In the history of the world, vises have proved to be one of the fundamental building blocks of civilizations. They have rich histories that might have gone unnoticed if we hadn’t met Jesus Marquez. As one of the top 5 antique vise collectors in the United States, Jesus is the owner of Mexashop1, which in his own words, “is not just a shop, it’s a place where I store history.” We had the chance to interview him in his workshop, where he showed the multiple projects he had worked on.
Who is Jesus Marquez? What fueled your passion for collecting antiques?
Jesus Marquez: I was born in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico and later moved here to Albuquerque when I was still quite young. I am an antique vise collector and an entrepreneur; I have always had a passion for finding lost things ever since I was a child. I used to collect tools that I could find or buy, and I was really intrigued when I learned that they could be restored back to their original state. I feel like once I went down that path, I never looked back. I like to do things on my own, and working with different tools acts as a stress reliever for me. But what I really like about this job is that I get to learn as I collect, I learn about history, where it was made, what it was used for, and the likes. I feel like these tools were there to build America, and I believe that it’s our job to restore them to their former glory.
Tell us about MexaShop1. How did you come up with the idea?
Jesus Marquez: MexaShop1 is a brand and one of the businesses I run, but I think of it as my child. It is a place where I keep all my antiques, work on them, and restore them. I had an entrepreneurial mindset from the start, as I own multiple businesses and ventures, but this one is close to my heart. There are times when keeping this business alive is challenging because the market for such products is very small, and the audience I’m targeting is tough to find. So, I try to use my social media accounts to maintain a relevant image, which helps me connect with like-minded people.
Being an entrepreneur is not an easy job as they are more prone to be affected by bad days. Do you have any regrets? What has kept you going?
Jesus Marquez: It’s true that entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone, even though everyone wants to be one. I’ve always had one rule, “own every single mistake.” I keep telling myself this because no one is perfect, and as an entrepreneur, I need to grow constantly, and I can’t grow unless I accept my own flaws. For example, these vises have been through hell; they got beaten up, molded, and thrown into dumps, but they are as useful as any other tool in this room. So the point is to not let the hard times dampen your skills. The business I’m in has a small market, which is why all my achievements have gone under the radar. This makes keeping myself motivated another difficult task, but I always manage to find my own motivation.
Where do you see yourself in the future? Where do you think your passion will lead you?
Jesus Marquez: I see myself being the biggest collector in the world. I want to scale my business to the point where I can open my own museum where I can put their history so people can know their real value. I also want to build a community where people like me who value history and antiquities can collaborate easily.
