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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Saving soles ... Former TV game-show host Jim Perry dies ... Central Medford celebrates Thanksgiving with dinner, shopping-cart floats ... Saving soles ... Former TV game-show host Jim Perry dies ... Central Medford celebrates Thanksgiving with dinner, shopping-cart floats ... Upcycling on Court Comment By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Follow @@GregMTBusiness MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Follow @@GregMTBusiness Posted Nov. 25, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Nov 25, 2015 at 9:56 AM By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Follow @@GregMTBusiness Posted Nov. 25, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Nov 25, 2015 at 9:56 AM » Social News A cluster of shops squeezed between the Rogue Valley Mall and Northgate Marketplace offer the latest in "upcycle" — discarded items given a new life. Four markets — Coop deVille, American Mercantile, Court Street Market and Collectors Market — occupy a two-block stretch of Court Street straddling Ohio Street. The common thread of upcycled goods lures both the laser-eyed shopper seeking a particular item and the nonchalant peruser. "We're not just buying everything from China anymore, but repurposing good ol' American-made stuff," said Shelly Moreau Britt, who owns Coop deVille & Vintage Rehab along with Ron Dunn. "I think there has been a shift from antiques, the kind of things people used to collect. It's very expensive. I think we're into the next era of what people are interested in." With 12,000 square feet and 120 vendors supplying goods, Collectors Market won't disappoint shoppers seeking unusual finds. "We have room for a lot of everything," said owner Kathy Beemer. "People can find almost anything they want." American Mercantile is in the E.H. Mann Building, which was completed in September 1947 and was home to New Stage Collision auto body shop for nearly two decades before Jake Husel and Crista Singley upcycled the 12,800-square-foot structure into its present use in 2010. The addition of Coop deVille, whose owners previously operated a similar store in Jacksonville, and Court Street Market in the past couple of years has increased collective awareness. "It's nice to have a bunch of stores where people can walk from one to another," said Beemer, who along with her husband is the fourth owner of the 25-year-old enterprise. Beemer suggested a driving force in her industry is the return of American-made products. "When the China market became so prevalent, it forced our craftsmen to stop their work, except out of love. Here, you can find those one-of-a-kind gifts instead of grabbing one from a rack of 12 at Target." She brackets vintage goods in the 30- to 50-year range with antiques beyond that age. "When you upcycle something old and junky," Beemer said, "you sand it, repaint it and give it new life." Marketing campaigns and advertising barrages may determine sales for new items, but shared tastes carry greater weight in the vintage domain. "What drives our market are trends and Pinterest," Britt said. For the social-media-challenged, Pinterest is a network that allows users to organize and share content, as well as see things other Pinterest users post. "The antique market is flat for sure, with very little demand," Britt said. "If you're trying to get a good price for an antique piece right now, it will be tougher." If someone buys an $85 vintage bookcase or $125 coffee table and trends or tastes change, she reasoned, there's little lost. "You don't mind parting with it, because it didn't cost you $1,200," she said. "Items in our store are very affordable, not of great value." Court Street Market, with 35 vendors, is owned by Sally Wilson and her daughter Kelly Lane-Babbit. "Some vendors are all about finding their niche, finding what will bring people in time after time to purchase something from them, or what they particularly like themselves," Lane-Babbit said. "We have one lady who does a lot of the Paris-type vintage stuff, and it sells, too. We have another who does heritage lace, and people come in looking for it." Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 541-776-4463 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GregMTBusiness , and read his blog at www.mailtribune.com/Economic Edge. By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Follow @@GregMTBusiness MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Follow @@GregMTBusiness Posted Nov. 25, 2015 at 2:00 AM Updated Nov 25, 2015 at 9:56 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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