Transplant finds excitement in busy world of antiques sales
Anything but dull
The Post and Courier
Justin Jureka, general manager of Southern Estate Antiques, walks among some of the James Island store's treasures.
Any perception that antiques dealers live dull days in dank, dimly lit shops is all wrong.
Just ask Justin Jureka, general manager of Southern Estate Antiques at 1739 Maybank Highway in the Piggly Wiggly shopping center.
"It's a very exciting business," the 28-year-old Jureka insists. "A lot of people think there's not much to do, that it means long days in a dark, crowded, dusty shop." But, he said, the antiques field demands constant self-education about history, products, trends and prices, and Jureka's weekends often are spent traveling to estate sales in the Carolinas and Georgia.
"It's a blessing to go out there and get in the heat of the action, bidding against other people who want it," he said.
"I enjoy the shopping end of it and passing the savings on to our customers."
Jureka has been with the shop about a year, and since his arrival the shop has undergone a name change and a complete remake.
The site formerly was named Captains Clutter, a moniker Jureka concedes was all-too accurate for the old shop and a descriptive term "not very conducive to selling. Some people thought it was catchy having 'clutter' in the name, but you can't have clutter in the name of your store," he said with a smile.
The makeover meant cutting many prices to clear out merchandise that had not been moving, and rearranging displays into a bright, colorful and attractive site. "We kind of started from scratch. The business was not what it should be," he noted.
The remake and the special services the shop offers have perked up the business, he said. "We do personal shopping for clients looking for specific items," he said. He said many clients are interior decorators and the shop "saves them the time of going out and looking for things."
The shop also distributes a newsletter, sells online, is creating a Web site and offers layaway and delivery services, Jureka said.
Keeping up with what's trendy is part of the antiques business, and he said items that seem "hot" right now include buffets and side boards -- tables to serve dining rooms -- plus dining room sets and wardrobes.
"Art deco is coming back," he added.
One of the store's gems is a "secretary" style hand-made desk, created in about 1750, probably in Asia. In addition to a lot of fine and vintage furniture, desks, lamps and all kinds of decorative items, paintings, prints, books and vases, the
store currently is showing signed memorabilia by Bob Dylan and George Harrison, a stuffed bobcat, a Western saddle, a wheat harvesting hand tool and other "rustic farm equipment," Jureka said.
The shop has a set of snowshoes on hand. There were two sets, but one was sold to a Michigan man, Jureka said.
Jureka grew up in St. Louis and earned a degree in management and marketing at the University of Tulsa. He moved to Hilton Head 13 years ago to be with family there, and took jobs working front desks at resorts while slowly working his way into a business that sold fine wine, cigars, antiques and signed memorabilia.
He moved to Charleston to be with his girlfriend, Chelsye Harp, and landed the job with the shop that later became known as Southern Estate.
"I love Charleston, but having been here about a year, (I) haven't even scratched the surface of what's downtown. And I love living on James Island. It's 10 minutes to town or 10 minutes to the beach," he added.
Ten years from now, Jureka says he would like to own his own shop, doing what he does now. "It's an ongoing process. I want to grow and learn and get involved in the industry. You never know enough about this industry."
A lover of fine cigars, Jureka added he wants to also branch out into the cigar aficionado market.
Reach Edward C. Fennell at 937-5560 or efennell@postandcourier.com.
