CARMEN—Travelers driving through Carmen on Oklahoma 45 may not know there are hidden treasures and vintage finds tucked inside the old Baptist church on the north side of town.
This antique shop called Piddler’s Paradise evolved from Helen and Lee McDowell’s side hobby into a full-fledged business.
It all started in June 1996 as they began attending auctions and estate sales. They participated in local flea markets around Blanchard, where they lived, and “got the fever to do more,” they said. Soon they had booths at several antique stores while both worked full-time in the Oklahoma City metro; her doing real estate abstract closings and him as a semi driver for UPS.
By 2015, the McDowells made the decision that Helen should quit her job so she could devote more time to selling while she cared for her elderly parents. Ultimately, they wanted to have an antique store of their own and eventually retire.
The couple also had decided to retire to Carmen where Lee’s family was from; his maternal grandparents had overseen Carmen IOOF Home that served as the area orphanage for almost 30 years from 1907 to 1944.
The McDowells bought a house in Carmen and sold their house in Blanchard. Helen moved to Carmen in 2017, living there three years while Lee visited on the weekends as he continued driving a truck and temporarily lived in a travel trailer. He officially retired in 2020.
Meanwhile, Carmen’s Baptist church closed its doors for good in June 2016. The church congregation had begun in that basement decades before, and when the Lambert-Yewed church closed, they voted to purchase that building and relocate it to Carmen, situating it over the existing basement.
But in time as church members aged, moved on, and/or passed away, it became increasingly harder for them to navigate the multiple stairs in the building.
“The church disbanded, but not before they put on a new roof and new HVAC,” Helen said. In November 2018, everything inside was auctioned off and then the church building itself was auctioned off. That’s when the McDowells bought it.
“We were thinking of building new or trying to find someplace downtown (on the highway),” Helen said, adding it was a blessing when the church came up for sale.
More than a hobby
On the weekends when Lee would visit, he would bring truckloads of items for the antique shop. They explained they had just purchased an estate in Norman not long after buying the church, so the rooms at Piddler’s Paradise filled up quickly.
And once Lee retired, “things got real busy,” Helen commented. “Some days our retirement hobby seems more like a job.”
They say their hobby developed into a business when they began tinkering with buying and selling antiques upon handling both of their parents’ estates between 2010 and 2018.
“I always kinda liked to play at it,” Helen said, “then he got the fever.”
Their personal experiences turned into expertise, and they soon had booths at flea markets and stores across Oklahoma and Kansas, specializing in antiques and primitives.
When they set up Piddler’s Paradise in Carmen, they started buying out full or partial estates of Carmen residents who died. Many times, those homes sat vacant for years as the family—who often lived elsewhere in Oklahoma or another state entirely—determined what to do.
Helen said that’s where they came in, cleaning out the house and either doing an estate sale or selling individual pieces in the store.
If the family agreed to an estate sale, the McDowells would clean and organize the house room by room, stage it, price everything, and then hold a three-day sale. The McDowells would take a commission and the family would receive the remaining profits.
If the family agreed to a full estate purchase after the McDowells assessed the value, the McDowells would take their time clearing out the home piece by piece, tossing what they deemed trash and couriering to storage what they deemed sellable.
If the family agreed to a partial estate purchase, the McDowells would pick up the specific items allotted and sell them either on eBay or in the store.
Either way, Helen said it may take weeks or even months to clear out an estate, depending on the volume and the timing of the family.
“We only concentrate on one house at a time,” she said. They might have another house waiting in the wings, but since it’s just the two of them, and they don’t trust anyone else to do it, one is all they can handle.
Lee said they are particular about the estates they accept; if there’s not $10,000 worth of stuff to sell in the home, then it’s not worth their time and effort. Helen added there are times what the family thinks has value doesn’t have any and the McDowells wouldn’t give a dime for it.
“Sometimes we get a lot of junk with the good stuff,” Helen said. When they’re working on an estate, they also try to set aside any old pictures and letters should anyone in the family want them.
Because they still sell at flea markets at Elk City and Wichita, Kan., aside from the store, the McDowells hired a couple of local ladies to man Piddler’s Paradise for them. Between estates and flea markets, Helen and Lee are rarely at the store when customers are present; however, they are a phone call away if their part-time help need answers about anything.
Hot or not
The McDowells rotate merchandise regularly at Piddler’s Paradise.
“I don’t have anything in the shop over six months,” Helen said. Lee added if items don’t move after that time, they do a 50% clearance sale and then if certain items still don’t sell, they may pitch them or try to sell them at their flea market booths.
They said particular antiques are hot buys while others are no longer popular.
For example, vintage toys such as old cast iron or tin toys fly off the shelf as soon as they are put out, Helen said. Anything grandma had in her kitchen such as cooking utensils, cast iron skillets, and pots and pans are hot sellers. Other vintage items that sell well at Piddler’s Paradise are pieces of mid-century furniture and primitives, which can be old wagon wheels, old wooden boxes, old pottery, and yellow or blue colored glass. Town memorabilia is also a big hit.
On the other hand, items that don’t sell well or no longer appeal to customers these days include artworks, clear glassware, ceramics, or furniture from the early 1900s.
“Nobody wants fine china or hutches anymore,” Helen said.
The antique store tries to stay away from thrift store items for the most part such as clothing, jewelry, drink glasses, or knickknacks too.
“It’s fun,” Helen said about their antiquing. “We like meeting people and we feel like we’re helping people.”
Piddler’s Paradise, 404 N. Central, Carmen, is open Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. during the summer. Catch updates about what’s new by following on Facebook @PiddlersParadise.