A store with a two-decade presence in downtown Wichita is moving to the east side

For 15 years, Sandbar Trading was a fixture in Old Town, selling southwest and American Indian items such as jewelry, rugs and pottery to locals and tourists alike.

Lately, it’s been a bit more peripatetic.

After leaving their space on East Douglas in 2016, Richard and Julie Gottsponer traveled to shows nationally and didn’t have a storefront for a while.

Then, they opened a pop-up store at 414 S. Commerce St. that later became what they thought would be permanent space. Now, though, they have to move again because Trajectory RCS owner Derrick Idbeis has purchased the building and is moving his business there.

Idbeis said he feels bad about the Gottsponers having to move, but they’re all right with it. They tried to stay downtown, but when they couldn’t find the right space, they decided to go east to the Cornerstone Business Park in suites 103 and 104 at 8625 E. 37th St. North.

“We looked and looked downtown,” Richard Gottsponer said. “We were running out of time, so we finally grabbed this.”

There’s a lot of warehouse-type uses there, but he said that works with the way they’re doing business now.

Since closing the Commerce Street space in July, the Gottsponers have been making a lot of sales by appointment.

“It’s been a good business model for us,” Richard Gottsponer said.

The new space opens Thursday. Hours will be 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. The Gottsponers still will take appointments before then at (316) 655-7477.

Unlike the one large space on Commerce Street, this one is divided into small rooms.

“This one is more of a Santa Fe feel,” Gottsponer said.

People are already stopping by the space wanting to shop. Gottsponer said it helps that Sandbar Trading is so established, though he said “it always helps in a business like ours to be in Old Town.”

“I wish we could have stayed in Old Town, but it just wasn’t to be.”