Downtown antique store under new ownership

Maggie’s Antiques, known as Milford Antiques & Friends, has new owners and a new name – Milford Memories and More

Janice Gibson was looking for a business to open in Milford, originally thinking she would open a sandwich shop. She owned a cleaning business for 25 years in New Jersey that she handed over to her daughter and was looking for something for herself in Milford. What she found was Milford Memories and More which will replace Milford Antiques & Friends.

“When I found out that Maggie [Vaina Burger] was wanting to get out of the business, I just came in and asked her what she wanted,” Gibson said. “She told me, and it just happened. I wanted a legacy.”

Gibson grew up with antiques, but mostly guns and swords as her father was a musket owner. The family would participate in the North South Skirmish Association in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. At one time, Gibson made her own period gown, sewing the entire garment by hand as there were no sewing machines during the era she represented. She won second place. Her family also collected oil lamps which were displayed in her home growing up.

“I have been with Maggie about seven years,” Brian Motyl, who will manage the store for Gibson, said. “I am a vendor here. Before that, I was a finance director for DelDOT so I have a business background from that. After college, I needed a job, so I took a part-time position at Radio Shack just until I found a real job and ended up staying there 12 years. That gave me my retail experience.”

Gibson and Motyl spent the previous weekend when the store was closed rearranging the front of the store and painting. They plan to do more remodeling and painting over the next few weeks to create a different look than people will remember as Milford Antiques & Friends.

“We are looking for higher end items, leaning more toward antiques,” Motyl said. “We will take consignments and some things we may buy outright, but most of the areas are rented by vendors. The name came because Janice wanted people to come in and say “Oh! I had that once.” We encourage people to just come in and look around.”

Motyl pointed out that when people come in and browse, they often return later to purchase an item that sparked a memory. Others tell friends when they find an item someone else was looking for. Motyl stated that he loves to hear people say “I had that as a kid” when they see an old toy.

The store, located at 34 North Walnut Street, will be open Tuesday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM and on Saturday from 9 AM to 5 PM. They plan a grand opening with a ribbon cutting on January 17.