Hardy’s Mercantile & Trading Co.

Phone: 360-504-2661

Location: 10115 Old Olympic Hwy, Sequim

Hours: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday

Consignments considered

Partners in life and business for about 30 years, Mike Hardy and Lori Little love the excitement of entrepreneurship — whether it’s selling convenience store items or real estate. The Hardy’s name should be familiar in Sequim — the couple built Hardy’s Market in 2004 at the Sequim-Dungeness Way roundabout before selling it in 2007 to retire. In fact, they were the ones to decorate the store with nostalgic items that have become the market’s signature.

Both vital and active at 64 and 55 respectively, Mike and Lori realized they needed a new venture so they opened Hardy’s Mercantile & Trading Co. on Aug. 1 in Rock Plaza, across the street from the market.

“I’d had several businesses and I thought this would be fun to do,” Mike said from the store brimming with all kinds of finds. “I love the show ‘American Pickers’ (and “Antiques Road Show”) so that inspired me to do this. I have a friend in Port Angeles, Joe Marvelle, who has a store similar to this and I worked for him part time for a couple of years and I always enjoyed it, so we thought we’d open up a small store. It was supposed to be part time …”

“… but it’s turned into seven days a week,” Lori laughed, what with all their “picking” weekends to Seattle, Bainbridge Island, Poulsbo, Gig Harbor and all the way to Oregon and California.

“We strive to deal in good quality and unique items at a good price,” Mike said.

“We’ve had a lot of customers say that we have fair prices and a variety of stuff such as knick-knacks and lamps,” Lori noted.

“We have living room furniture to antiques from the 1700s and 1800s, small and large antiques. A lot of people do contact us to ask if we’re interested in buying when they’re downsizing or moving,” Mike said. “About 10 times a week I look through homes of people who want to go through their items.”

With inventory changing weekly, if not daily, some of the items for sale last week were two huge, high-end semi-curved couches with eider-filled cushion backs; a table made from wood recovered from a ship that sank in the 1700s; buffets in various woods and styles; leather couches with settees; dining sets, desks and tables; dressers and bookshelves from old to modern; breweriana and Harley Davidson memorabilia; and Northwest primitives. With floor-to-ceiling windows bringing light in from the south and east, customers can see clearly see what they’re contemplating. No dark, dank recesses here.

“I like decorating and putting things together, going shopping for stuff and arranging it in the shop,” Lori said, also admitting to being a big fan of “American Pickers” and “Antiques Roadshow.”

It was a half hour before opening time and customers were meandering in, greeted with a “Hi, how can I help you?” from the pair. Both like to talk about their inventory and help customers zero in on what they’re looking for. On this morning, a woman from England spoke to Mike at length about the difference between a buffet and a sideboard, an armoire and a wardrobe.

“The neat thing about this business is that we’re learning every day from people who come in,” Mike said. “We’re doing real well — business is picking up every day.”

The couple say they are blessed with great friends who help them with deliveries and pickups.

To browers and buyers alike, the couple always end the encounter by saying without fail, “Thank you for coming in and checking us out.”