Everything in owner Jeff Brown’s antique mall has a story, and his customers deserve to know them, he said.

As a customer walked up to a $3,300 diorama depicting a scene at a saloon, Brown let her know where to find information about the artist.

“She was a nurse, and one of these figures took her two 14-hour days to make,” he said.

Brown opened Old Town Buda Antique Mall two years ago. In May he opened Old Town Kyle Antique Mall.

Both stores feature antique vendors whose wares are either antiques or “have an eclectic value,” he said.

In addition to the 22 vendors in his Buda store, Brown carries items as old as the mid-1800s— relics such as an employee time punch clock from 1910, an Old West-style bootjack and a lightning rod.

As a certified appraiser, Brown can assess the value of items. He said he does not typically charge to appraise one item. Appraisals of a higher volume take more time to assess and cost money, he said.

Brown has been involved in the antique business for about 19 years, he said.

“I generally have a firm belief that you shake everybody’s hand when they come into your business as soon as they walk in the door because they’re deciding to come in your stores and potentially give you part of their hard-earned dollar.”

— Jeff Brown, owner of Old Town Buda Antique Mall

When he was 19 years old he began renting a shelf in an antique mall.

“Then I got hooked, rented a full booth, rented a full room and then I took over the shop,” he said.

Brown said his great-grandfather, who served in both world wars, inspired him to collect war memorabilia.

“His legacy just made me want to find out more about history, and then I started learning there’s a story behind each piece,” he said.

Even though he said his great-grandfather sometimes told tall tales that seemed unbelievable, he amassed a collection of wartime artifacts—foreign currency and photographs of him on ships and riding elephants—many of which Brown still possesses and holds dear.

Items at his store have included an original photograph book with more than 80 World War I battlefield photos authored by a soldier, Brown said.

Giving back to the community is also central to Brown’s principles as a business owner. A quarter of the proceeds from his sales go to local charities, he said.

“It was instilled in me from [childhood] that you look out for your neighbors,” Brown said.

Growing up on a farm in Fruit Vale, Texas—a North Texas town with a population of 409—he said he learned the value of doing right by his customers.

“I generally have a firm belief that you shake everybody’s hand when they come into your business as soon as they walk in the door because they’re deciding to come in your stores and potentially give you part of their hard-earned dollar,” he said. “To me that deserves a handshake and a ‘Thank you’ for coming in.”