Photo by Jesse Chambers
Fred Dyess, a long-time antiques dealer, is shown in his shop, Avondale Antiques, on 4301 Third Ave. S. Dyess said he likes to maintain a relaxed, friendly atmosphere in his store, which he calls his “public man cave.”
It’s not unusual for Avondale Antiques owner Fred Dyess to watch a car cruise by only to pull a U-turn after being interested in the assortment of random collectibles and furniture in his yard’s storefront.
“We are on a very busy, heavily-traveled street, so we do get a lot of people stopping in, which I love,” he said.
Although he’s been a Vestavia Hills resident for the last 20 years, when an opportunity arose in Avondale several years ago, he decided to open his own antique shop.
By nature, Dyess describes himself as an actively curious person and long-time antique dealer who has always loved trivia, history and understanding the nostalgia that antiques evoke in people.
“I wake up every morning with the attitude that I don’t know who I’m going to be today, I don’t know what I’m going to learn and I don’t know what I’m going to find, and that makes for a fun day with that attitude,” Dyess said. “I will stop on my way home and look for some things. It’s just my routine, always looking for things.”
Avondale Antiques specializes in items from styles including mid-century, retro and industrial, in addition to selling vintage lawn and garden collectibles. In particular, Dyess is drawn to the mid-century modern style for its focus on clean, simple lines.
Locals know his shop for its trove of lamps and lighting fixtures, hanging all over the store. His prices, he said, are fairly affordable and based on what he pays for the items.
He even gives out old-school Beanie Babies to children who come in with their families.
With each and every person who comes in, many of whom are Vestavia residents, he takes the time the talk and get to know them. Since the opening, he’s met antique collectors and travelers from all over the country that come through the city and check out his store.
“I am all about southern hospitality. I recommend restaurants, a lot of things to do passing through. What the average Birmingham resident doesn’t realize is that Birmingham is quite the little destination now. … I tell them it’s not just about them visiting my shop, I want them to have a good experience visiting Birmingham,” he said.
In his opinion, antiquing works by skipping a generation: customers normally don’t want what their parents had, but instead are more attracted to what their grandparents had due to good memories and a whole different era of stuff.
Dyess said sometimes the fond memories are from something as simple “as a coffee mug that your grandfather let you drink coffee out of” or even “a kitchen utensil that your grandmother let you play with.”
“[Avondale Antiques] is a very warm and inviting atmosphere. … Eighty to 90 percent of the things I have in here are things I like personally. So I just get to sit here with all my treasures every day,” he said.
Although it’s definitely not a museum, he added, and he wants to spread the happiness and sell all that he can.
For more information, go to avondaleantiques.com.
