The mystery of the missing proprietor came to an end this week.
For most of this year, the Something Old, Something New store, in the historic location of the Shasta Cafe on George Street, has been locked. Its neon "open" sign's bright colours are dark. The event posters in the window are outdated and faded. A note taped to the glass of the front door provides a phone number and says "Closed - We Are Doing House Renovations" but it is also sun-bleached.
If a business loses customers due to prolonged closure, that is a problem faced by the proprietor but when the store has a number of consignment items inside, the rightful owners are the ones cut off from their belongings. Something Old, Something New had many of these, and the owners of these items were becoming increasingly concerned over the disappearance of store owner Margaret Godbersen.
"I phoned for month after month after month, I wrote them a letter to the store a month or so ago. Nothing. Just absolutely nothing," said a client identifying herself only as Leona. "I had no warning signs, no idea, so I'm wondering what the problem is. Is she sick? But by now you'd think the store affairs would be sorted out. Do people know her? Are people worried about her? There could be a logical answer, but it puzzles me, and I want my things back."
Zonia Wood was another with her items for sale in Godbersen's store, and likewise had no idea why the store had been closed for so long, with no word from the absentee owner.
"I took in a silverware set, and I want it back if she's not going to sell it," said Wood. "I took it in on May 5, 2011, and I haven't heard a word since then. I called the numbers I had for her, I asked around, I tried to find people who knew her, I have a number of phone numbers for her but none of my calls were ever returned."
Neighbouring stores and the Chamber of Commerce have all received calls of inquiry but had no special information to help locate the absent entrepreneur.
A search of publicly accessible documents provided The Citizen with a possible address and Godbersen was at home, surprised to hear there were people looking for her.
She listed a long set of circumstances in her personal life that had prevented her from reopening the store.
"I had hopes of opening by Christmas, but it's not going to happen," she said. "I've had so much to deal with and when you own the building, you own the business, that is one place where you can pull back from, and I had to do that."
She knew the names of the consignees and recited the items they had inside. She promised to respond to their calls to arrange individual resolutions.
The owners of the items still in the store hope Godbersen honours that pledge.
"I'm not angry, but please just let us know when to come down to the store, let us in, and give us our stuff back," said Wood.
"The last time I looked inside, everything appeared to still be there," said Leona, who missed out on some sales elsewhere because she was locked out from her vintage items inside the store. "I can see it, but it is beginning to feel like stolen goods. Originally we appeared to be on good terms, really friendly, she was a nice lady and she did sell some stuff for me, but this has been a long time."
