Cockeysville Woman Brings Business Back to Antique Row

With stores on Cockeysville’s once lively antique row slowly closing down, businesswoman Cathy Johnson is using an innovative concept to bring  customers back to the York Road strip.

Laissez-Faire & Company Entrepreneur’s Emporium, at 10710 York Road, gives vendors an outlet to sell their wares without the hassle of managing their own store.

“Antique Row is naked now,” Johnson said. “You use to always see people walking up and down the strip. Laissez-Faire gives them the opportunity to do that once again but under one roof.”

Johnson’s family owns the building in which the emporium is located. After the space had been vacant for years, she decided to spruce up the building with an eye-catching neon green paint job, and open it up to interested vendors on a first come, first served basis.

“I needed to make money, and this comes very natural to me,” she said. “I’m a people person.”

The appropriately named Laissez-Faire, an open market, sets up vendors at stations throughout the store, giving customers the opportunity to browse around at their own convenience. 

While some vendors will be mainstays, Johnson said, she expects others will rotate around every month.

The emporium boasts a wide selection of products, including jewelry, custom-made art, homemade baked goods and refurbished furniture.

Rebecca Goldstein, an Owings Mills jeweler, said Laissez-Faire has provided her a convenient opportunity to sell her pieces.

“I handcraft my own jewelry, and I’ve been doing it for seven years out of my house,” Goldstein said.  “I wanted to open my own storefront but couldn’t because of family obligations. It’s a great outlet for people to sell their stuff without the responsibility.”

Johnson said the emporium is also a good option for vendors venturing to open their own storefront to test the waters.

“The response has been amazing,” she said. “We probably had a couple hundred people come in when we first opened [on May 5].”

Shamelessly Simple Gift Boutique, located next door to Laissez-Faire and run by Johnson’s daughter Brittany, has also benefited from the crowds.

“People didn’t know I was here before,” Brittany Johnson said. “Now, I’m a lot busier. The place has transformed.”

Laissez-Faire also plans to raise money for a designated charity each month. So far this May, it has raised $730 to benefit One Love Foundation, dedicated to the memory of Cockeysville resident Yeardley Love, through a silent auction and gift basket raffles.

The emporium is open for three days around the third weekend of every month. Event hours are 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday from May through August. September through December hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday.

“If the idea becomes popular we’ll look at being open the first and third weekends of each month,” Johnson said.

Vendors interested in promoting their business are encouraged to call 410-299-2538.

The next event will kick off Thursday.