Schatz Leaves the Abbey, Military Gear for Sale

CAPE MAY — Jay Schatz has left The Abbey.
This city’s collector of hats, military uniforms, helmets, swords, gas masks and canteens sold the bed and breakfast inn that bears a resemblance to the television home of the Addams Family. That resemblance was not lost on Schatz who at one time included the theme music from the Addams Family on the answering machine for The Abbey.
Guests would not have been surprised to see Thing at the breakfast table serving melon slices. While Schatz bears no resemblance to Gomez Addams, he could portray Theodore Roosevelt or on stage as Teddy Brewster in “Arsenic and Old Lace.”
The inn will no longer serve as a B and B but is destined to become a whole house rental.The Abbey, built in 1869, was the home of John McCreary, a Pennsylvania coal baron.
Two weeks ago, a large truck from North End Thrift was behind The Abbey being loaded with Schatz’s collectibles. They are split between the North End Garage in Cape May and North End Thrift in Villas.
The Abbey’s furniture was sold with the house.
Schatz was entertaining customers at North End Thrift on Sat. March 17.
Despite selling The Abbey, Schatz will remain in Cape May, having purchased a house on the same street as his former inn. In addition, he remains as the city’s chief tree hugger as chairman of the Shade Tree Commission.
“I had 25 or 30 years of a military collection, miniatures, helmets, hats, field gear,” said Schatz.
He said he is keeping some hats, which are currently in a disorganized state. Schatz said he is worried he will be eligible for one of the hoarder’s television programs.
He also collected Czechoslovakian communion sets, which he is selling at North End Garage.
Cape May has been losing B and B’s on an annual basis. Schatz blames the city’s room tax instituted in 2003.
“We saw the business start to disappear,” he said. “It went to condos and whole house rentals and apartments which don’t even pay the 7 percent sales tax.”
State fire inspectors have been treating B and B’s like commercial hotels suggesting enclosed staircases to upper floors and elaborate alarm systems.
“It’s either burdensome or impossible or too costly for a bed and breakfast to do, so we’ve been going around and around with the DCA fire code people since 2003 when the city turned the fire inspections back over to the state,” said Schatz.
He said B and B’s have the safest record of any single-family homes converted to run as businesses.
Part of the Fairthorne has been turned into a private home and Alexander’s Inn is not currently operating as a B and B,” he said.
Schatz said Cape May has lost 10 to 12 B and B’s over the past five years.
He said The Abbey was no longer profitable, “not enough business to keep it going.”