Faces of AntiqueMalls.com - Micky
Faces of Antique Malls - Micky
Hi, I'm Micky. I help run Vintage Software along with my wife and parents. We are doing a little series on the blog here to let everyone know who all is behind the scenes here at AntiqueMalls.com. I guess I'll come out of the cave for a little bit and be the first one to go!
I'm originally from Tennessee, but now call Missouri home with my wife, Courtney, and our two boys. I'm a programmer and developed the first version of AntiqueMalls.com three years ago. It has been worked on by several other folks since then and has been greatly improved. (You'll hear from them in the next few weeks.) I've been programming for about 15 years and have loved every minute of it.
My favorite feature on the site is the trip planner. Courtney and I often visit antique malls when we travel. The trip planner lets us easily find malls to visit. I'm always looking for a new (old) sign for my office. Courtney is always looking for old crock bowls. Other than programming, I really enjoy woodworking and playing "old-school" video games with my kids.
I guess that's about it. Oh, here's a random question: What's your favorite 80's movie? Mine is Back to the Future. I believe Marty visits an antique store in one of them right?
New Things for 2012
We are looking forward to the things coming to AntiqueMalls.com in 2012. We already have a couple of exciting new features in the works that will be released this year. They are still under wraps at the moment, but stay tuned for details!
We Need Your Help!
We will also be trying some new things in the social media realm this year. During the month of January, we will be asking for feedback from all of you about how we can improve our site. We want to make sure you are getting the best possible experience from AntiqueMalls.com. We will be posting updates via our Facebook page, so don’t miss out!
Keep Your Eye On The Blog
Also, in the coming weeks, we will be introducing you to each and every member of our staff--something we like to call Faces of AntiqueMalls Fridays. The next few blog entries will be personal introductions of each of our staff members so you can get to know the people behind the site. Please stay tuned and watch for blog updates to stay current on all the latest features!
Wishing you and yours the best year yet!
Hiring and Moving and Updating, Oh My!
In September, we bid our home of a little over a year on North Missouri Street in Jackson, Missouri goodbye and moved across town to South High Street where we settled into the upper part of the Andrew Jackson building. Nearly triple in size, it certainly was a positive adjustment for us all.
Our new office, built in 1895, was formerly a law office and an apartment so it took some work to turn it into a workable office space. One advantage to working in a former living space is the large kitchen. We’ve already taken advantage by having chili day and chicken quesadilla day. We have searched local antique malls and estate sales to furnish our new space with antiques and old signage (it’s only appropriate right?).
We are looking forward to the surprises and adventures awaiting us in 2012!
The Story of AntiqueMalls.com
I bet you’re thinking “I really love AntiqueMalls.com. I wonder who is behind all of this.” Well, it’s a great story and we would love to share it with you!
Back In The Day...
AntiqueMalls.com is owned and operated by a company called Vintage Software in Jackson, Missouri. The McQuade family began Vintage Software as MemphisEstateSales.com. Dan McQuade liked to go to estate sales and find old mixers to repair and sell on eBay. The McQuades soon realized there was a market for a website that would allow companies and individuals to list estate sales with pictures and descriptions. In 2002, this website became the first version of EstateSales.NET. In early 2007, the company name was changed to Vintage Software to encompass more great websites that would allow customers to find things they were looking for (this is where AntiqueMalls.com comes in).
Today, AntiqueMalls.com is still operated by the team at Vintage Software. We are a small company working hard every day to bring you new features that make finding antique malls more convenient and make the site more useful for the malls who are listed. We have recently updated the information that malls can list on our site, allowing them more exposure to customers. We love what we do and love to have fun while getting things accomplished!
BETA No More!
We recently updated AntiqueMalls.com taking it out of BETA phase and bringing it into full functionality both for our antique enthusiasts and mall owners. One of the new features is the new AntiqueMalls.com blog which we will be updating from time to time to let you know about happenings around the office and new website features. Here are a few of cool new features you will find on our site:
For Antique Enthusiasts:
- More malls to choose from across the country
- Ability to adjust your route by dragging on the Plan a Trip feature
- View stores outside selected city on Find a Store feature
For Mall Owners:
- Customized packages to fit your individual advertising needs including:
- advertisements on EstateSales.NET
- priority listing
- web hosting through Vintage Software
- link to your mall’s website
- additional contact information
- different colored balloons to make your mall stand out
- Company pages that include detailed information about your mall
