He's got two coins that were once owned by Jesse James, and he has on display another century-old item, a metal lantern with the letters "KOTM" - for "Knights of Templar Muscatine."

While Hoppe doesn't necessarily want his business to take the "Antiques Roadshow" approach - where people seek an approximate value for the stuff in their attic - he does provide a unique service: people who want to sell an item or two that Hoppe has for sale can do so, on eBay or another online auction. That way both parties make money, and Hoppe's goods are exposed to a wider audience.

Hoppe, who's also a financial adviser, is both philosophical and practical about his interest in history, an interest that sparked his entrepreneurial venture.

"When you're friendly to history, time is not your enemy," he said. "For a retailer, time is your enemy, because your merchandise goes out of date. But if you own an antique store, time is your friend, not your enemy."