The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
ANTIQUES AND MORE
Newest business in Downtown Oneida deals with journeys through time
a.m. to 5 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. His wares represent a journey through time full of collectibles and antiques from several different decades with some pieces dating back to the 1800s. All items in the store have a price tag, but true to the name of his store, Ellis does barter with customers if they have an antique or collectible that piques his interest. Recently, a patron traded Ellis an antique globe lamp for a lightly used acoustic guitar.
Ellis was passionate about his business venture, describing his interest in historical pieces.
“It’s really cool that stuff has lasted so long and is still in really good condition,” he said,
ONEIDA>> Dave Ellis began selling and buying collectible and antique items on eBay in 2014 after his eight-year career in manufacturing aviation parts and tooling abruptly came to an end following the bankruptcy of his previous employer at the Griffis Air Force Base in Rome.
Now, almost three years later, Ellis, a Blossvale resident, is taking his business from the internet and garage to the store front, offering his finds at the Barter House at 153 Madison St. in the City of Oneida.
Ellis offers collectibles and antiques at his new store Tuesdays through Friday from 10
commenting on his interest in history, particularly items from the 1800s.
The Blossvale business owner’s fascination with history was on full display during a tour of the store, during which he highlighted some of his favorite treasures that have passed through the Barter House doors since its July opening. Ellis described a 1960 Grundig record player replete with the original paperwork and inspection certificate. Additionally, a monstrous cabinet that Ellis believes dates back to the early 1900s earned a mention as well. The new business owner is unsure of the exact origin of the massive wooden cabinet, but he said cases of similar build were used in cigar shops during the turn of the 20th century. Ellis learned of the mysterious cabinet’s history through visitors to his shop, who shared their knowledge of antiquing with the Barter House owner.
“I never used antiques much before,” Ellis said, discussing his enjoyment of learning more about history with visitors to his store. “I learn fromthe people who come in and look around.”
While Ellis continues to stock his wares through his online shopping on eBay, he also participates in storage locker auctions and estate sales in order to add to his collection of antiques and collectibles. Recently, he successfully outbid 10 or 12 other interested parties - the usual attendance at storage locker auctions, according to Ellis - to secure two storage lockers left untouched for the past several decades. Ellis described the contents of the storage lockers as a “70s time bomb” full of collectibles and junk that he had to sort through to further stock his store.
Though Ellis is diversifying his business approach with his newstore front, he credited the internet, and eBay in particular, as the enablers to his buying and selling antiques and collectibles.
“EBay changed everything,” he said, explaining how he utilizes the site and others on the internet to investigate pricing for his wares. “I couldn’t do this without that reference.”
Ellis explained his move, saying he intends to do “exactly what I was already doing, but with a bigger space.”
Ellis credited Oneida Innovation Center owner and member OC3, a local community improvement group, Paul Marco as one of the driving forces for his store site selection.
“I heard all sorts of stories about the history of this street,” Ellis said. “I like [Marco’s] vision for the area. This worked out to be a good place to start.”
To contact the Barter House call (315) 338-1824 or visit the Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/EllisBarterHouse/