Sisters Turn Their Passion Into New Business Based In Berlin

Sisters Turn Their Passion Into New Business Based In Berlin
Gilded Oyster Vintage Company owners Debbie Berger and Christine Garey have opened their first location in Berlin. Photos by Bethany Hooper

BERLIN – Two sisters with a love of vintage furniture and unique finds have turned their passion into a Berlin business.

Debbie Berger and Christine Garey, owners of the new Gilded Oyster Vintage Company, have recently opened a store front on Old Ocean City Boulevard after years of selling their items through Internet sites like Etsy and eBay.

Garey said she and her sister started selling vintage furniture and décor online in 2013 and have since decided to pursue their dreams of owning a vintage furniture store.

“We tried to do flea markets or rent space from somebody who was doing a lot of consignment, but it just didn’t work for us,” she said. “We always really wanted this.”

Garey said she and Berger were visiting Berlin one September weekend last year when they found their current location.

“We rode by this house and it was for sale, and we always kind of thought it would be cool to have an old house,” she said. “It worked well with our items and it adds some charm, so we put in an offer and they accepted it.”

Since then, the inside of the house has received a fresh coat of paint and the exterior now boasts a new roof.

Berger, who lives in the house, said the project proved to be more challenging than originally expected.

“It’s been a much bigger endeavor than we suspected it was going to be at the beginning,” she said.

With necessary renovations behind them, the Gilded Oyster is now open for business.

Throughout the first floor, customers can find a blended collection of furniture, cast iron pieces, china, patio seating, locally made products and other knick-knacks.

“We certainly have a strong mid-century influence, but we are not strictly mid-century,” Garey said.

The owners said they find their unique pieces from auctions and estate sales throughout northeast and midwest cities.

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Vintage furniture and repurposed items are available at the Old Ocean City Boulevard business.

“We just look for things that have a really nice, simple style that can be mixed with other things and have really nice quality that we can offer to people for a reasonable price,” Berger said. “We work really hard to find things that are not too terribly expensive and affordable, but it can really compliment someone’s style.”

Berger estimates between 50 and 60 pieces of furniture are for sale, with additional items still tucked away in storage.

“We’ll have a lot more of that in here at some point,” she said.

Though they are still growing their inventory, Garey said the business is “dipping its toes” into event rentals.

Unlike businesses that rent tents, chairs and the like, the Gilded Oyster will offer fine china and refinished furniture, such as repurposed candelabras, makeshift cardholders and more.

“It’s cool things people can use to kind of add some personality to their event,” Garey said.

Berger said the Gilded Oyster differs from surrounding businesses in that it offers vintage and repurposed items at an affordable price.

“I love the fact that you can take things and give them new life and make them useful again,” she said.

Garey, an anesthesiologist who works in Annapolis, said the Gilded Oyster offers a creative outlet not only for customers, but for herself as well.

“For me, I love the creativity aspect of it,” she said. “Certain aspects of it are just really relaxing and fun compared to what I do.”

With plans to participate in upcoming art strolls and meet with local artisans, both Berger and Garey said they are excited for the future of the business. While no timeline has been set, Garey said she and her sister would like to offer classes and demonstrations and, in time, an event space for parties and community events.

“We really want to be meshed into this community,” she said.

Berger said the Gilded Oyster will be open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m., or whenever the “open” flag is hanging out front.

Garey said information on the Gilded Oyster Vintage Company can be found on the business’s Facebook page, with additional pictures on its Instagram account (Gilded Oyster Berlin).

About The Author: Bethany Hooper

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Bethany Hooper has been with The Dispatch since 2016. She currently covers various general stories. Hooper graduated from Stephen Decatur High School in 2012 and the University of Maryland in 2016, where she completed double majors in journalism and economics.