Henry Davis, Veale's father, built the store's original building in 1969 as a hobby shop for his wife Jonnie. "Mother made plaster casts," Veale remembers. "One day she agreed to trade some of her plaster pieces for a brass bed." The rest is history. Recognizing the potential for an expanded business, Mrs. Davis continued to barter and, gradually, the store evolved into Dothan's largest antique business. The 16,000-square-foot showroom is filled with treasures from Europe, Asia, South America, and the United States, and Veale offers a 100-percent guarantee on the authenticity of the pieces they sell. She and her 24-year-old son Warren are proud of their reputations as true experts in the industry. In fact, after receiving his B.S. in financial management from The University of Alabama, Warren, who has helped with the family business since his youth, finished his graduate work at Sotheby's in London. His studies with the world-renowned appraisal experts included educational visits to world-class museums and the exploration of fabulous private collections. 
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Warren admits to being "baptized by fire" into the antique business, but insists he has definitely found his niche. "I love everything about it," he smiles. "The styles, the history, the colors of the wood, glass, mirrors—everything! It's amazing to think how many people have looked in that mirror or pulled a book from that door." Mary Alice agrees, and admits her favorite pieces show workmanship and detail. "Whether it's a piece of furniture, porcelain, jewelry, or sculpture, I appreciate the fine workmanship," she said. "For example, the work that goes into a piece of stemware is just phenomenal!" The understanding and appreciation are what both mother and son hope to pass on to their customers. Warren seeks to educate customers as to the history of the pieces they buy. "I want them to know that this piece came from London or France, and the period," he said. "Besides just having aesthetic beauty, each piece has history, and people enjoy that." Since Jonnie Davis's retirement in the late 80s, Mary Alice and Warren have made a great team. The two off-set each other in their interests—Warren enjoys dealing with suppliers ("I hate that!" laughs Mary Alice), and Mary Alice enjoys the sale. "I enjoy building relationships with my clients," she said. "We have a lot of return | customers, and they keep sending us more customers through word-of-mouth." Mary Alice also enjoys the unique experiences that come with the business. "You never know what's going to come through that door," she said and quickly disappeared to retrieve a Sotheby's catalog. Opening the pages of the ultimate appraiser's guide, she slapped her hand on the photo of an original 17th Century Jacob Duck oil painting, "Interior with Elegant Figures Playing Cards." When that Old Master's portrait, with an estimated value of $15,000-20,000, entered the doors of Antique Attic, Veale said she literally clutched her chest in awe. "I said, 'Oh, be still my heart!'" she recalled. "The frame was original; the painting was original. At the time, I didn't know who did it, and I didn't know its value, but I knew it was an original." Veale flew to New York to Dothan Magazine
March/April 2006 - page 46
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