Joe and Selva Casas proudly look around their 10-year-old antique and gift shop in Argyle and insist it is Denton County’s best-kept secret.
Sure, you can get an idea of what Gypsy Caravan offers thanks to the colorful yard art and a smattering of the eclectic mix of trinkets sitting to the left and right of the front entryway. The 129-year-old building they’re in also has a rich history, likely convincing passersby to stop for a closer look. But until you step inside, you have no clue just how much of a rare find you’ve stumbled upon.
“We offer a lot of cool and unique treasures aside from the Mexican imported metal garden art and pottery—giftables, pop culture collectibles, fine and fashion jewelry and clothing, antiques and vintage goods, new products from Texas artists, and so much more,” Selva said with an enthusiastic tone in her voice. “More importantly, there’s a positive energy that many people feel immediately.”
Joe agreed, adding, “People love our stuff and often tell us, ‘It makes us feel happy being here.’”
Gypsy Caravan is Joe and Selva’s happy place, too.
In many ways, it’s also their saving grace.
Over the past 30 years, Selva, now 59, has survived two life-threatening heart conditions. The first was congestive heart failure at 30 years old. At 41, she went into advanced heart failure and was on the transplant list for a year. Miraculously, she survived without needing a transplant. But just when they thought they’d turned an important corner in life, Joe was diagnosed with leukemia at 46—nine months after opening Gypsy Caravan.
A few years ago, Selva’s sweet mother, Maria Scarnato, passed away. She’d been living with Joe and Selva for 25 years. Throughout those and several other dark moments, Joe and Selva leaned on their faith, always finding reasons to keep smiling.
“We’ve been through it all, but we keep fighting,” Selva said. “It helps that we have Gypsy Caravan; it means so much to us.”
The shop has been a refuge for them and a beacon of light for the community, where shared experiences foster connections and hope.
While Gypsy Caravan has only been around for a decade, it represents a love for antiquing that spans generations. Give Selva a few minutes of your time, and she’ll share heartwarming tales of her Venezuelan-born mother coming to the States with opportunity in her heart and her children in tow. In those days, Maria made a decent living selling antiques and collectibles from the living room of their home in San Antonio—mostly because she had a gift for connecting with people. She passed these traits to Selva and her siblings, so much so that it was no shock to anyone in the family when Selva eventually opened an antique store of her own.
The first was String of Pearls Antiques and Collectibles in Lewisville. It was the late 1990s, and Selva had just suffered her first heart setback. Per doctor’s orders, she was told to step back from the stressful world of Corporate America, where she worked as an administrative assistant at an insurance company. Granted, opening a new business came with its stresses, too, but she and Joe believed in their vision and knew it would succeed. Sure enough, it did. String of Pearls was a staple of Old Town for 10 years at the brick-and-mortar location and an additional five years online.
“Unfortunately, I got sick again, and it was significantly worse this time. Honestly, I probably shouldn’t even be here right now,” Selva said. “The illness and several other factors ultimately forced us to close the store, even though it was the last thing we wanted.”
Fast-forward to 2011. Joe and Selva had moved to Argyle a year earlier and stumbled upon what was then known as the Historic Meadows Building. The 3,400-square-foot property, built by the Fenton Family in 1895, was known for years as the hardware and dry goods store. In 1914, the Meadows family bought the property, which became the place to go for anything you needed (dry goods, groceries, meat, etc.). It also had a beauty shop, a gas station, a café, and an electric company, and was the home for Argyle’s post office for 30 years. In the mid-1980s, Yvonne Jenkins, granddaughter of B.W. Meadows, converted the property primarily into an antique mall, which was what it still was when Joe and Selva moved to town.
In 2014, Joe and Selva took the leap and purchased the business after renting a booth to sell antiques inside the store for roughly three years. It was a natural progression, and in an instant, Gypsy Caravan was born.
“My mother came up with the name,” Selva said. “Our families instilled in us the value of embracing opportunities and contributing to the community. As kids, we’d think, ‘OK, Mom,’ and brush it off. But as adults, those words resonate with us more than ever.”
Joe said Gypsy Caravan has become more than just a workplace; it’s a fellowship. With each challenge, they leaned into their passion and faith even more. And on days when smiling felt impossible, the good people of Argyle rallied around them, gathering in droves to share joy, support, and community spirit.
“There’s just a really good vibe here,” Joe said. “We play Christian music, which makes people feel comfortable coming in. As a result, they spend a lot of time here—whether they’re buying something or just browsing. Getting to know them and building those relationships is what keeps us going.”
To learn more about Gypsy Caravan, visit them on Facebook at GypsyCaravanArgyleTX.
