By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

Peabody’s newest shop will open its doors for sneak holiday shopping Thursday.

CK Vintage co-owners Christopher King and Jonathan Clayton moved from Mullinsville in March, closing a shop they ran in there in a converted schoolhouse.

Their Peabody store will be open from 6 to 10 p.m. Thanksgiving night.

CK Vintage also will be open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, but its official grand opening and ribbon cutting will be 9 a.m. Saturday.

The store sells new and handmade items, many made by King.

“I make wreaths for all different kinds for holidays and seasons,” he said. “I also make handmade Christmas ornaments as well.”

Right now he’s busy making resin sunflower ornaments.

“Sunflowers seem to be very popular this year,” he said.

CK also is stocked with candies, assorted hot sauces, gourmet peanut butters, pie filling in a jar, various décor items, candles, body lotions, hand soap, bar soap, bath bombs, toys, books, and University of Kansas and Kansas State University items to please any sports fan.

The men rehabilitated an 1884 building at 109 N. Walnut St. in Peabody with help from Peabody Main Street.

Main Street obtained a grant to put a new roof on the building because the roof over the back half of the building collapsed long ago.

Then Main Street used another grant to repair the inside of the building.

“The demolition and removal of debris took place before we got there — all the things that went into the structural side of it,” King said. Then we went in and did all the fixtures, painting, and other inside components.”

The inside could not be done at the whim of the owners.

“We had to get permission from the State Historical Society to do that,” King said. “That was a whole level of bureaucracy.”

A city building inspector gave CK Vintage its certificate of occupancy Nov. 15.

“We passed with no major deficiencies,” he said.

Clayton, who works as a consultant, wanted to be in Peabody because he loves Marion County.

When the pair moved to Peabody, their goal was to have their store open by Christmas, Clayton said.

King is a former actor and theater producer who wanted to return to his rural Kansas roots.