The Small Business Spotlight: Laverty's Antiques
In this "Small Business Spotlight," presented by American Bank, Austin Meek of Waco Business News highlights Pat Laverty of Laverty’s Antiques.
Trinkets of all types can be found monthly inside of Laverty’s. These antique fishing lures are an example of Pat Laverty’s eclectic style.
A cold, grey, puddle of a Thursday didn't prevent a line from forming outside of Laverty's Antiques before opening. Once inside, hungry pickers raced to put sold stickers on their favorite items, trying to find that one last piece to tie the room together.
”Oh, it’s the heaviest thing. I thought it’d be cute to hang…”
Owner Pat Laverty scours Central Texas looking for unusual items, something she's done for 26 years based in her 18th Street storefront. She loves antiques because of the stories they tell: letters from lovers during WW2, bowling alley equipment, a taxidermied emu.
“When we go into an estate and you start looking and, you know, you buy out an estate, you end up knowing more about the person and their family and it's just amazing."
Because Pat's taste is eclectic, the shop emanates a similar vibe.
"But I've always liked keeping a wide variety of things. We have a real cross-section of people that come in here and so we love bohemian, we love farm house, we love formal and Victorian."
A Hulk mask and a Charlie Chaplain doll sit on top of an antique dentist’s chair inside Laverty’s.
Her love for antiques began as a young girl in McGregor, playing with handcrafted furniture in her grandparent's home, and only grew when she moved to Denver for college.
“We loved antique clothes. We’d go to Goodwill and pick up $0.25 beaded sweaters and 1940s clothes. I just always liked it"
Though it's not everyone's style, Pat says antiques have a unique ability to bring people together. She remembers being shaken up after the September 11 attacks and, not knowing what else to do, decided to open the shop and see who walked in.
”For some reason, the next three months my business boomed and it just jumped to another level that it had never been. And I think it was because people wanted nostalgia. They…it was a really strange change at that time and I thought, ‘Hmm, why would this be?’"
Now, when customers want nostalgia, they have one shot every month. As she and her boyfriend grew older, they looked for ways to ease the burden of operating the store every day. That's when she hatched her genius plan, one that has injected palpable excitement into Laverty's:
The opening bell at Laverty’s brings droves of people looking for the best antiques - and coconut pastries - in town.
“So we decided, ‘Wouldn’t it be so neat if you could just go around and shop and then open a few days and then close it and then go around and shop some more?’ That's the fun part."
Ten years ago, before instituting the limited hours, customer flow was much more casual: "Oh, let me think about it. I'll get back to you." But now, if a customer takes that tack, it's likely the item is gone before they can return for it.
“It encourages a quick decision having a big crowd like that. There’s a little bit of competitiveness between everybody shopping."
If you miss out on the big items, there's plenty of pocket-sized ephemera to be had - antique dominos, scrabble letters, metal keys.
Driving down LaSalle Avenue on a Saturday, you see droves of Fixer Upper fanatics frequenting the largest collection of junque shops in town. There's increased competition for market share, and while Pat likes it:
“I can feel the pinch when I”m looking for tings. I’m going, ‘Oh Gosh, I used to have this town to myself!’ And now I’ve got to share it wit everybody."
She has to work harder than ever to ensure Laverty's still sources the best antiques in town.
“I like the new blood in town. They come in and they love Laverty’s and we love them loving it.
“But I love Waco. Right now, it’s the best of both worlds."
An evolving market, a city on the rise, a woman adjusting her model to fit with the times. Pat Laverty's approach is anything but antique.
This "Small Business Spotlight,” co-produced by Waco Business News and KWBU, first aired on Friday, November 1, 2019, in Episode 74 of Downtown Depot on 103.3 KWBU-FM Waco.