Irish Cottage in Braintree Offers Collectibles Half-Off for Closing Sale

Jim Mulligan started 37 years ago in Dedham, opening soon after in Braintree, where he would sell collectibles for decades before the latest economic downturn took too large of a bite out of his small business.

The Irish Cottage, at 485 Granite St., is closing, three years after moving from the to a retail strip across from the mall. Everything in the store has been marked down to 50 percent off, Mulligan said, and it will remain open through Saturday with hours 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Mulligan said the retail industry in general is hurting, and especially those in collectibles. A few years ago the rent became too high at the Plaza and then the recession hit, leaving less in his customers' pockets for non-essentials. Add to that the higher price of gold, which he sold often, and the business became unsustainable.

"We’re not the only ones hitting the skids," he said. "Times have changed."

Other locations around the Boston area already closed, and Mulligan's shop in Burlington shut down four months ago by request of the landlord, who was bringing in another store.

A new generation is less interested in collectibles, Mulligan said, and more into instant gratification and disposable items. "Unfortunately, the kids don't want it anymore," he said. "The practices and the customs have changed dramatically.”