Not all comments are deemed printable. Some are disqualified at the newspaper’s discretion for a number of different reasons. Please follow our Online Rules of Conduct at all times.
RULES OF CONDUCT:
We reserve the right to remove comments that are unacceptable, to wit:
1. False and inacurate statements.
2. Personal attacks. Explicit name-calling.
3. Harassing, harmful, vulgar, obscene and defamatory language.
4. Threatening statements or statements that suggest violence.
5. Hate speech of any kind.
6. Intolerant comments on religion, race, age, gender, sexual preference or disabilities.
7. Accusations of criminal activity.
8. Content that is harmful to children and minors in any way.
9. References to any type of sexual activity and other private matters.
10. Random and inflammatory statements that are off topic.
11. Advertising of any kind.
12. Typing in all caps.
WE ENCOURAGE REASONABLE AND COURTEOUS COMMENTS THAT:
1. Create conversation on issues of interest and concern to fellow readers and local community members.
2. Express opinions and contrarian views.
3. Stimulate debate with respectful language.
4. Stay within the boundaries of these rules.
WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO SUSPEND OR TERMINATE ACCESS FOR:
1. Violating any of these Online Rules of Conduct.
2. Deliberately disrupting discussions with repetitive messages, meaningless messages or spam.
3. Misrepresentation of identity or impersonating another user.
WE WELCOME:
1. Flagging violations of these rules that you observe to our attention.
MONITORING:
We monitor comments regularly Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Approval of comments outside of this time (including weekends) will be sporadic.
May 22, 2010
Shop Talk: Old Gristmill Antiques and Collectibles
Old Gristmill Antiques and Collectibles 2832 State Route 28, Portlandville Founded: April 2009 Owners: Nick and Sue Sanna Employees: 3
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