Check Out Mark Opel’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Opel. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always been a collector, trader, swapper dating back to my youth starting with baseball cards. Growing up in the ’80s, I could see how the quality of goods was declining, so I’ve always been attracted to older items and have had a nostalgia for items that can be fixed or restored. This led to the ’90s and college where I became obsessed with vintage guitars. By the late ’90s, as I started having my own place, I got into furniture and decor, specifically what we call Mid Century Modern today. I began selling mostly MCM and primitives out of antique mall booths in the early 2000s but always felt limited by a booth space and lack of room to properly curate my pieces. My friend, Dan Beynart, and I had talked a long time about opening a shop dedicated to MCM furniture and decor of the right space ever was found and in 2014 we found it and signed a lease. In March of 2015, we opened the doors to Starlite Showroom. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It’s been a pretty smooth road. Having a partner while being my own boss for the first time in my life definitely helped as we had two perspectives to put to ideas. Dan’s enthusiasm began to wain a bit and in 2019, he decided to move on. Taking over the business for myself presented new challenges but overall, the business ran smoothly and I think I’ve developed a business model that has grown it to new heights. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Though I’m an owner of a retail shop, I’ve always considered myself to be rooted in the creative. My store is completely curated by me. It’s like being my own interior designer in a defined space that changes daily. 

I specialize in Mid Century Modern furniture and decor. As most of my pieces are 50 years or older, I focus on selling “home ready” items, meaning that most pieces have some level of restoration so that the buyer can take the piece home, put it in their space, and hopefully enjoy for a long time. 

I think my knowledge on what I’m selling is invaluable to customers and it keeps them coming back. I hate pushy salespeople. I try to develop a welcoming space that the customer can spend time enjoying but also be there for my customers with good advice or factual information if they have any questions. 

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Knowledge is key. Learn as much as you possibly can about the business you want to pursue. It has to be a labor of love. 

Contact Info:

• Email: starliteshowroom@gmail.com
• Instagram: @starliteshowroom
• Facebook: Facebook.com/starliteshowroom