How did you get into this business?
HANTAK: I was a hairdresser for 35 years, and I was dabbling with painting furniture. I started going to thrift shops, estate sales, and garage sales looking for vintage and antique pieces. The first one I did is the cutest little black chest, and I still can’t part with it. I got so many compliments and people asking if I would sell it that I decided to jump into the antique mall scene.
FYHRIE: I grew up with parents who were antique dealers, so it’s always been a big part of my life. They were mainly into furniture but also [dealt in] artifacts—interesting small items, as we call them.
I didn’t grow up with it, but in the 2000s I worked at the Mother-in-Law House [restaurant] on Main Street in St. Charles. The owner, Donna Hafer, and I kind of adopted each other. She got
