Apparel from the Past offers more than 1,000 women's vintage garments, hats and accessories. Photo by Katie Johnson

By KATIE JOHNSON

katie@offthewater.com

Ted Muellen and Marsha Ruby aren’t the type of people who pack lightly – the antique dealers have been known to pick up finds on camping trips and bring them into their tent.

“Antiquers are always ‘just looking,'” Muellen said.

A lifelong antique dealer, Muellen started Shawnee Road Antiques in Baroda with his mother, Dorothy Fucsik, in 1969 on their farm property.

Fucsik has since retired, but her son has remained in the business his whole life.

Muellen’s girlfriend, Ruby, became involved with the business about 15 years ago, eventually opening Apparel from the Past in one of the buildings.

“I started dressing up in vintage clothing at the (antique) shows,” Ruby said. After finding an inexpensive hat that she loved, but didn’t think suited her well, Muellen suggested she start selling hats.

“I just loved the idea,” she said. “It started out with hats for about the first year.”

Their total inventory spans 7,000-square-feet, although Ruby insists that “three large buildings” better encompasses how many antiques they really have.

“‘Big’ is the keyword,” Ruby said.