Antique shop set to open at former Sandbagger

--Rena Davidson photo

Clean up and remodeling are underway at the former Sandbagger Tavern. Kevin and Mary Davidson, formerly of Buhl, Idaho, have purchased the building and plan an antique shop there.

When Mary Davidson opens her new antique shop in downtown Colfax for business, her commute to work will not take long at all.

“Twenty-seven steps,” she said.

Kevin and Mary Davidson purchased the former Sandbagger Tavern building in July from Felipe and Luz Guitron of Colfax. The couple – along with son Dustin and daughter Rena – are now living in the apartment space above the building. They are working to remodel the building for use as an antique shop, to be called Dusty Attic.

“It will be the antiques and vintage and collectibles and limited consignment,” said Mary. “I have plenty of inventory.”

Mary previously operated Buhl Winkles for eight years in Buhl, Idaho. She and her husband decided to make the move to Colfax recently.

“I'm excited. I love Colfax,” she said. “We've visited here quite a bit, and I've always thought it has been a friendly community, and it is.”

Their daughter and son-in-law, Jana and Chris Mathia, plus four grandsons, live in Endicott. Dustin moved with them here, and Rena recently relocated here from the Coeur d'Alene area. She has been living in the apartment space upstairs and working on the building prior to her parents and brother moving here. Another daughter, Kara, is working in New Hampshire.

Mary said that as they are working to get the space ready for the business to open, they are trying to stay as local as possible.

“We're looking at what the community can offer,” she said.

Son-in-law Chris Mathia with Western Heritage Flooring out of Garfield will be working on the floors, and Mary said they are looking into services for the windows and vinyl for a new sign outside of the building.

Eventually, she said, there are plans to re-paint the front of the building.

“We'll paint it where it looks like the front of an old house when the weather warms up this spring,” she said.

She added that she would like to incorporate some of the material from the previous tenants in the building as well. The door to Joe's Tavern is still in the building, and she plans to use that. The building was the long-time location of Joe's Tavern prior to its days as the Sandbagger. Joe's was operated by the late Joe and Mable Mensinger.

Mary said she gets her inventory from estate sales, yard sales and auctions.

“There's a lot of fun things,” she said. “I try to find people who can use what others don't want to anymore. I've rescued a lot of doilies and tablecloths.”

Mary has plenty of storage space at the building. There is a full basement plus a garage in back and an attic space above the first floor ceiling. She also said she still has some inventory in southern Idaho.

She said her goal was to be open by Saturday, Dec. 10, but the renovations pushed that back.

“I'll be open by Christmas,” she said.

They are not planning a grand opening at this time. Mary wants to be open ahead of Christmas to be able to sell some Christmas craft items.

They plan to be open six days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. with Kevin, Mary, Dustin and Rena all working there. They will be closed Sundays.