By Terri Gordon
Special to Off the Water

Just outside of Saugatuck, in the former Hanson manufacturing building, the Blue Star Antique Pavilion celebrated 10 years as one of the area’s brightest  jewels.   With 175 individual dealers, there is indeed “something for everyone,” according to owner Fred Gerigery.
“You can find paintings in here for $15,000 and things you’ve seen in your mother’s kitchen for $3,” said Gerigery.  “That is what is special about the place–that it is so diversified.”
Hermann Miller furniture and mid-century modern items are plentiful and popular, especially with people from Japan!
“Maybe four to eight times a year, we’ll have buyers come in from Japan. They have mid-century modern stores in Japan,” explained Gerigery.  “They’ll buy all the mid-century modern.  [They’ll] buy vintage Hermann Miller, take it apart and ship it back to their stores in Japan.”
Customers aren’t the only ones loyal to the antique mall, dealers are too. Many dealers have been with the mall since its opening ten years ago.
Gerigery himself is new to the Pavilion.  He purchased it just last year.  He looked the enterprise over for a good four years, researching and looking at other businesses like it — except he couldn’t find another with quite the same atmosphere and scale.
“I looked all over the country at antique malls, and I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said.  “It’s an anchor destination here in western Michigan.  I look at it as a Crane’s Pie Pantry, or a Fenn Valley Winery, an anchor for the area.”
The Blue Star Antique Pavilion was founded by Dave Hulst and Joe Michaels.  When they bought the 48,000 square-foot former Hanson manufacturing building, it needed a lot of work. They set about to transform it the mall it is today.  They cleaned, painted and added new lighting, new heating and cooling.
The Pavilion itself occupies only half of the building. The Saugatuck Brewing Company uses the other half.  And the brewery offers discounts to patrons who present a receipt from the Antique Pavilion.  It’s a great way to end the day.
“We try to give the customer a good experience, and a different experience,” said Gerigery.  “We’re open 7 days a week from 10:00 am. to 6:00 p.m.  We’re only closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and Easter.”
Located on Blue Star Highway, the Blue Star Antique Pavilion makes for a nice day-cation.  It’s fun and family-friendly with a scenic drive along Lake Michigan–a nice reminder of just how wonderful southwest Michigan is.