New antique shop gives life to old things

The Vineyard family loves giving new life to old things.

So, it is fitting that Rusty and Marie Vineyard bought downtown Moscow’s Old Thing Antiques in order to start their own antique shop, The Old Vineyard at 114 E. Third St.

“We’ve always had an interest in old things,” Rusty Vineyard said. “A big thing for Marie and I is not letting things make their way to the landfill. So, if we can repurpose and reduce, that’s a huge thing for us.”

Their children, 14-year-old Ellie and 10-year-old Wyatt, also are key parts of the operation. Ellie collects china and brass items for the store, while also running the cash register on weekends. Wyatt collects vintage toys and comic books.

“Each of them have their own inventory here in the store that they have purchased themselves and that they sell,” Marie Vineyard said.

One of the store’s prized collections is the cast iron skillets restored by Rusty Vineyard. He said it contains pieces ranging from 40 years old to more than 100 years old.

Much of the inventory at The Old Vineyard comes from auctions, estate sales, garage sales and yard sales they attend. Customers might find anything from vinyl records to old fishing gear to World War II ration tokens.

Since the Vineyards supply all the inventory themselves, customers are welcome to barter and trade with them.

Looking forward, the Vineyards want to take advantage of their location and attract customers visiting downtown during community events like Artwalk and the Moscow Farmers Market.

“One of the staples in every community is an antique vintage collectible store,” he said.

The Old Vineyard is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The store is closed Sunday through Tuesday.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.