As if staying true to the theme, the North Dallas Antique Mall replaces one of Dallas’ historic theaters.

The Park Forest Theatre opened as Dallas’ fifth theater in town in 1965. When it started to feel its age in the late ‘80s, it was reborn into Destiny’s Antique Mall before becoming what it is now, North Dallas Antiques.

There’s a story for everything and the North Dallas Antique Mall has a couple of them.

About 15 years ago, Destiny’s took a pivotal turn when the previous owner died and the landmark was faced with uncertainty.

The current owner and manager Roger Holmes had a booth with his wife Abby under Destiny’s tenure. When the opportunity to keep the antique store alive but under his helm presented itself, well, it wasn’t a hard choice.

“I looked into it and at the time of our lives, it seemed like we could,” Holmes says. “We were slowing down from our other businesses.”

The antique mall was rebranded as North Dallas Antique Mall, but besides the name, not much else changed with many collectors still staying with their booths. From vintage couches and mid-century furniture to high-value artwork, the mall is a testament to its original vision.

Those who rent booths help Holmes keep it fresh by bringing in new items or restaging booths.

“We try keeping a whole bunch of stuff in here and changing it all up and make it look different every time people come in,” Holmes says.

Most people think antique malls are just a collection of grandmother’s leftovers. For 15 years, it’s been more of a haven than a graveyard.

With three stories, the mall is a cornucopia of nostalgia. Upstairs is where memorabilia from the golden age of Star Wars sits alongside more contemporary counterparts like Disney’s Frozen characters and iconic horror movies like Psycho.

“We’re trying to try to be a store where people want to shop,” Holmes said. “That’s why we have an upstairs like we do.”

The community of about 67 collectors, some of whom curate three to four booths each, fills the space with a sense of camaraderie and shared expertise.

Dennie Baker has managed a booth at the mall since Destiny’s days. At 10 years old, she started collecting items by going door-to-door in her New Jersey neighborhood asking neighbors for any items they wanted to give away. It was basically Facebook Marketplace before there was one. Now, a seasoned purveyor of European markets and estates, she brings her travel treasures home to North Dallas Antique Mall.

“We’re all pretty friendly,” Baker says. “It’s a really good group of dealers and some of us have become friends because we’ve been here so long together. There’s a lot of expertise here in intellect around collecting.”

Baker makes up about six booths at the antique mall, most of which are the first ones guests see when they walk in. Baker’s booths include vintage Ralph Lauren, clothes from previous New York Fashion Week events and oriental glassware.

“A lot of different customers like different things,” Baker says. “It’s all different, that’s what makes the store so great.”

Her professional advice? You’re either a digger or a glancer.

Some people are more motivated to hunt through piles of the past to find old Seinfeld VHS tapes, Mexican art or French coats. Some simply walk by until their eye finds exactly what they need.  Each booth is different because every collector has a different style.

While browsing the booths with Baker, a group of men walk in looking for a calligraphy pen.

“That’s like finding a needle in a haystack,” Baker laughs.

Truthfully, it’s the best way to describe the mall’s entity.

Antiquing and collecting, as Holmes and Baker suggest, is more than a hobby; it’s a sustainable choice, a nod to preserving quality and tradition in an era of disposable and fast consumerism.

“I think people don’t want to buy what’s being offered,” Holmes muses. “They’re preserving tradition.”

North Dallas Antiques Mall is more than items collecting dust on a shelf. In an ironic twist, the antique mall, like the theater before it, encourages the tradition of passing things down through generations.

And, yes, those men did find the perfect pen.