Kahle opens doors at ‘Then & Now’

By Everett Brazil, III

The Newkirk Herald Journal

NEWKIRK —  Carolyn Kahle has long been in the antiques business. Going on 40 years, it is a passion of hers, something she takes a joy in. She now has opened her own antique store in downtown Newkirk,  Then & Now, which not only brings a new business to the community, but also to the beautification and rejuvenation in the Newkirk community.

Kahle opened her store Friday, July 24 although she began moving her items from Finders Keepers in May. She had previously sold her items at Finders Keepers, but is now renting the space from Mario Vargas, of the same store.

A step inside the facility reveals a treasure trove of antiques and collectibles which range from vintage sheet music, clothes, pictures, paintings, books, magazines, comic books and China items, to name only a few.

Not all of it is vintage or antique, however, hence the name, Then & Now.

“I’m selling antiques, and I’m also selling vintage items. I’m also selling newer things,” she said. “This has been my hobby for 40 years.”

Kahle goes to great lengths to find items worth offering in her store, including auctions, as well as yard and estate sales. She also goes out of state to find that one special item.

“I travel to Santa Fe, N.M. I have a daughter there,” she said, adding that she looks for specific items, such as baskets. “I also go to Dallas a lot. My children find things for me.”

Kahle looks for a variety of items that greatly range in value, offering everyone an opportunity to find that one special prize at her store.

“I have a variety of things, items from $1, to more high-end things,” she said. “I try to have something for everyone.”

Even her home is itself an antique, filled with her own collected vintage items.

“I live in the old Elmer Brown house in Peckham. He was a prominent businessman in the 1920s,” she said. “The house was built in 1926. I have kept it basically the same. I haven’t changed the floor plan, and won’t, and it’s filled with antiques.”

One of those antiques is a prized piano that rings music throughout the home.

“I can’t play, but my grandson, Carson Williams, is a very talented musician, and loves the piano,” she said.

The store is open on temporary hours, due to a COVID-19, which are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 12 – 5 p.m. Sundays. A grand opening will be announced at a later date. Each month will have a special on particular themed items. For August, that is Christmas items.

For Kahle, though, having her own space is only an extension of her passion, which is a love of antiques, but it also allows her a chance at socializing.

“Antiques gives me a chance to visit with other people and other collectors,” she said.