Our Story
Twenty-one years of stories.
From one booth and a stubborn idea to 110,000 square feet, 650 vendors, and two states. This is who we are, how we got here, and why we still care about every piece that comes through the door.
"We started this business because we wanted a place where honest dealers could make a living and curious people could find something they didn't know they were looking for. Twenty-one years later, that's still the whole job."
Kim & David ChenCo-founders, Merchant Square Antiques
The Timeline
How we got here.
- 2004
It started with one booth.
Kim and David Chen rented a single 10×10 booth in a struggling Chandler strip mall. The landlord let them pay month-to-month. They had $3,800 in inventory, a stack of business cards, and a stubborn belief that Chandler needed a real antique mall.
- 2007
The first expansion.
Three years later, the strip mall was ours. We had 28 vendors, a Saturday morning coffee club for regulars, and a reputation for honest dealing. We opened a second storefront.
- 2012
We bought the building.
Rather than renew the lease, we bought the building. 58,000 square feet. 200 vendors. The beginning of Merchant Square as it exists today.
- 2017
Highland Yard begins.
We cleared the lot behind the Chandler store and hosted our first Highland Yard Vintage Market. Fifty vendors. Two thousand visitors. We've run it every month since. except the one we cancelled for a thunderstorm in 2019.
- 2020
The pandemic year.
Like everyone, we closed for ten weeks. Our vendors' incomes evaporated overnight. We waived booth fees for three months and set up a GoFundMe that raised $84,000 for our hardest-hit dealers. We came back stronger.
- 2024
The Garment District joins us.
The vintage clothing store attached to our Chandler building. which had been a separate business for years. officially joined the Merchant Square family.
- 2025
We open in Independence.
A 52,000-square-foot former distribution center in Independence, Missouri becomes the second Merchant Square. 250 merchants. New state. Same promise.
What We Believe
Four things we won't compromise.
Honest dealing.
We tell our vendors when their price is too high. We tell our customers when a piece isn't what it claims to be. Our reputation is the only thing we can't replace.
Community first.
We're not a chain. We're a family-owned business that hosts vendor holiday parties, charity drives, and the occasional group trip to the Brimfield Flea Market.
Curated, not curated-out.
We turn down vendors. We turn down inventory. We'd rather have empty shelves for a week than stuff we don't believe in.
Do it right or don't.
We restore the building when it needs it. We fix the leak before it ruins someone's booth. We pay our staff above market because turnover hurts the business.
The People
Meet the team.
Kim Chen
Co-founder & CEO
Started the business in 2004. Still runs the floor on Saturdays.
David Chen
Co-founder & COO
Operations, vendor relations, and the guy who knows where everything is.
Hector Ramirez
Chandler Store Manager
Iron & Rose Foundry vendor. Eight years with Merchant Square.
Sarah Whitmore
Independence Store Manager
Twenty-year retail veteran. Built the Independence store from scratch.
Marcus Bell
Director of Marketing
Drives our email, SMS, and social. Vintage hi-fi enthusiast.
Lisa Tanaka
Vendor Liaison
Your point of contact from application to your hundredth booth refresh.
Press & Awards
Nice things people have said.
Arizona Republic
The Best Antique Mall in Arizona (Again)
2024
Phoenix Magazine
Why Chandler Is the Antique Capital of the Southwest
2023
KC Magazine
Independence's New Treasure
2025
Country Living
50 Best Antique Malls in America
2023
Yelp
Top 100 Places to Shop in AZ (#1 Antiques)
2024
Come see for yourself.
Seven days a week. Two locations. 650 vendors who'd love to meet you.