Today on “Meet the Dealer” we are chatting with Greg, half of the wonderful team of Otto-Messier Antiques–Stars dealer #111. Greg and Doris have three spaces with us–two on the Splendid side and one at Stars. They have also been with us since we opened Stars Antiques Malls (well, they are family after all!).
“We like going to movies, hitting our favorite restaurants, exploring museums and traveling. One of my favorite ways to unwind is a good book, another is restoring a found treasure for our collections.”
–Greg Otto from Otto-Messier Antiques, Stars dealer #111
What would you say your specialty is?
We specialize in decorative arts in general. Furniture and objects from the 1950′s and back, leaning toward the end of the 19th C. beginning of the 20th C. We do quite a bit of original art, both water color and oil paintings.
Do you have a partner or partners that work with you?
My partner is my wife, Doris Messier. We started in the business in 1985 in the Seattle area.
How did you get into vintage?
I have been interested in antiques since I was in high school–mostly family things that gave me a sense of our past and what our family was about. Doris was into vintage clothing during her high school years and spent week ends with a friend combing antique shops for vintage finds that they could wear and collect. Doris and I met while working for a company in the Seattle area and spent time talking about our passion for finding and collecting. We first took out a mall space in Seattle. Subsequently, on a trip to Portland to visit my brother, we roamed the Sellwood area looking at little cottages, fantasizing about buying and restoring them. By chance we found a derelict little victorian with someone cleaning up around the lot and by the end of the day we had signed a contract to buy the property, decided we would quit our jobs, and go into the antique business. Initially we buddied up with my brother in his shop and opened our own shop a year later.
Do you collect some specific things for your own home?
We collect oil paintings, treen ware, shell art, fiesta ware, Pendleton blankets and a myriad of other odds and ends.
What is your favorite era?
Probably not a favorite era but more a love of any quality object from the 1860′s up to the 1950′s.
What is your dream vintage score?
My dream vintage score would be an impressionist painting by a top American artist–William Merritt Chase would be just fine!
How do you unwind?
We like going to movies, hitting our favorite restaurants, exploring museums and traveling. One of my favorite ways to unwind is a good book, another is restoring a found treasure for our collections.
Have any fun trips planned?
We just returned from a trip to Eastern Europe–Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary. Beautiful cities, great architecture, restaurants, concerts, and antiquing. I would recommend a trip there to anyone!!! We are planning our next trip to Washington D.C.–primarily to hit the museums (and maybe some antiquing).
Do you find inspiration in any movies, TV shows, music, theater, arts, sports, recreation etc?
We find inspiration in traveling to other areas—museums, local culture, architecture, history of the area!
Thanks Greg and Doris! Make sure to visit them at both of our shops–dealer #111!
