Antiques, local products and candles from Chippy Door

A small vintage antique store in downtown Caldwell has opened its doors to other local businesses. After outgrowing their first store and seeing the impact, they decided to expand and create their own scent crafts.

( Below is the transcript of the broadcast story)

After getting along well at a vintage show eight years ago, Jackie Guthrie and Jeanette Purdy decided to start a business together in downtown Caldwell called Chippy Door, selling vintage antiques, local crafts and goods, as well as their best-selling candles .

“We have been pickers for a long time and have only picked and sold vintage upcycled items. We did a few things, but when we moved here to Caldwell and had our own store, we had to introduce the retail element,” said Jeanette Purdy, owner of the Chippy Door store.

The name comes from the first item sold in the store… Chippy Door decided to expand its inventory.

As business boomed after re-entering retail and opening its doors to local vendors, Chippy Door found that its personalized crafts were selling out quickly, so it was once again time for new expansion. That meant putting candles back on the menu.

“We use coconut soy wax…We can control the ingredients that go into the candles. That was important to us because when they’re in your house… you want them to be clean,” Purdy said.

After their first store outgrew them, they realized the impact they were having on their community.

“We never knew we would get too big. It was literally 300 square feet, maybe 280. We just had tremendous support from the community and our customers kept coming back,” said Jackie Guthrie, owner of Chippy Door.

“We just… you know… kept it and included more local vendors,” Guthrie said.

They understand the difficulties of starting small and want to help those just starting out in the industry.

“There’s something special about buying something local. You buy something that someone made or you put in the time and effort to turn it around and paint it,” Guthrie said.

And Chippy says they’re not going anywhere, their goal is to stay in Caldwell as the town grows… and possibly hold classes that open the doors for many more.

“Not only do they help our business, but they also help their families. It’s nice that the money stays local,” Guthrie said.