Backdoor Antiques brings two stores under one roof

Pioneer Times photograph/Gloria Austin
LIVING HISTORY — The unique part of Backdoor Antiques at 8 Market Square in Houlton is that it is two businesses under one roof. Rick Carpenter, left, deals with antiques, postcards and other historical items, while Matt Carr owns Houlton Stamp and Coin, located in the shop, as well.
By Gloria Austin
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — Backdoor Antiques envelops the senses with nostalgia of an old-fashioned mercantile store.
    From kerosene lanterns to fishing poles; furniture to dry goods; postcards to posters, Backdoor Antiques has it all.
    “The business opened in February,” said Houlton’s Rick Carpenter, owner of Backdoor Antiques. “I realize there are two other antique stores in town, but having three, I think, there is now a draw for people to come from outside of the area. We have people coming as far away as Fort Kent and Fredericton.”
    As unique as its history within its walls, Backdoor Antiques is a diverse location, offering another business under the same roof, Houlton Stamp and Coin owned by Matt Carr of Houlton.
    “Actually [the shop] was Matt’s idea,” said Carpenter. “He convinced me to try it out and see if we could make a go of it.”
    “We split the commonality,” added Carr. “We deal in two separate commodities.”
    Both Carpenter and Carr hold full-time jobs, so Backdoor Antiques is more of a hobby for them both. Carpenter works at Tate and Lyle and Carr is a senior support tech for NEHE-MRI.
    “That’s my real job,” laughed Carr. “This is a part-time fun one.”
    Carr previously owned his own store, Old Cole Antiques in Monticello at the auction building, for three years before selling the building and contents. After some time off, Carr started doing business on the Internet.
    “Now, my job allows me to be at the store typically four days a week,” he added. “My mainstay was always selling on E-bay, but the fees have gone to where brick and mortar stores are more feasible.”
    Since the partners’ businesses only have to cover building expenses, it has created a more relaxed atmosphere since it is not a primary source of income.
    “In the end, I think this store is a little bit more fun than the ones I go to,” explained Carr. “We are pretty easy going.”
    With two businesses under one roof there is a double level of expertise and dichotomy.
    “Rick is more into postcards and early Houlton history, which is nothing I know about,” said Carr. “On the flip side, I do the coins because that isn’t what Rick is into. It works well.
    “Rick is a collector and I am a seller,” he added. “When you come through the door, he can tell you how to preserve [an item] and why it is worth keeping. However, I could care less if you keep an item or not. I am here to buy it from you and resell it.”
    Carpenter started collecting bottles when he was 9 years old. “It just progressed to antique furniture and other things,” he said. “My most favorite item is my postcard collection, which has all of Aroostook County. But I also have some rare Houlton ones, which I have shown some people and they have never seen them before.”
    Carr carries vintage coins and stamps.
    “I have been doing the shows on the Internet and all of the state of Maine shows for dealers on coins and stamps for a couple of years now,” he said. “I paid for my education by making mistakes along the way. At this point, I consider myself to be very knowledgeable in both areas.”
    When a customer walks through the entrance, historical pieces are displayed around the front of the store, with a glass counter in the center chock full of antique or rare items. In the back, Carr has his coin and stamp counter and behind that is a storeroom.
    “The back area is divided into Internet space, shelving and it serves as a place to handle transactions,” said Carr. “When making a deal, it should be private and I think people appreciate that.”
    Backdoor Antiques is open through the week, with Tom Willard keeping an eye on the shop.
    “Tom is also cleaning jewelry, which is a service we offer,” added Carr. “The business has been busy since Tom is running it during the week. We have a lot of people returning on the weekend.”
    Carpenter and Carr are only available at the store each Friday and Saturday.
    “We can commit to that,” said Carpenter. “Saturday is a guarantee.”
    Carpenter is also known for his artistry of Intarsia — the fitting together of small pieces of veneer to replicate a scene or an object — which he has on display at Backdoor Antiques.
    “This is the 13th piece I have completed,” said Carpenter looking at the replica of the south side of Houlton’s Main Street in Market Square as it looked in the early 1900s. He has researched the history of Houlton to find original photos that gave him the details that he needed to make it as authentic as possible. Some of those photos came from postcards.
    “I am hoping that this piece generates more postcards and things,” he explained. “It can be as simple as receipts.”
    Carpenter is also interested in ephemera, which is the study of paper such as old letterheads to brochures or newspapers.
    “I collect anything Aroostook County,” he said. “I collect old receipts and I have some early Houlton pieces in several albums that date back to the pre-1900s.”
    In his collection, Carpenter showed an 1856 letterhead from Dr. Theodore Cary, founder of Aroostook Times, and newspaper receipts, such as one from 1863 for the printing of petitions billed to the County of Aroostook, which was handled by the Houlton Court House. Another rarity is an 1842 statement for the housing of criminals in Houlton. There were three men being held at the jail. Two for larceny (110 days stay) and another for burning a stack of hay (six days stay). It cost 14 cents per day to house each man.
    “Some receipts show whale oil and in 1860, I have a receipt for kerosene oil at $1.75 a gallon. Of course, they only used kerosene for their lamps and it lasted awhile. But, it is all very interesting.”
    Hanging at the back of the store is a July 4th parade outfit, complete with jacket and pants. Carpenter also has a 1916 poster that goes with the apparel.
    “It was worn during one of the fairs or parades downtown,” said Carr.
    “I also have a set of silver sugar cube tongs from the Oceanic,” Carpenter added. “The Oceanic was the sister ship to the Titanic and it sank in 1915.”
    Backdoor Antiques and Houlton Stamp and Coin offer a high level of expertise for the consumer.
    “We still do a lot on the Internet,” Carr said of his coin and stamp business. “We also have a website – www.houltonstampandcoin.com. We are one of the few stores in town that has a website where you can purchase items, as we accept credit/debit cards online.”
    Though stocked with priceless items, Backdoor Antiques is a place where history comes alive either in looking at past coins and stamps or seeing a box of wash detergent with the ingredients still inside it.
    “We buy gold and silver,” said Carr. “We can buy or sell. We are a one stop shop.”
    Backdoor Antiques is located at 8 Market Square in Houlton. Carpenter can be reached by calling 694-3867 and Carr can be contacted through e-mail at matt@houltonstampandcoin.com or by calling 227-2531.
    “We’ve had customers who didn’t know we were here,” said Carpenter. “And, they live here. What brings people into antique stores is a love of items that are old. It is almost feverish to collect.”