The buildings that have housed East Aurora's beloved Vidler's 5 & 10 for nearly a century are now for sale, with an asking price of $2,749,000. The sale listing covers the buildings only, not the business itself, and the property includes three apartments.
According to WGRZ, the property comprises four connected historic 19th-century buildings on Main Street in East Aurora, New York. The outlet reports that the seller's priority is finding a buyer who will keep the store operating for future generations, rather than simply selling to the highest bidder.
A Realtor's Condition on the Sale
The realtor representing the sale told WGRZ that offers from a buyer who recognizes the store's importance and keeps it operating will take priority. That stipulation underscores just how central Vidler's has become to the identity of East Aurora's Main Street business district over the decades.
Figures on the property's total size vary in reporting. WGRZ has described Vidler's 5 & 10 as occupying more than 20,000 square feet in one reference and the buildings as spanning more than 25,000 square feet in another, though the outlet has not reconciled the two figures.
Nearly a Century in the Same Spot
Vidler's has been in business for 95 years on East Aurora's historic Main Street, according to the store's own website, vidlers5and10.com. Robert S. Vidler Sr. first opened his shop on East Aurora's Main Street on June 21, 1930, per the East Aurora Advertiser, which describes the store as an independent, third-generation family-owned business.
The store has stayed put since then while growing around itself. The store doubled in size in 1946, according to a blog post on the company's own site, and the business now stocks 75,000 items spread across four two-story buildings. WKBW has reported that the shop has always sat in the same spot on Main Street even as it expanded.
The Vidler family has continuously owned and operated the store, with the third generation now running the business on a daily basis, according to the company's LinkedIn page. That continuity helped earn the store a formal nod from the state two years ago.
State Recognition for a Longtime Local Fixture
Vidler's 5 & 10 was added to New York state's Historic Business Registration Registry in June 2024, as reported by Spectrum News. The registry highlights businesses that have been in operation for at least 50 years and have contributed to their community's history, the outlet notes.
Any future owner looking to make major changes to the buildings could face added scrutiny. Per the Town of East Aurora's Historic Preservation Commission, before undertaking major exterior alterations, reconstruction, new construction, demolition or other material changes visible from a public street or right-of-way, an owner must obtain a certificate of appropriateness from the Commission.
For now, the listing leaves open who might eventually take over the buildings that have anchored this stretch of Main Street since 1930. Whoever does, according to the realtor's comments to WGRZ, will be weighed not just on price but on their willingness to keep Vidler's doors open for East Aurora shoppers.
