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antique store with Joe Rollins (Rollins). Rollins was
petitioners' certified public accountant from 1979 to 1989.
Petitioners spoke with antique dealers in the area,
including Mrs. Gay, about operating an antique business. Mrs.
Gay had been in the antiques and arts and crafts business in Gay
all of her life and petitioners thought she had been successful.
Petitioners bought a building in the town square from Mrs.
Gay for $7,000 in 1986 or 1987 to house their antique store. Mr.
Brockenbrough spoke about petitioners' antique store with the
banker who financed the purchase of the building. The building
adjoined petitioners' farm and was across the street from the
entrance to the Cotton Picking Fair, an arts and crafts fair held
in Gay and attended by about 100,000 people twice a year (see
par. I-D, below). The building had been a small bank in Gay. It
had a teller's cage, an old cannonball safe, a glass window, and
bookshelves. The building was in disrepair. Petitioners spent
about $30,000 to buy and renovate the building. Petitioners
expected the building to increase in value.
Petitioners opened an antique store called Olde Bank
Antiques in the bank building about 1987. Mrs. Brockenbrough ran
the store. She likes antiques. Mrs. Brockenbrough bought some
items on her flights to Europe to sell in her antique store. Mr.
Brockenbrough helped the business by framing pictures and making
lamps.
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