Greensburg antique shop expands; DIY candle studio, tea shop slated to debut

An expanded antique shop, a studio where patrons can make their own candles and a place to sip tea and savor pastries are among recent and upcoming additions to Greensburg’s business community.

Yesterday’s RAVE provides space for an array of dealers offering a variety of antique and collectible items.

Opening initially in April 2021 on Main Street, the shop has jumped from just seven dealers to more than 40 since it moved into a spacious building at 824 Highland Ave. that previously was home to Schaller’s bakery.

Currently occupying less than 20% of the 24,000-square-foot building, co-owner Patty Wolfe said, “We’re hoping to have well over 100 dealers by Christmas” as renovations continue. “We’re planning to be here a long time.”

Wolfe said she and her husband, Rick, a local contractor, collect antiques and had been wanting for several years to turn that hobby into a business.

“We have a huge inventory,” she said. “We buy things as well as sell them. It will be a long time before we sell all our items.”

Wolfe’s own sales booth includes collectible glassware. Items offered by other dealers who rent space include mechanical toys from the 1940s, a Tiffany clock from the 1920s and Western memorabilia.

She said Yesterday’s RAVE has provided a new home for some dealers who did business at Greensburg’s closed UFO - Used Furniture Outlet.

“We have a nice crowd that stops in,” she said, including young adults. “Young people are buying vinyl records, and they love vintage jewelry and vintage clothing.”

The shop’s posted hours are 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 3 p.m. Sundays. But, Wolfe said, if customers are on hand, she may stay open later.

Other businesses

Other entrepreneurs are planning openings for Wicks and Wax Studio, at 124 S. Main St., and Steep Mountain Tea Co., at Greensburg’s train station.

Wicks and Wax owner Hannah Toski-Thompson has been selling candles at Greensburg’s monthly Night Markets. When she opens her studio, she’ll continue to sell the scented candles but will focus on booking workshop sessions where patrons can pour their own customized versions using liquid wax.

“It’s about creating scented memories and bringing people together and having fun,” said Toski-Thompson. She said patrons will be able to “mix and match fragrances and go through the steps of making a candle, led by myself or another instructor.”

The candles feature natural, sustainable products including lead-free cotton wicks and a soy blend wax, she said.

More than 50 fragrance oils are available to create such scent combinations as sweet orange and sriracha, cactus flower, and jade or blueberry cheesecake.

“Banana nut bread is one of my favorite fragrances,” she said.

As a finishing touch, patrons can design their own label for their candle.

Toski-Thompson is continuing a business model her mother, Tammy Toski, began near Erie after being inspired by a DIY candle class she attended.

“Greensburg is such a cool place to open up a second location,” Toski-Thompson said.

She hopes to have the renovation of her studio space completed this month. She is taking online reservations for workshops at wicksandwaxstudios.com.

Greensburg train station news:

• Greensburg train station sold again, along with 2 other downtown buildings

Slated to occupy space in Suite 111 at the train station, the Steep Mountain shop will offer a variety of loose-leaf tea, ice cream and baked goods, Marcus Weakland said. He will operate the business with his mother, Judy, who also sells handcrafted jewelry and other items online.

“We want to give Greensburg a nice, relaxing spot where they can learn about teas,” Weakland said. He said the shop will offer seating for more than 30 customers and a range of 20 or more specialty teas and hot or iced tea lattes. It also will cater to those who prefer coffee.

Weakland, who previously operated a lawn care business, has gone through his own process of exploring tea, progressing from Earl Gray to Iron Goddess of Mercy, an oolong tea. He likes the latter’s balance of herbal and nutty flavors.

“It’s almost a meditative process making it,” he said of the tea. “We’re also going to have bubble tea, which is becoming super popular.”

He said the shop will include a retail area that will feature various handmade items and antiques for sale.

The shop is slated to debut from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday, July 22.