By By BEN RAYMOND LODE / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- A horse whisperer from Mississippi, a Niles woodworker and a local salesman hope for success with their new business, "The Yard Sale," in downtown Niles.
The new store is located at 424 N. Second St., next door to Save-A-Lot, and opened for business on April 1.
The three men, who work together but sell their own products, are Wayne Hollingsworth, Dave York and Bob Brown.
Hollingsworth, who sells horse saddles and some horse tack in the new store, has lived in Niles for a little more than two years.
For 25 years, he worked with horses in places such as Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Texas, and has seen much of the country on horseback, he said.
Although a true believer in the gentle way of breaking in a horse, he has been bounced off enough times to desire a life where he doesn't spend too much time in the saddle anymore.
Hollingsworth sells horse saddles but doesn't have the equipment yet to fix them, he said.
As the business gradually grows, however, he plans to expand his services and do saddle and horse tack repairs.
Hollingsworth hopes to get some business from small outfits and ranches in the area.
Dave York, the shop's woodworker, on the contrary, has lived in Niles all his life.
He used to be a salesman in the area.
An unfinished high school wood shop project he finished 15 years ago at the age of 41, turned him on to start working with wood.
Since then he has made wishing wells, deck bars, planters, picnic tables, windmills, birdhouses and several other wooden artifacts suitable for decorating both inside and outside.
York also makes things on special orders and has enough business to keep himself busy throughout the year, he said.
His wishing wells have so far been sold to New York, Colorado, Canada and Florida.
"One guy from here who moved to Florida took three wishing wells with him," he said.
Bob Brown, the third person involved in the new business, still works full time as a salesman, said Hollingsworth and York said.
They want to thank Lisa Croteau, Downtown Development Authority marketing director, for the help she provided when they decided to start up the new business.
The new store also has eight to 10 spaces for rent inside.
Those spaces are meant to give people who want to sell their own artifacts an outlet from which to sell from.
York and Hollingsworth are excited about their new project, but a little unsure how business will be, and it's going to take a little time to find out what people want, they said.