Casa Chic owner Lynne Skaggs stands in the expansive showroom of Casa Chic, a retail store in downtown Wapakoneta that offers an eclectic variety of furniture, clothing, jewelry and other items.
J Swygart | The Lima News
WAPAKONETA — Downtown Wapakoneta undertook a transformation of sorts at the dawn of the 21st century.
With its place in history already secured as the hometown of Neil Armstrong, the first man to set foot on the moon, Wapakoneta — not unlike many other small towns across America — was struggling to find its identity.
With the opening of a handful of antique stores, however, the downtown soon took on a reputation as a regional mecca for bargain-hunters and antique lovers. That reputation was enhanced and cemented by a store which this year celebrates its 20th year in business.
Casa Chic, which got its start primarily as an antique consignment mall, has morphed over those two decades to a retail anchor that offers what owner Lynne Skaggs calls a “trendy, eclectic blend” of furniture, clothing, jewelry and other unique items, many of which are produced locally.
Skaggs and her husband, Todd, purchased the business, located at 109 W. Auglaize St., in August of 2021.
“It takes a lot of people to make this happen,” she said. “We have a lot of vendors, artists and consignees that offer new and repurposed items.”
The store maintains an active Facebook page, facebook.com/casachicwapak, with thousands of followers. The online site is used to promote weekly fashion shows, where employees use videos to display the latest clothing offerings, and also to alert consumers to upcoming store-sponsored events — many of which center around a quirky theme.
Gaining in popularity at Casa Chic are the “First Friday” events. As the name implies, on the first Friday of each month the store sponsors a unique, fun-filled activity that relies on community participation.
“Last month we had a murder mystery,” Skaggs said. “Participants would go from store to store downtown between the hours of 5 and 8 p.m. and gather clues and try to solve a murder — sort of like the board game Clue. A lot of us wore themed costumes for the occasion.”
In March, Casa Chic sponsored an adult prom for its First Friday event, and in April the lunar eclipse will provide the monthly theme. Coinciding with the eclipse, the store’s Galaxy Gift Shop will feature a wide selection of Neil Armstrong memorabilia.
“We’ve also become one of the largest gift stores in the area,” Skaggs said, “with a large assortment of jewelry, scent chips and sun catchers — much of it locally made. And our clothing lines have become very, very popular. We have four different clothing boutiques and are now offering men’s wear as well.”
Skaggs added, “We are very community-based. We love selling tickets for every event in town, as well as organizing events on our own. A lot of what happens in the community, we like to have a hand in.”
The original owners of Casa Chic included Sandy Harrison, Patricia Wolfe, Teri Lowe and sisters Laura Clementz, Luann Everett and Landa Tomlinson. Clementz and Tomlinson continue to work part-time at the store and represent the business on downtown merchants’ and business promotional organizations.
Todd Skaggs is active in promoting the annual Childrens Hometown Holiday fest, while his wife and Clementz are part of the Wapakoneta Shops merchants’ group that plan downtown events and undertake joint advertising. Tomlinson joins the duo as a member of the Downtown Wapakoneta Partnership group.
Lynne Skaggs takes pride in the role the store and its employees play in the Wapakoneta community.
“I love what I do. We are lucky to be able to do this as a family, and that includes our vendors,” she said. “They become your family, too. We all become so close.”
CELEBRATING OUR SPIRIT
Many businesses and organizations started right here in the Lima region, with the goal of making an impact in the region. This year’s Celebrating Our Spirit looks at those trailblazers. Read more stories at LimaOhio.com/tag/spirit.
A rich history
The three-story building which houses Casa Chic has stood in downtown Wapakoneta since the early 1900s. Since that time it has housed a series of furniture-makers and distributors. From Nagel Furniture to Auglaize Furniture and Outfitters, followed by Galaxy Furniture and Mike’s Furniture & Appliances, furniture has played a prominent role in the existence of the building at 109 W. Auglaize St.
