Eric Jackson knows antiques - learn more about the Shreveport shop owner

Eric Jackson has a quality that is necessary to succeed in the world of antiques - adaptability.

It’s the reason why his shop, Eric Jackson Antiques and Fancy Goods, recently moved to 855 Pierremont Rd #109.

It is a better fit, or rather adaption, than the previous location at Piermont Mall.  When you step inside the shop, you are transported to a different place and time.

Which place and time depends on the object.

A pair of mantle lusters with sparkling crystals will transport you back to the Victorian age of the late 19 ^th century in Europe.

Parian porcelain takes you to 1800’s England where the unglazed white porcelain mimics Italian marble and creates beautiful sculptures.

For owner Eric Jackson, these objects represent the world he has built for himself and, in all their grandeur, are a stark difference to where he comes from.

Jackson was born and raised in Grant Parish, about 30 miles north of Alexandria. “It's in the piney woods and it's beautiful,” said Jackson, “but it is depressed and small and very rural.”

It’s not the place one would guess a boy with a passion for antiques would come from.

Jackson remembers his mother taking him to antique malls when they drove into town and would be amazed at everything inside. “I can remember specific things that I would see, like treadle sewing machines and clocks, and it just fascinated me.”

He would go to the library and absorb books about the Gilded Age and learn about the splendor of the Vanderbilt homes or the tragedy of the ill-fated Titanic.

In the process, Jackson was learning about the objects of that time.

He remembers thinking, “I'll never have anything like that, but isn't it beautiful?”

In time, he acquired items and started his own collections. He regularly went to antique shows and met and talked to all the dealers, learning more and more through the years.

However, even though the love of antiques was always there, his focus was on music which eventually took him to Centenary College to pursue a degree.

But even then, antiques found a way to be an important part of his life.

He formed a close friendship with his professor, Dr Lewis Bettinger, who had an extensive collection of antique Chinese miniature figurines called Mudmen in his office.

Bettinger also owned an antique store and soon Jackson was working for him on the weekends, and in doing so, getting an education on antiques that would match any college degree.

To this day, Jackson remembers the advice Bettinger gave him, “Buy the best that you can afford. If you don't know what it is, don't put it out for sale, wait and do your research. Always have $1,500 at least in your wallet, because you never know when you're going to get to buy something.”

The last always seemed out of reach, “I've never seen $1,500 in my life.”

After college, his music career hit a pause when he battled a bout of depression, “Frankly, I kind of just shut down. I stopped everything and I became a little bit of a hermit.”

It was filled with bleak days but, it provided him with necessary coping skills for life, “I had to go through this dark period to come to the light.”

It also offered the opportunity to put his energy into the world of antiques. He expanded from a showcase at Bettinger’s store to participating in the Buchanan's Flea Market show at the Bossier Civic Center.

“I sold glass, I had some lamps, some silver plate, just generally nice, older stuff. It was as old as I could get and as good as I could get,” and when the weekend was over, he had sold close to 80% of his stuff and had about $1,500 in his pocket. “I was almost in tears in the car because I'd never had that much money. I started bootstrapping from there.”

It was the start to years of antique shows, which led to a move to Dallas. His taste became more defined and refined, “Over time, your eye just develops, and you start to see things differently.”

Jackson ‘climbed the ladder’ of antique shows and came to showcase at the top shows in the nation.  To this day Jackson still participates in the Round Top Antiques Festival located in Texas and this year will be showcasing in the coveted ‘Red Barn’.

But as the times changed so did shows and Jackson needed to adapt once again.

This adaption took him back to Shreveport. He began to help his friends with estate sales, and within a year had his own company. One that has become very successful, “I always knew that if I could get the interview, I could get the sale, because I'm knowledgeable and I'm honest. I tell people what they need to hear, not what they want to hear.”

About 2 years ago Jackson started his antique shop in the Pierremont Mall and just a few months ago, decided to move to the new location, a few blocks down.

He was able to create his own space that reflected his style, “While it is smaller than the previous location,” Jackson said, “it forces me to be mindful of space and only buy merchandise that is of the highest quality and condition.”

His store no longer houses objects for mass collections, instead he concentrates on unique items. “Obscure, unusual and highly decorative objects are what I am focused on,” said Jackson.

The shop is in the same shopping center as at Caboose Antiques which has presented Shreveport with European antiques from England, Scotland, France and Belgium for more than 50 years. “Roy Cage with Caboose Antiques has been a wonderful source for English antiques for decades. I consider him to be a friend and trusted colleague,” said Jackson.

This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Eric Jackson knows antiques - learn more about the Shreveport shop owner