I hate to see small business go under. The charm of Ballard isl eaving

I hate to see small business go under.

To quote Gordon Ramsay: "Change...or DIE". Mandrakes, while they were good at what they did, did not recognize the changing nature of the neighborhood that they were in or simply the fact that the stuff that they were selling was, to put it mildly, not QUITE as in fashion as it used to be. C'est la vie.

Antiques, fine art, jewelry...and most "assets" are all going to be devalued as the economy adjusts downward. Babyboomers have been the single largest consumer group in our economy. They are downsizing and buying less. Overall consumption is not going to return to the levels we have seen. I read that it will be at least 10 years before the next sizeable generation can even begin to consume enough to make up for the loss of the Boomers.
Mandrakes was over priced for quality and not particularly notable for service.
I also think that others will survive but they must provide exceptional value and service to do it.
Exceptional antiques will always have customers. It is the lower to middle end that will have the most downward pressure exerted on them.
Heard the repro business is growing leaps and bounds.

I'm so sad that Mandrakes is closing its doors. You know, it's not just about antiques... it's about so many of the little shops closing because people just don't frequent them like they used to. We little guys are tough and determined; it takes a lot for us to give up. My shop (Sisters Antiques in Issaquah) just went through a major flooding in Issaquah a week and a half ago; it was devastating! All six buinesses experienced water levels between 8 inches and 2 feet due to Issaquah Creek overflowing its banks. Things like this don't make people quit -- it's all the economic doom and gloom we hear about constantly. Remember to shop locally -- shop the little guy! It doesn't matter if you are in Ballard or Issaquah or anywhere else; we need you! Sorry to see you go, Craig. Mandrake's was an institution!

- Patty

"if I could have afforded it."

That's just it - we were there today, and everything seemed overpriced for the quality.

Olsens did not DIE, they retired! It was a choice that the family made; they were all of retirement age and since they own half of Ballard Avenue, they didn't need the business. Half of my furniture and my mom's is from Olsens. What was cool about Olsen's furniture was that there was something for every decor!

I have gone into Mandrakes several times (looking for a desk) and the owner was nothing short of extremely welcoming to me.

I didn't find a desk there because most antique desks are too large for my tiny space. (and for most 500 sq ft. condos I imagine.) But I found a desk in there so gorgeous that I would have had it double as a dining room table if I could have afforded it.

Get out there and shop mickey. There are amazing bargains right now in antiques.

I love antique stores and other second hand places. I bought both my dressers at antiques stores that are now out of business. It's a tough business. For every twenty customers who come in they sell one piece -- maybe. And Ebay has definitely had an effect. Another sad part of the equation is that the antique dealers are the ones who really know the history of the pieces, all about the woods used and the bios of the cabinet makers who made them. It's a form of institutional knowledge that is quickly disappearing.

Joey - Yeah, I meant Craig. Maybe his last name isn't Keister (like John's) after all. I'm not sure. He worked at KING-TV, as did the bass playing camera man I was in the band with...

Well silence they do sorta owe you something. If they want to you spend your money that is. In a restaurant you are selling service. Food we can get at home but the main reason to go out is to have it served. I certainly can’t say if this business did not have good service having never been in the door but service is a huge part of sales.

My guess is their demise was due in huge part to what they were selling. Young people are the ones buying furniture and they offered what appeals mostly to old people, antiques and very traditional furniture. It’s why Olsen’s died also IMO of course. There are of course exceptions but antiques are not real hot right now. If you do like them there are major deals to be had all over. It’s all about trends. The same was true in the 50s and 60s then in the 70s and 80s antiques went crazy. I think we will see many high end antique dealers closing.

You were there for thirty seconds. Have some patience. When did this sense of being owed something come into retail and the restaurant business? Everyone expects to be treated like a king. It's annoying. Maybe he was trying not to bother you and just let you browse.

I went in there with my mom. We need a dresser and some living room furniture. The guy behind the counter looked up but didn't even talk to us. We looked around for 30 seconds, felt pretty uncomfortable and walked out. Ended up spending a few grand on furniture down the road.

It's pretty hard to survive when you don't even talk to customers.

Amanda and I just bought a piece there and Craig went out of his way for us. I will be sad to see them go.

We deleted those comments, as they did indeed break our comment rules.

Please keep the cussing and to yourselves. I don't want access this blog to become blocked by foul-language filters, and it's really not necessary or ok to cuss on a public forum. Moderator, can you please remove post 13, which is way off topic and breaks rule #1 of the comment rules.

I've always wanted to go into Mandrake's. I guess I better go before I really lose my chance. I will be sorry to see yet another store in Ballard close its' doors.

Such anger, A-G. That's sad.

On another note, Craig may have gone out with a tear in his eye, but at least maintained a sense of humor. Best of luck to you, pal.

Honestly, I never went into either one of these places. I frequent the Classic Consignment place on 24th to see if I can find any "diamonds in the rough" from time to time. Well, it's survival of the fittest out there. I'm down for some more restaurants and bars. Bring it on!!!

That photo -- and the sign -- is pretty heartbreaking. I remember a year ago when folks were saying "it's only a matter of time before this economy catches up with the NW." I guess it's time.

Geeky Swedes, that photo is pretty iconic... you should upload it to the Planet Money Flickr Pool:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/planetmoney/pool/
I wouldn't be surprised if it showed up on the Planet Money Blog, if you did.

John Keister's teaching at the Art Institute of Seattle in the video dept. Or at least he was 5 years ago when I was there.

Kind of a jerk.

Mickey,

Are you sure you aren't thinking of John Keister? From Almost Live?

Too bad, eBay strikes again.

Annabelles always had great stuff! You could find anything in there from a pair of jeans togreat antiques. The staff was always so cool, too.

Sorry to see them go. I visited there at least every other week.

Best of luck to the owners. Happy Friday MyBallard people!

It's always sad to loose a neighborhood staple.

That's really sad - I've found a couple treasures at Annabelle's and I've always drooled over the lovely pieces in the window at Mandrakes.

Did Craig Keister used to work at KING-TV in the 1980's? If so, I played at his wedding party.