I love old stuff, especially old, nautical stuff.
So I knew right away that I would love the newest shop on Ocracoke: Roxy's Antiques, owned by new island residents Sue Dayton and David Mickey. I would've gone to their meet-and-greet open house last week even if I wasn't excited about the shopping opportunities (because, you know, I go to things), but I was delighted to see the way Sue has transformed the space at Spencer's Market into an emporium of unique, whimsical, and delightfully old (and new) stuff.
I was entranced by the displays of merchandise – antiques and collectibles and re-purposed pieces – and kept adding to the wishlist in my head. I never knew I needed a dried and painted okra ornament, but now I do. Ditto an antique Mason jar soap dispenser with a zinc lid. Did I mention the vintage Halloween decorations? The glass net floats? The top hat? The paintings! The furniture!
The shop is purposefully eclectic, with new items (many handmade by the owners' friends) mixed in with the old. I nearly forgot I wasn't there just to marvel and covet, I was there for the Current.
Current readers are thinking, tell us more about these people. And who's Roxy?
"We both wanted to live close to the water," David said about their decision to buy a house and move their business from Saxapahaw, NC to Ocracoke this summer.
David grew up near Winston-Salem and first came to Ocracoke in the 1950's by way of the mailboat Dolphin. It's changed some, he says, "but it's still a unique place." David and Sue love the beach and came to the island a couple of times a year.
In 2008, Sue opened Roxy's Antiques in a renovated historic farmhouse in Saxapahaw. The store's namesake, Roxy the pitbull, loved the Ocracoke surf. Her ashes were scattered over the water two years ago, just after Hurricane Sandy. The couple's new dog, Cece, and their two cats, Pancake and Felix, made the move to Ocracoke with them, but Roxy lives on through the shop's name.
Sue's mother was an antiques dealer, so she's been in the trade all her life. It hasn't always been her day job, though. She and David met when they both worked for a non-profit as community organizers.
The move to Ocracoke took a great leap of faith. Sue sold her farmhouse and David sold a house in Davidson County so they could buy their new home, which many readers will know as Jette Carr's house.
"We did have a great community of friends in Saxapahaw," Sue said. "Some of our best friends in the world. However, when we met, we found out we'd both been coming to Ocracoke for years and loving it. And then everytime we were here, we'd find excuses to stay longer and longer."
When they decided to "take the plunge," everything started falling in place, David said. Both of their houses sold quickly, and the buying process went "incredibly smoothly."
"Like it was meant to be," added Sue.
They are enjoying their new venture on Ocracoke and plan to have more open houses at Roxy's. Keep an eye out for some "interesting holiday surprises" coming soon.
And let her know if there's something in particular that you've always pined for. She loves finding that very special item for someone. She's also available for interior staging, decorating, and providing props for your classy event. Welcome to Ocracoke, Sue and David!
