It is no surprise that Downtown Turlock is known for its atmosphere and unique assortments of restaurants and shops. This quaint area gives visitors an area to eat, drink, shop and explore a little piece of Turlock’s history all within a walking distance. Antique stores are just one of the many shops that you may find yourself making a stop at on your day out and about.
All of the antique shops are full of distinctive pieces that have stood the test of time. Treasure Hunters offers rooms ranging from decor, to furniture, clothing and anything else in between which are full of many pieces that are bound to catch your eye.
As soon as you step into Treasure Hunters you are hit with a “mom and pop” feel. Upon entering, customers are greeted by a pair of smiling faces and a willingness to help you find any treasure that your heart desires.
Cindy Hoffman, owner of Treasure Hunters, gets help from her sister Kelly Fuentes.
“I keep her in check,” said Kelly jokingly. Smiling, Cindy added “Yes, she whips me around.”
Treasure Hunters has 19 vendors and they gather goods ranging from estate sales, auctions, garage sales, to simply having anything passed down.
Vendors are not the only ones adding to the shop’s large collection.
“[…] We (Cindy and Kelly) are driving down the road and we see something and it’s like, that’s it. It goes in the back of the pickup!” said Cindy.
As for the customers, they too vary. They get visits from those who are redecorating their homes, to those who need certain items for weddings, or plainly—those who want solid wood furniture at a decent price.
For these two siblings, antiquing is more than just profits and sales.
Kelly pointed out the importance of being part of a community, “It’s fun, it’s awesome. We get a lot of compliments on the music we play, K-Love, which is a Christian station. We have so many people that come in and say that, and were very personal.”
Adding, “It doesn’t matter who are or what you are everyone is one on one…What I love most is the people.”
Treasure Hunters will be celebrating its five year anniversary this month. In celebration and as a way to say thank you to the customers, it will be having a promotion on Mar. 17th and 18^th. On those days, they will be selling goods with no sales taxes.
You don’t have to walk much further to get to another antique store, Trinkets to Treasures. This little shop is jam-packed with items that your eyes are automatically drawn to.
Owned by Gail Brust, Trinkets and Treasures will be going on 15 years. Brust’s introduction to antiques, which led her into the antiquing business, all started when she was a child.
Particularly, she remembers visiting her grandmother who lived in a Victorian home in San Francisco.
“I enjoyed collectibles from a little kid. She (her grandmother) had beautiful linens and pottery. I always liked it.”
Most of the Trinkets and Treasures customers go into the shop with one thing on their minds: Vinyl records.
“They’ve made a large comeback,” explained Brust, “so That’s my big draw for customers right now.”
However, a particular customer went inside the shop for something that money could never buy: a childhood memory. Adelina Verissimo, who is originally from Azores, Portugal, walked in simply for a little reminder of home.
“It reminds me of when I was a young girl in Old Country,” stated Verissimo, “It’s a different feeling. Not like Walmart.”
Art is something else that can be found in downtown, therefore it is no surprise that both the arts and antiques come together harmoniously in a shop called The Gallery Finesse.
The Gallery Finesse, which has been in business for three years, is owned by Regina Emig and Ken Kelleher.
Kelleher, coming from an art background and Emig from a collector’s background, came together to create a very unique shop.
“We are deep into the art business here […] we specialize in European art, American mid-century modern,” described Kelleher, “we do a lot of mid-century period which is the new antique.”
The paintings and the furnishing that can be found in the Gallery Finesse range from 1875 to 1975 and are authentic. In order to get most of the pieces there is usually a suitcase, a ticket and some form of transportation involved.
Trips have been made to Europe and all over the United States in order to find the best pieces. What qualifies as a good find was very easily explained by Emig, who stated the criteria as “something we’ve never seen before. Or something of exceptional design or style,” added Kelleher.
Other than just offering art pieces and furniture with distinctive taste and style, this shop and the owners even offer a great love story.
“We met at an antique show,” claimed Kelleher, “I was a dealer, she was a dealer and we decided to set up a shop in this town.”
It is clear to see that you never know what you will find when visiting antique shops. Whether it be items making a comeback, friendly people, a love story or even a little piece of home antique shops are bound to offer an experience like no other.
The personal experiences and connections with others within the community is what makes antique shops also stand the test of time. While commercial stores offer basic necessities and goods, local antique shops offer you a taste of what your community has to offer.