PORTLAND — Claire Chanis strolled through the Portland Antiques Mall on Tuesday, smiling and clutching a lightly worn copy of “From Moose to Mousse.”

The 1987 cookbook was written by the late Avis Layman, a Maine native who went on to cook for the rich and famous. Priced at $10, the book was a special find for Chanis, who is the pastry chef at Dutch’s restaurant.

So was the antiques mall, which opened this month at 919 Congress St. — the former home of Salvage BBQ — with booths and display cases for 75 vendors on two floors.

“I usually have to drive up to Wiscasset or someplace like that to get my antique fix,” Chanis said. “This is nice because I live right down the street.”

It also has a 25-space parking lot, which is a plus in downtown Portland.

The mall is the latest venture of Bill Simpson, a Portland landlord who purchased the nearby Inn at St. John in 2022.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY

Booths and display cases were filled this week with furniture and decor from various eras, jewelry, art, record albums, home goods and antique signs, toys and tools.

“We wanted to offer a little of everything and prices for everybody,” Simpson said.

It’s the second of three antiques malls in Simpson’s growing lineup.

Four years ago he purchased the long-standing Fairfield Antiques Mall in Fairfield, near Waterville, and he’s on track to buy the York Antiques Gallery this spring, he said. He also operated the former Fifi’s Salvage in his hometown of Augusta for about 20 years.

“I’ve just always liked old stuff,” said Simpson, 68. “Even in high school, I had a ’56 Cadillac.”

Foot traffic has been strong since the Portland mall opened March 9, he said.

“Opening day we were mobbed, and we’ve been busy ever since,” Simpson said. “People drive quite a ways to our Fairfield mall, so I hope we get similar traffic here.”

The Congress Street building once housed Portland Architectural Salvage — which inspired Salvage BBQ’s name — before that business moved to the Bayside neighborhood. It closed last year.

Mike Blanck, of Steep Falls, is a vendor and part-time employee at the mall. An antiques dealer for over 55 years, Blanck sells a variety of furniture, framed mirrors and prints, lamps and other decor. He’s also a vendor at Cabot Mill Antiques in Brunswick and Open House at 585 Congress St., previously called Flea-for-All.

“We were due for a mall like this in Portland,” said Blanck, 83. “The first seven days I made money every day.”

Vendors pay monthly square-foot fees of $4.25 upstairs and $3.75 downstairs, where a 10-by-10-foot booth would cost $375 per month, Simpson said. The 150 vendors at the Fairfield mall pay $2.50 per square foot.

PRICED TO SELL

That up-front cost means vendors like Jodie Singer must carefully curate their booths to offer goods that will sell and sustain their business, Simpson said.

Singer, who lives in Harpswell, is a former social worker who began selling vintage decor, home goods and clothing last fall. She also has booths at the Waterfront Flea Market in Brunswick and Maine on Main Flea Market in Lewiston, and she plans to set up at Montsweag Flea Market in Woolwich this summer.

“It’s a lot of work,” she admitted, “but it’s nice to see people’s excitement when they find something they like.”

Singer, 44, said she’s especially aware that many people now shop sustainably, seeking unique, well-made items that shouldn’t wind up in a landfill. Saving money also is key in the current economy.

“I try to keep my prices affordable and I cater to working families,” Singer said. “People want something different. This stuff lasts. It has character.”