X may mark the spot for treasures on a pirate map, but on the “square” in Madisonville is where you can find many treasured items and collectibles from the past. Vintage Finds is a conduit to connect you to “just what you’ve been looking for” or “that special something you didn’t even know you needed until you saw it.”
So…just what is a vintage find? Of course, the answer greatly depends upon who is asked the question. For store owners Jay and Dora Compis, it started with the building itself.
Formerly a grocery store on the square in Madisonville, it became Crossley’s Printing in the 1940s (Winn and Ethel Crossley were long‑time Madisonville residents and community leaders, best known for their longtime role in publishing The Madisonville Meteor). In 1971, it was purchased by Norman and Thelma Risinger and run as The Madisonville Printing Company. The Risingers retired in 2010 and sold the building to the Compis couple, who owned the building next door as leasing property and had become friends with them over the years.
Jay and Dora began cleaning up the building, unsure of what to do with it. Both had full-time jobs in Houston at the time. The couple was approached by Maxine Cannon with the idea of them leasing the space to several antique dealers. She wanted the space, but it was too much for her. Maxine got Vernon Batson from Normangee and several others to join.
Said Jay, “We never planned to own an antique store. Then, all of a sudden, we had five different dealers in here. So, it kind of worked as a mini mall.” Dora added, “I’d come up on the weekends, do all the books, and pay everybody out…and we didn’t really run it. We let them run it. You know, each dealer worked a day.” This was in 2011.
While the business ran, Dora and Jay were busy with their career jobs.
Dora (Bailey) grew up in Madisonville, while Jay was brought up in Spring Branch. The couple met while both attended Sam Houston State University. Jay had a career in woodworking and millwork, (which ended up really helping with this business venture). Dora’s degree was in computer science. She was in programming for many years and retired just two years ago. The couple has been married 40 years. They live in Conroe, but (understandably), spend about half their time in Madisonville.
In 2018, Maxine and Vernon retired, and the others left. The building needed some work. Jay began the tedious process of removing the drop ceiling, repairing walls, replacing the HVAC system, and updating wiring. He discovered the original tin ceiling, albeit in poor condition, was still above the drop ceiling. When asked about his expertise in repairing and restoring tin ceilings, Jay said, “Well, there’s no one who does it. I had to figure it out. There’s hundreds of those tins, and they really add up. But it gives such an appreciation for the history of it. We’ve done brick work and all kinds of stuff. It’s just had a new roof put on it. We rebuilt the bathroom. So, we had to shut down for a while. With covid delays in getting materials, the stuff was pretty intense. We reopened with it in 2023.”
Dora said, “After we got the building close to being back online, so many people around here were so encouraging and excited about us opening. ‘When are y’all going to reopen?’ We didn’t have the heart to tell them, well, we don’t know. We weren’t necessarily decided on it being us and it being all this. But we got the ‘picker’s bug’ after we had opened before. Maxine and Vernon really taught us a lot. They showed us what to look for and how to clean things.”
Since re-opening in 2023, Vintage finds has grown into the space, continuing to add items, perform restoration work, and has even developed the back of the store into a free museum for two antique printing presses, a linotype, and their accessories, remnants of the buildings historic past.
“We’re open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday,” said Jay. Vernon Batson’s son and daughter-in-law, Travis and Jill Batson, are now the only other dealers who have a space in the store. “They are our only dealers that are in here. They absolutely love it. That’s their passion,” noted Dora. “They’re still employed full-time, each of them. They have not retired yet. They come in now one weekend a month. They’ll work a Saturday and a Sunday. It gives us a little time off. But we do all the Fridays.”
Describing their business operation and model, Dora says, “A good percentage of our business are smalls. We don’t sell a lot of furniture, maybe one or two pieces a month. We’ll usually sell about 40-50 items in a weekend. So, you’ve got to replace 40-50 items a week. That’s a lot of stuff.” The visitors to the store are diverse. Dora notes, “You’d be surprised at how Madisonville is kind of a little meeting place for so many people. We talk to many people where part of the family lives in Dallas or Austin or Houston, and they’ll meet here. Every other Friday, you know, or once a month or whatever, and meet with the family on a Saturday and just hang out…and they’ll come in and go shopping.”
The Christmas Company and Buc-ees, of course, bring a lot of customers. Other folks are looking for property to purchase in the area. Dora estimates visitors to the store are 50-50 between folks from out of town and people from the local area. “We have a lot of local regulars, from Hilltop and from surrounding communities.”
When asked how they source their items, Dora says “Most of our stuff we get at auctions. A lot of them are online auctions, but like last Saturday, I was at an auction in Bryan for 10 hours. It was an antique store that was going out of business. Most of the in-person auctions are usually estate sales. We’ve gone as far down as Sugar Land to Caldwell, Hearne, Huntsville, Bryan College Station. We do all this.” The couple very rarely purchases items from individuals, citing liability concerns about whether the property really belongs to the party trying to sell it.
Many acquisitions need to be repaired, and almost all need to be cleaned. As to the largest category of sales, the couple is quick to credit vinyl records and books. Jay adds, “It’s funny, you know, not so many people smoke anymore, but they do buy ashtrays, old ashtrays. There’s a collector for everything, whether it’s frogs or ashtrays, Coke bottles, old bottles, insulators, old lighters. There are people who like that.”
Looking for something specific? Trying to sell something specific? Vintage Finds keeps a card catalog file. “We have them write their name and phone number and then what they’re looking for. And then we’ve got another section in there that has people that have things they want to sell, and so we try and match people up.” Dora added, “I don’t really look for finder’s fees on things like that. I’m just helping find things a new home, because I hate to see people throw things away that have been around for 75 years when somebody else could really use it.”
So, gentle reader, what is your vintage find? Visit the store to see what speaks to you. It’s a great time for holiday gifts, and the store is full of treasures for someone who is “impossible to buy for.”
Concludes Dora, “We literally are buying stuff every single week. People should come in regularly. If they don’t, they’re missing out. Or let us know what you’re looking for, if it’s something special. We keep our Facebook page and website updated regularly as stuff flows in and out, so be sure to follow us there.”
112 S Elm Street
Madisonville, TX 77864
936-348-2121
vintagefinds.net
Store Hours
Friday 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm
Saturday 11:00 am to 4:00pm
Sunday Noon to 4:00pm
