THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, June 26, 1996 TAG: 9606250109
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 12 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Earning a living in Virginia Beach
SOURCE: BY LORI A. DENNEY, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 73 lines
When Bill and Treesha Moore opened the doors to their business, they did so with an eye toward the future.
The Moores didn't want to start just any business. They wanted to find a business they would enjoy, that their children could be involved in and that would one day employ their 10-year-old son, Kyle, who has Down syndrome.
In 1994, they attended a folk art show and market that proved to be the beginning of their business.
Three months after the market, the antique and primitive wares the couple purchased were still pouring into their College Park home.
``The next thing I knew, the living room was full of boxes,'' said Treesha Moore. ``Three months' worth of stuff was piled up. We had to find a store. Our open house was that Christmas. It was all that quick.''
The couple still stocks the same type of merchandise - antiques and primitive items and folk art including consignment articles created by local artists - in their store, The Olde Virginia Mercantile in the Rose Hall Shoppes. Treesha Moore runs the day-to-day operation, and Bill Moore, a Navy lieutenant commander, is an environmental health officer at Portsmouth Naval Hospital.
The Mercantile and the merchandise has an aged look.
The spice jars, pottery, pictures, quilts and wood carvings are made to resemble relics of years gone by.
Real antiques - including an antique wooden crib that is selling for $550, a corner cabinet for $900 and three dining room tables and chairs from $240 to $1,100 - are accented with plaid cloths, red and blue stoneware, antique quilts and lace, homemade candles and reproduction samplers.
``People do ask if it's really old or new, and we tell them the truth,'' said Treesha Moore, a former Navy corpswoman.
In addition to the items they bought with their savings, they also stock a variety of local artists' work. There are bears made by Connie Hindmarsh for $45 to $65, wood carvings by Howard Anderson for $65 to $125, nutcrackers by Mary Meyers for $150, candles by Nancy Settel beginning at $4, hand painted folk art watches by Lisa Ramsey for $40 and redware by Greg Shooner starting at $40.
The hardest part of the business is learning how and what to buy, said Treesha Moore.
Bill Moore has made some of the wooden items they sell, such as the antique-looking salt boxes.
The couple, married 15 years, spend their days working, evenings painting Bill's creations and their weekends with their four children.
Aside from Treesha Moore's four years of active duty and 10 years as a reservist, she has happily spent most of her time as a housewife.
``This is really the first time I've ever worked,'' she said. ``As you can imagine, the kids weren't too nuts about it.''
She tries to keep the family involved by allowing one of her four children to work with her on a rotating schedule. Although the Moores aren't certain that three of their four children - Jeffrey, 11, Katelyn, 8, and Jacob, 5 - will have an interest in the business years from now, they would rather secure employment for 10-year-old Kyle now rather than see him struggle in the competitive world of job seekers later.
``This is some type of security for him,'' said Treesha Moore. MEMO: The Olde Virginia Mercantile is open from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The store is at
3101 Virginia Beach Blvd., Suite 106. The phone number is 486-3432. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
Bill and Treesha Moore own and run The Olde Virginia Mercantile shop
located in the Rose Hall Shoppes on Virginia Beach Boulevard.
The Olde Virginia Mercantile stocks a variety of antiques and folk
art creations, including some by local artists and shop owner Bill
Moore. by CNB