Meet Heather Fenzel, co-owner of Family Heirloom Antiques, a cherished haven for history enthusiasts and modern treasure seekers alike. Heather, along with her brother Ben and retired father Big Ben, embarked on a journey to create a space where they could preserve not just antique items but also their family legacy. Their passion for antiques and deep-rooted knowledge from their grandmother’s influence paved the way for this unique venture. In this interview, Heather shares insights into the pivotal moments, challenges, and rewarding experiences of running an antique business centered around passion and family values.
Can you share a specific moment or experience that solidified your decision to start Family Heirloom Antiques?
What solidified our decision to open Family Heirloom Antiques was the fact that we wanted to have a place where we can preserve history not only with the items we sell but with our own family. My brother and business partner, Ben and I were at a point in our lives that we were starting our own families so we wanted to have a place where we can build something from the ground up, all while raising our kids and making an impact in our community. Our dad, Big Ben, was recently retired so he joined us in creating Family Heirloom Antiques into what it is today. We grew up in the world of antiques and reselling as our paternal grandmother was a collector and dealer herself. Little did we know that we would grow up to become the owners of our very own antique shop. All of our past experiences and knowledge definitely helped to solidify our decision to open up our shop and honor our family’s past, present and future with Family Heirloom Antiques.
Have there been moments of doubt or setbacks along the way? If so, how did you stay motivated and keep moving forward?
In this social media driven world, I often have times of self-doubt or bouts of imposter syndrome. It is hard to not compare yourself to someone in the same field but I remind myself that I have had my own successes. But I also think it is normal to have those types of setbacks, it forces you to take a step back and re-evaluate. I find that for me personally, it drives me to want to do better, that those limitations are set by my own mind and I have the ability to change those aspects.
I also believe wholeheartedly in working with and cultivating relationships with business owners in your community. As I like to say, high tides rise all ships. When you have a strong business community you are able to lean on each other and collaborate. This is a huge motivator as you want to see everyone be successful and thrive.
What lessons have you learned about entrepreneurship and running a successful business in the antiques industry?
What I have learned about running a successful business in the antiquing world is that relationships with your customers and clients is the most important aspect to this business. This business is based on emotions and these material items can be wrapped in memories (whether good or bad). A person may buy something because it reminds them of their grandmother or they stay away from that one item because it is a painful memory. It is something I am cognizant of and try to be sensitive to. There is also the aspect of when we purchase inventory from private parties. Sometimes people are looking to sell items due to a need to downsize or perhaps a death. We are aware, just as emotions are tied to buying items, the emotions to selling can be even stronger. We do our best to be sensitive to those tough times which strengthens our bonds to those clients. They know that we will find those special treasures a new home where they will be loved and honored for years to come with their new owner. Those relationships are why I believe we have been a long standing, successful antique shop.
Can you talk about a particularly memorable or meaningful interaction you’ve had with a customer or fellow antique enthusiast?
There have been so many meaningful interactions over the years, so it is hard to pick just one! What I do love is the fact that since we are family owned and operated, our customers and clients have quite literally seen our families grow. We opened when I was about 6 months pregnant with my daughter. I came back to the shop two weeks after she was born. So every day I had my almost 2 ½ year old son and newborn daughter at the shop with me. Customers and clients who have been with us since the beginning have seen my kids grow along with the growth of our shop. It is fun when they come in and marvel at the fact that they are getting so big! It brings me so much joy because it just brings home the point that when people walk through our shop they can see that they are supporting a family who is just trying to make something for not only ourselves but for the future of our children.
How do you balance preserving the authenticity of historical items with making them relevant and accessible to modern customers?
This is a fantastic question. There is a fine line in the antiquing world about what you should and shouldn’t alter and that line is different from person to person. But for us, we like to give an item that maybe would be headed for the landfill a second chance at life. There are items like reel to reel projectors that people do not use anymore but they have such an iconic look to them. So we use that and transform them into a unique lamp. We even repurpose vintage vessels as planters or turn them into beautifully scented candles (which can be refilled once they are used to continue the sustainability of it all). Our favorite preservation projects are with vintage concrete statuary. Concrete doesn’t last forever, especially here in the midwest with our crazy weather, so we do our best to fix and restore so those pieces can last even longer.
What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to start a business centered around their passion, like you did with Family Heirloom Antiques?
To anyone looking to start a business centered around their passion, be sure to have a solid support system behind you. There are so many ups and downs when starting a business from the ground up, that you need to have those family members, friends, or colleagues in your business community that you can lean on. There will always be bumps in the road and you will need a trusted voice of reason to confide in. There will also be those accomplishments that you want to shout from the rooftop and it is awesome when you have that person who you can have a humble brag session with. Having that support system is major!
What do you hope people take away from their experience with your business, whether they’re buying a piece or just browsing?
My hope is that anyone and everyone who walks through our shop feels like they are at their special spot, their hidden gem, their go-to! We try to curate the coolest treasures but more importantly we want the shop to be clean, organized, and interesting. One of the frequent compliments we hear is “wow, you are so organized” and I also say that I appreciate that they see that. Nothing is worse than coming into a shop and feeling like you cannot find anything because you are surrounded by stacked chaos on top of stacked chaos. So we make it a point each and every day to give our customers a pleasant shopping experience, so they will want to come back time and time again when they are on the hunt for that special treasure.
Looking ahead, what are your plans and aspirations for the future of Family Heirloom Antiques?
Looking to the future of Family Heirloom Antiques, I am hopeful that we will be around for years to come and be a staple in people’s picking travels. I always say to people who come here for the first time and are surprised at the amount of items we have curated throughout the shop, that we are a “hidden gem”. One day I would like to remove the “hidden” part of that phrase.
