‘It’s a special place’: This old-timey Edmonton attraction is up for grabs

A business that caters to the past is looking for a new owner to take it into the future. CTV News Edmonton's Amanda Anderson has the details.

A long-standing and well-loved Edmonton market is on the market.

The Old Strathcona Antique Mall is up for sale.

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The iconic Old Strathcona business has been run by mother-and-daughter duo Betty and Bobbi for 16 years, but it has been an area attraction since 1997.

“We’re at the point where we want to focus more on our personal lives,” Bobbi Weibel said. “My mom turned 65 last year, so she’s ready to retire.

“I have four kids at home and it’s time for me to focus more on them.”

According to Travel Alberta, it is the largest antique mall in Western Alberta at more than 27,000 square feet. TripAdvisor lists it in the top-three best places to shop in Edmonton and it was once featured on the TV show Amazing Race Canada.

Normally, people line up outside of stores for the latest phone or gadget, but CTV News Edmonton saw people lined up outside the antique mall on a Wednesday morning to peruse used items.

“(We’ve got) vintage collectibles, vintage sports, artwork, furniture … postcards, paper products, that kind of stuff, we have candy too, hard-to-find candy … vintage clothes,” said Weibel.

“It’s a special place, because you always find something,” said customers Linda Wesley and Judy Hawkins. “It brings back so many memories.”

In the social media post, the antique mall said the landlord of the building would like to see the next tenant take over the business and carry on with the antique mall.

“The desire is to have someone who will continue the welcoming vibe of (The Old Strathcona Antique Mall), providing an award-winning destination for the Edmonton and surrounding community,” it read.

The asking price for the business is $500,000, which includes all the leaseholds for the 130 vendors in the mall.

“It’s a really neat place, the people are nice and it would be a real shame and a loss for Edmonton if it had to close,” said Arnie Loehr, a vendor at the mall. “They’ve got a lot of customers here on the weekend, it’s crazy busy.”

Weibel said her and her mother are committed to running the business until they find a buyer, but are confident they will find one.

“It is a hush-demand business, for sure,” Weibel said. “We have … 65 people on our waitlist, so I do say two to three years (to get) a booth in here.

“The collectibles market is huge right now, so we’re capitalizing on that. We added in 10 new vendors to bring in more collectibles (in February).”

The mother and daughter also don’t intend to leave completely and plan to stay in the mall as vendors, because it would be “very hard” to say goodbye for good.

The space means something to other Edmontonians, too.

Weibel recounts the proposals, engagement photos, wedding pictures and dates people have had at the mall, not to mention the lucky finds.

“People have definitely found their Holy Grail here, like the sports cards, especially. Some people, when they break open a pack, they find that card that they were looking for,” Weibel said.

“Some people have been looking for a book or something on their wish list forever. The one that I really like is furniture with hidden drawers in it ... and then you fiddle and you find stuff that the old owners didn’t even know about.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Amanda Anderson