ABOUT US
Marcia Cole Huffman
Marcia Cole Huffman, founder of AntiqueTrail.com and owner of Cole’s Country Store, was originally from Baxter, Tennessee. She earned a BS and MA from Tennessee Technological University. She started her career as a high school and college teacher. Later she worked in the IT field as a trainer, programmer, technical writer, systems analyst, manager, and in configuration management for different companies including Raytheon and Boeing supporting the Patriot Missile Project Office, NASA’s s space shuttle office, Kwajalein Radar Range, the Bradley Fighting Vehicle project, etc. She loves to travel and lived outside the US for several years, but now lives in Huntsville, Alabama. She loves antiques because they are "tangible history". Her son, Andrew, calls her an antique-aholic. She is a member of numerous organizations including Huntsville United Methodist Church and a board member of the Huntsville Community Ballet.
Phone: 256-797-5640
Email: Marcia@AntiqueTrail.com
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Bruce Pate
Bruce Pate, founder of Sunsphere Enterprises, is the software and business partner of AntiqueTrail.com. He is a specialist with tourism and community websites. Bruce was born and grew up in Sylacauga, Alabama. He earned his BA in International Trade from Auburn University in 1992. He worked in the Information Technology business for Kimberly-Clark Corporation. Bruce has been creating websites for 25 years with over 2,000 domains currently in production. He is a member of several chambers of commerce. He hosts the popular lake forums of Alabama. His passion is boating as well as computers. His passion for computing has turned into a career for him.
Phone: 256-596-5253
Email: Admin@AntiqueTrail.com
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Kay Bain, Member Support, Sales Associate and New Sales Associate Lead, is a Mom and wife. She has been with AntiqueTrail.com for five years. Kay is a sister to Marcia, co-owner and founder of AntiqueTrail.com. She collects iris/herringbone glass, vintage bowls, old fishing lures for her husband, advertising signage, and old toys. A lifetime resident of Cookeville, TN, Kay and her family are passionate about camping in their travel trailer, boating, and watching the sunset disappear behind the mountains on beautiful Center Hill Lake!
Phone: 931-255-2185
Email: Kay@AntiqueTrail.com
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Joy Pate, a retired Human Resource Specialist and Real Estate Broker, is responsible for brochure requests and distribution. She enjoys gardening and has recently renovated and redecorated her lake home.
Phone: 502-963-3686
Email: Brochures@AntiqueTrail.com
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Pattie is a retired NASA engineer. She has loved antiques since her childhood. Her favorite piece was her grandmothers first piece of furniture, a washstand. Pattie also loves to refurbish flea market and thrift store finds.
Phone: 256-337-5194
Email: Pattie@AntiqueTrail.com
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Melissa Steed-Qualls
Melissa Steed-Qualls, a 2013 Pellissippi State graduate, is AntiqueTrail.com's graphic designer, as well as a freelance graphic designer. She is originally from Lagrange, GA, but now lives in Knoxville, TN. Graphic design is her passion, but she appreciates all types of artwork. She enjoys travel and dreams of traveling to Italy. She is also fond of science fiction in any form. Melissa is fluent in the Adobe Creative Suite, including Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, and Fireworks.
Phone: 865-230-9685
Email: Melissa@AntiqueTrail.com
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Betty Christensen
Betty Christensen, Sales Associate, is a graduate of The University of North Texas and Texas Women's University. She is a collector of 1920-50 porcelain and bisque bride and groom cake toppers. She has booths in three AntiqueTrail.com member shops and is involved in an estate sales business.
Phone: 512-541-1141
Email: Betty@AntiqueTrail.com
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Lori Reynolds
Lori Reynolds, founder and owner of Marketing Cents 4u, is the New England associate. Lori graduated with an accounting degree and initially worked in a local bank in her hometown of Barre, Vermont. She now lives in the beautiful coastal town of Booth Bay, Maine. Lori has twenty-five years of business experience. These experiences have established her business priorities which include trust, loyalty, collaboration and individuality (with a good healthy dose of compassion, generosity and humility). She loves all things old—working with AntiqueTrail.com is a natural.
Phone: 207-922-9061
Email: Lori@AntiqueTrail.com
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Tressa Mills
Tressa Mills owns Lake Shore Antiques, a 10,000 sq ft mall north of Holland, Michigan. She is a member of the Lakeshore Antique trail which boasts 25 stores along a 75 mile area of West Michigan shoreline. Tressa coordinates and curates membership for the state of Michigan for the Antique Trail team.
Phone: 616-805-0311
Email: Tressa@AntiqueTrail.com
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Ann Lordi
Ann Lordi started her career as a programmer and later faculty member at her alma mater Widener University, where she completed BS and MBA degrees. After gaining experience working as a consultant for a CPA firm in Philadelphia, Ann started her own accounting software consulting practice. It was one of her clients who owned an antique mall that really piqued her interest in the antique business. Hired to implement front desk POS and back-office accounting systems, Ann was inspired to become an owner/manager in her own antique mall. Now years later, having sold her interest in the antique mall, Ann has booth space with an PA AntiqueTrail.com member shop. Ann is very active in promoting the antique industry in her local area through an association called Antiques Capital USA, and throughout Pennsylvania as well, as representative for the PennsylvaniaAntiquetrail.com brochure.
Phone: 352-301-7812
Email: Ann@AntiqueTrail.com
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Jenny Porter
Jennifer (Jenny) Porter, was born and raised in the Florida panhandle. She is married to her husband of 30 years. They have two adult children and one grandchild. Together, Jenny and her husband own an auction company as well as Porters Corner Antique Shop in DeFuniak Springs, FL. Jenny loves to go on picking trips in search of antique treasures. She enjoys all kinds of antiques but is especially fond of primitives. She enjoys going to auctions, yard sales, flea markets and antique shops.
Phone: 321-300-9628
Email: Jenny@AntiqueTrail.com
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Brieanne Bursae
Brieanne was born and raised in Virginia. After nearly 20 years as a career firefighter and paramedic, Brieanne now spends her time with her husband and their boys, antique shopping and restoring their 1870’s farmhouse. Her love of all things vintage started with her childhood. Brieanne is excited to help showcase all the wonderful treasures to be found across Virginia.
Phone: 228-331-0241
Email: Brieanne@AntiqueTrail.com
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Tara Hall
Tara Hall serves as Director of the 400 Mile Sale along Kentucky's historic highway 68. She enjoys networking with small business owners. Tara holds a BS in Political Science and a Masters of Divinity. She founded and led The Family Center (non-profit), served as president of the Wilmore Business Association, volunteered for community events, and is currently pastoring a small rural Methodist church. Tara is proudest of the work she has done with her six children whom she homeschooled alongside her faithful partner-in-all-things, John, her husband.
Phone: 770-272-5080
Email: Tara@AntiqueTrail.com
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Chip O'Connor
Chip O'Connor lives in Arkansas and owns Old Franklin Theater Antique Mall.
Phone: 614-238-8152
Email: twinoconnor@gmail.com
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Overview:
- Functionally, AntiqueTrail.com is an online photo tour, description, and map of the antique shops as well as annual brochures for each state.
- Practically, AntiqueTrail.com enables one to find “THE” antique for which one is searching and many antiques for which one was not searching but could not resist!
- Serendipitously, AntiqueTrail.com is an experience in southern hospitality, a visual treat of the architectural and geographical features of the United States, and an opportunity to have a small town/city encounter.
Our vision is to:
- Enable anyone using our brochures, a smart phone, smart pad, or computer to easily find the shops and malls along and near their route.
- Enable any person to visit a shop or mall virtually before driving to the shop itself.
- Unite the antique shops and malls, the state and local government travel, and visitors’ organizations, Chambers of Commerce, and other interested parties in promoting and elevating our member stores/towns/states to “antique destinations”.
Our mission is to promote and advertise member antique shops via AntiqueTrail.com, all associated websites, and through state-distributed brochures.
Our goal is to “brand” AntiqueTrail.com as the “source” for locating antique shops in the United States.
Our objectives are:
- To provide current maps, street addresses, phone numbers, business information, hours, and photos of member antique shops on the internet by creating websites for all members who do not already have a website.
- To appear on the first page of at least the two most popular search engines when anyone in the world looks up “antiques in (state, ie, Alabama)” or “(state, ie. Alabama) antiques”.
- To promote AntiqueTrail.com using brochures, press releases, links on the state tourism websites, advertisements on all lakesonline.com websites, and other methods.
Following the Trail
Following AntiqueTrail.com, one will discover upscale antique galleries as well as a mélange of privately owned shops and multivendor malls with a mixture of antiques and vintage collectibles.
The antique shops are housed uniquely. One shop is made of recycled wood and tin. Several shops are in period homes, cottages, bungalows, farmhouses, antebellum homes, a "new" log cabin and an authentic 150 year old log home. Others are in historical buildings that were once country stores, barns, banks, post offices, pharmacies, hardware stores, and even a mansion’s drained indoor swimming pool. Some shops have been built specifically to showcase the owners’ collections.
AntiqueTrail.com members offer paintings, prints, porcelain, crystal, glassware, pottery, silver, china, crystal, historical paper, military items, books, kitchenware, tools, advertising, and 18th, 19th, and early 20th century furniture. The Trail offers Antiques, Mantiques, and Junktiques.
The most delightful treasures found along the trail are the charming and knowledgeable people!
Special thanks goes to:
AntiqueTrail.com member shops and their customers
The state welcome centers
John Wild and Jennifer Dodson of Auburn-Opelika, Alabama Tourism Bureau
Ronnie Earles and Kim Mosley of Davis Printing
AntiqueTrail.com staff
And, many, many others who have encouraged and supported the trail
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