Fossilized turtle waste, crystals, art and antique furniture are just a few of the types of items David Mallott sells in his store, Mallott’s Hardware and Variety, on Midway Street in Old Town Spring. Mallott has been an antique dealer for the past 20 years and has sold items at the Antique Gallery of Houston on Spring Towne Drive for the past 17 years. He now owns the building on Midway Street, a former bank building that his mother purchased in the 1960s. Mallott said he rented out the building for a while, but when the previous occupant moved from the area, the timing felt right to open his own store, which he did in June 2016. “I’ve always wanted to open my own shop down here, and since I had the space available, the timing was right, the planets were aligned … so I opened it,” Mallott said. Mallott said he likes to pick the items he sells in his store by hand, and he rarely orders items online. Instead, he goes to rock expositions across the U.S.—where vendors from around the world meet to sell and purchase minerals and crystals—and he attends a monthly flea market in Canton, Texas, where several vendors find items with him in mind. “If it’s large, unique and weird, I’m probably going to buy it,” Mallott said. “I look for things that I don’t see everywhere.” Mallott said he sees a variety of customers come into his store, including families with children who love rocks, geologists and individuals remodeling their homes. He said recently he has seen an uptick in customers who are purchasing hardware to remodel their homes after Hurricane Harvey. The store also sells shelving brackets, door knobs and cabinet handles. Mallott said he has found a niche to serve with the rock, mineral and crystal side of his business, as there are plenty of people interested in these items but a shortage of shops that sell them. “They are unique things that are out of the earth, and so I think a lot of people are attracted to it,” Mallott said. “It’s a nice way to bring in nature.” Mallott’s Hardware and Variety 115 Midway St., Spring 713-299-1062 www.facebook.com/mallottshardwareandvariety Hours: Thu.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Mondays-Wednesdays