Elgin market celebrates 30 years in business

State Street Market Shops will turn 30 this weekend.

The market houses as many as 35 individual vendors with merchandise set up throughout the long, narrow brick building at 701 N. State St. in Elgin.

Mary Ann Simkus, advertising manager for the market, has sold quilts and baskets there for about 16 years. There are three vendors who have marketed their merchandise from the permanent market location for all 30 years it has been open.

Looking back at the decades of success, Simkus said the market's longevity is impressive.

“We've outlasted just about everybody who has been in this field,” Simkus said. “We're really proud of that.”

Clothes, figurines, carved wooden objects, signs, yarn, incense, floral arrangements, jewelry, prints, linens, crystal and a host of antiques and collectibles line the tightly packed building, bursting from the three-walled sections vendors lease. Each small shop owner commits to being at the market one day each week while customers can buy items from anywhere in the entire building and pay at a single cash register.

Colleen Missbach, a manager of the market, said the economy hasn't been too hard on business the last few years. In fact, the market has continued to function at almost full capacity.

“There's no rhyme or reason to it,” Missbach said. “Even when the economy was down we had people wondering if there was shop space.”

This weekend vendors will celebrate the anniversary with customers from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Live music will be performed both days with raffles and door prizes. The grand prize, donated by Golden Chain Jewelry, is the choice between a diamond pendant/earring set, a men's self-winding watch or a $300 gift certificate.

Each of the vendors donated one item for the raffle.

Jeanene Zahery of Palatine has been selling cards and collectibles for more than 20 years at State Street Market. She said regular customers appreciate that the vendors know them by name and have kept coming back. Some Fox Valley residents even came first as kids and return to make purchases with the next generation in tow.

“People like this place,” Zahery said. “It's homey, but it's classy.”