One of Wichita’s biggest, oldest antique malls is closing, and there are deals to be had
For 23 years, Flying Moose Antique Mall at 9223 W. Kellogg has been one of the main destinations in Wichita for seekers of Depression glass, vintage dishware, collectible toys, period furniture — and for those just wanting to do a little weekend treasure hunting.
But at the end of next month, Wichita will lose one of its biggest and most popular antique stores when Steve and Lynn Smith close Flying Moose and start their retirement. The mall’s last day in business will be Aug. 31.
The couple, who opened the 12,000-square-foot antique mall in 1998, informed the dealers who fill the shop’s 100 booths about their plans in late June. They put up “store closing” signs over the Fourth of July weekend, and last week, the store launched a massive sale that includes discounts from 15% to 50% at each booth.
The Smiths, who have run the store themselves for more than two decades, taking only Mondays off, now plan to travel, spend time with their grandchildren and slow down, they said. But the building will stay in the family. The couple’s daughter, Becky Phelps, and their son-in-law, Allen Wasinger, will take over the space and expand their 24-hour cross fit gym called Compelled Fitness.
Phelps and Wasinger started their fitness business eight years ago in 4,000 square feet behind the antique mall, but it’s grown steadily, and now they need more room for classes and gym equipment, the Smiths said. They’ll rent the building from the Smiths, plan to do some painting and remodeling and then open the new space by the first of next year.
But for the next seven weeks, the Smiths will be where they always are — behind the counter at Flying Moose, greeting customers and ringing up and carefully wrapping the treasures they find.
The end is bittersweet, they said, and their longtime customers have been surprised to learn that the business is closing.
“They’re shocked, but when they find out we’re closing due to retirement, they’re happy for us,” Lynn Smith said. “Our dealers were the same way. They were shocked. I don’t think anyone even had any idea we were pondering this.”
Staying in the family
When the Smiths’ daughter and son-in-law take over the Flying Moose building, they’ll be the third generation of the family to run a business in the space.
Steve Smith’s father, Dick, originally built the building in 1971 to house his Dix Marine — a boat business that also sold accessories like life jackets, wakeboards and water skis. Dick Smith had started out in the propane business in 1933 and began selling boats starting in 1944. Back then, the boats arrived as kits with just the hull, and the business had to assemble them and install all the instruments.
Dick Smith was a colorful character who also raced boats and owned airplanes. He sold airplane accessories from the business for a while, too, his son said. Dick Smith died in 1990, and when his wife and Steve’s mother, Mary Smith, was ready to retire in the late 1990s, the family tried to sell the massive building. But they couldn’t get an offer they liked.
That’s when Steve and Lynn — a casual antique shopper who liked collecting pottery — decided to go into the antique mall business. Lynn, a Goddard resident, noticed that to find any proper antique shopping, she had to travel to the east side of Wichita. The west side deserved a good antique store too, she decided.
She and Steve discussed it and met up with other local antique store owners for advice. They opened the store in the summer of 1998, naming it for Lynn’s passion at the time for lodge-style decor (hence the moose) and the fact that Wichita was the Air Capital (hence the “flying.”) A giant moose head wearing aviator glasses and a scarf has always hung high on the building’s back wall.
They advertised in the newspaper and on the radio, and within six months, all of their booth space was taken, Steve said. Another development at Flying Moose’s sixth-month mark: Another west-side antique mall opened just a few miles to the west: Frontier Antique Mall, which later became Paramount West.
The two stores have been cooperative over the years, Steve said.
“We both help each other,” he said. “And people like it, when they’re traveling especially, to hit more than one mall. If they’re closer, it makes it more convenient.”
Bittersweet farewell for antique owners
The big sale will continue until closing day, the Smiths said, and many of their vendors will continue to drop prices.
Many plan to move their booths to other local antique malls, including Paramount, which has three stores in the area, Bondie’s Antiques at 827 E. Central in Old Town, and Hewitt’s Antiques at 228 N. Market. Some of the older dealers have said they’ll retire, too.
While Lynn plans to garden and see more of her parents and sisters, Steve will continue a scaled-back work schedule. He and Lynn have a Better Built shed business next door to the store that he will continue to operate. (It had its best year ever last year, when people stuck at home during the pandemic launched more home improvement projects, he said.)
And their daughter and son-in-law will also continue the RV storage business the couple runs on the property, the Smiths said.
Though she’s looking forward to having her life back, Lynn Smith said, she’ll miss the people she’s seen six days a week for the past 23 years.
“I learned the antique business from my dealers,” she said. “We’ve had awesome dealers in here, and the customers are just fantastic.”
This story was originally published July 14, 2021 at 1:36 PM with the headline "One of Wichita’s biggest, oldest antique malls is closing, and there are deals to be had."
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