42 vendors offer range of wares at Modern Mercantile in Medina
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Gloria Brent and her husband Mike Snyder relax in the “Man Cave” she created in their new store, Modern Mercantile, which has opened at 135 East Center St., featuring more than 40 vendors.
MEDINA – Gloria Brent wears several hats, but one of her favorites is that of local entrepreneur.
Brent is not only a registered nurse, but owner of a national health care consulting company and now the owner of Modern Mercantile, an antique/collector’s paradise.
Brent grew up in Bath and met her husband, Albion native Mike Snyder, online. Snyder said they are both business professionals, he a land surveyor. They married and fell in love with Medina when she came to work in the ICU at Medina Memorial Hospital. They moved here in in 1994.
Brent said she has always liked antiques and loves to shop in antique stores when they travel. The building at 135 East Center St. had been home to Canal Country Artisans for years and then Filomena’s Favorites. When it became available, Mike said its location by the canal made it a place worth looking at.
They bought it in October and did some remodeling. They worked night and day painting and even replaced the ceiling. Snyder said they are looking into ways they might utilize the back of the store to take advantage of the view of the canal.
The night they held an open house for prospective vendors, people lined up for spaces, Brent said.
“Our main focus was to make it more open, and we tore out all the walls and now it is bright and cheerful,” she said. “It was up to our vendors to get creative on how they utilized their space, and they’ve done a fantastic job.”
At left is one space at Modern Mercantile in Medina as it was arranged during the Christmas season. Antique toys are just a few of many items for sale at the new Modern Mercantile.
A record 42 vendors now exhibit their wares which consist of everything from china, furniture, toys and decorations to knitted and crocheted items, antiques and jams, jellies and baked goods. Anyone looking for something unique, such as dryer balls, a microwave bowl cozy, an antique child’s riding tractor or an original Fisher-Price Ferris Wheel has to look no further than Modern Mercantile.
The most unique feature of the business is the Man Cave, which was an idea created by Brent.
“Whenever we travel and stopped to shop, there was never anything for guys to buy,” she said. “We said if we ever opened a store, I was going to have a place just for men.”
The Man Cave is highlighted by the full-size side of a 1950s Chevy, with a TV to watch and a bar at which to enjoy a soft drink or iced tea. All the items displayed are of interest to men, such as fishing plaques, sports T-shirts and caps. There is even a line of hot sauces made by American veterans. Decorative antlers are on order.
Vendors may rent a five- by eight-foot kiosk and a few are still available, Gloria said. She is preparing to start a waiting list for new merchants.
Debbie McCarty is store manager and takes care of merchants and customers and makes sure the store presents itself as Brent wants it to be.
Brent said she doesn’t have a retail background, so she talked to other businesses in the community before opening. She let them know she had no interest in competing with them, but wants to work with them.
“That’s why I joined the Medina Area Partnership,” she said.
Modern Mercantile is open from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday. They are closed Mondays.
