The humble beginnings of Humphries Antiques

Once upon a time there was a little boy who wanted to be an antique dealer and one day his parents, Luther and Emma Mae, decided to let him have the corner of their smokehouse to set up his first shop.

That was sixty years ago and the antique business is still going strong for James Humphries.

But James started out with a slightly different take on an antique shop.

“I really began my journey with a place to showcase all the arrowheads and Indian artifacts I found in our tobacco field on our farm when we lived at Locust,” Humphries said. “I was ten years old and decided I wanted to have a museum, but after a short time, I realized there was no money in having a museum.”

With a few old square nails, arrowheads and mounted birds, Humphries set up his first shop in the corner of the smokehouse.

“I always loved all the “old stuff” my grandparents, Jack and Nora Ann Saunders, had at their house when they lived on Owl Hollow. And the one thing my mom enjoyed more than anything was going to auctions,” Humphries said.

“The first auction I remember mom attending was out at our neighbor Essie Dillon’s place and mom bought a bunch of old stuff. I would tag along with her to auctions. I don’t think she ever paid more than a quarter for anything she bought,” Humphries said with a grin, then added, “one time I bought an old wash stand for a dollar and after I refinished it I sold it for twenty-five dollars, which was good money for a young boy.”

In the early days, Humphries said buying items to resell was fun and the pickings were “easy”.

“When I first got started I would go to Morehead and at that time the antique market was not as popular in Rowan County and I was at this one auction where no one was bidding, so I bid on everything and filled my truck full. Well I heard this one feller behind me, say, “that young man is gonna lose his shirt”, Humphries laughed, “But I sold it all and made money.”

After he filled his parents tobacco barn with all the plunder he had obtained from auctions and estate sales, Humphries decided he needed to start looking for a building to buy.

“Sometime around 1962 the old brick building that was once the Pearce and Fant Bank in Poplar Plains came up for auction, so I went to the auction and ended up buying the building.”

Today, James and his wife Phyllis, along with his daughter, Tonya, continue to offer not only fine, quality antiques but also deal in antique and vintage replacement hardware such as casters, glass lamp shades and refinishing products.

Humphries Antiques has grown from those humble beginnings to a shop where every nook and crannie is filled with complete sets of dinnerware, old dolls, lamps of every design imaginable, hats, egg baskets and furniture.

James says he has no thoughts of retiring and hopes to continue with many more years as an antique dealer.

Their annual open house will take place Nov. 5 through Nov. 13.

Humphries Antiques is located in Poplar Plains, at 81 Barber Road, Hillsboro, Kentucky just off Highway 111.