Carrollton Downtown Alley draws visitors with antiques and oddities

Marianne and Jim Fisher, co-owners of Carrollton Downtown Alley, continue to bring history, character and eye-catching curiosities to downtown Carrollton, expanding far beyond their original vision for a traditional antique shop.

Marianne Fisher retired from the Amsterdam Post Office in 2020 after 23 years of service. A longtime crafter, she originally sold handmade items, such as wreaths made from repurposed teapots, through a booth at Station Antiques. When the building at 70 N. Lisbon St. came up for sale, the Fishers decided to take a chance and open their own store.

The couple have collected a variety of items over their four decades of married life. They began slowly, but Marianne Fisher said business has grown steadily ever since.

One unexpected boost came from an unusual sight: a gorilla perched on the shop’s roof. “The gorilla on the roof really helped,”  Marianne Fisher said. “People kept saying, ‘We didn’t even know this was here.’” The rooftop gorilla came from an estate sale in Dundee, along with other large oddities including a giant fish and a bear, the latter of which has already sold. The gorilla sat in the Fishers’ backyard for about a year before they moved it to the building’s roof, where it became an instant talking point. After adding the word “oddities” to their storefront sign, Fisher said the shop began attracting a wider range of curious visitors.

“It brings in a different crowd of people,” she said. “We like to look for unusual things, because that’s what gets people’s attention.”

Inside, Carrollton Downtown Alley offers a wide variety of items: glassware, dolls, furniture, jewelry, postcards, records, CDs, pictures, teacups, lamps, DVDs, statues and countless odds and ends. Jim Fisher continues attending estate sales and online auctions, always searching for unique pieces customers get excited about. He also owns a personal collection of old Carroll County history books and atlases. Though not for sale, he often shares them with visitors when he’s in the shop.

Many customers come from out of town including Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Warren, Weirton and various nearby communities, often visiting after stopping at The Tea Room or exploring downtown. “This is a farming community, so back-to-school time is lean,” Marianne Fisher said. “But overall, it’s better now than when we first opened. It’s just like a roller coaster sometimes.”

Marianne Fisher now sells some items on eBay, especially clothing, since the shop has limited space for apparel.

“It’s hit and miss, but it helps when I have things I can’t fit in here,” she said.

She is equally passionate about supporting other small businesses in the community and watching downtown Carrollton grow.

“We’re glad to see so many new businesses pop up,” she said. “We all try very hard to help each other.” Marianne Fisher regularly supports local restaurants by ordering takeout, shares posts from other shops on Facebook and encourages customers to explore nearby businesses. “That’s what we like to see happen, everyone supporting each other.”

Carrollton Downtown Alley’s hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The store is closed Sunday through Tuesday. The shop is at 70 N. Lisbon St. in Carrollton, can be reached at 330-312-3504 and updates can be found on its Facebook page.