How it All Began

AMERICAN ANTIQUES & JEWELRY: How It All Began

The year was 1979, and Mark Rothe was working in real estate. When the market began to plummet, he noticed that gold & silver prices were on the rise. Having some knowledge about coins, he approached an uncle and proposed that they and another friend go into business buying coins. In this way he was able to get out of real estate; but eventually he had to take a job doing collections calls. It was a position he hated so much that, when he was eventually let go during the holiday season, delightedly told his boss, “That’s the nicest thing anybody ever said to me!”

Passing a small antique shop on Ninth Street that was going out of business, he decided to go in and ultimately took over. From 1989 to today, American Antiques & Jewelry has grown to become a real staple of the Green Bay community.

Together with two of his children (and Vice President of Operations, Stella!), Mark has enjoyed serving the public through buying, selling, and trading to build a wide and unique inventory, almost all of which is purchased directly from their customers. The store boasts perhaps the largest and most impressive array of pre-owned, estate, and bridal jewelry in Wisconsin--not to mention the variety of antique and collectible items available! These include but are not limited to glassware, military, and Packer memorabilia.

Last but not least, one cannot forget the coin department! Mark’s own brother-in-law heads this section of the store, sharing his nearly 20 years’ worth of expertise when it comes to gold, silver, ancient coins, and more.

The family and staff of American Antiques & Jewelry are proud to share their story, and look forward to hearing your story!