Antiques near Valley Center, CA

“I saw the advertisement in San Diego Craigslist and asked a friend if she wanted to go. To my delight she agreed to accompany me! We left Temecula about 8-ish in the morning. Wish they had better and bigger signage because I passed it the first time. My new marker is the newly built gas station right at Miller Rd. There was signage at the entry to the estate but again rather small. It appeared we got there at a great time because parking spaces were plentiful. Not so much by the time we left around noon. After we parked, we were greeted by a friendly resident boxer named Olivia. She was so sweet & friendly. She greeted all subsequent parkers as if she was the official welcoming committee of one.The grounds are serene and beautiful. By the private residence, you could see animals roaming about like geese, turkeys, and peacocks.As we approached the barn area, there was food truck serving up beverages such as coffees and pastries. There were various outdoor vendors selling their wares. We stopped at each one. The first vendor we encountered was Tree's Studio Aprons and more. Her custom made aprons were definitely a cut above. They were extremely well-made and some of them were lined. Beautiful workmanship. She was very friendly and engaging and we think we were monopolizing her time. When more customers approached we said our goodbyes and moved on.The next vendor was the Fusing Sisters. They had a dazzling array of fused glass items from jewelry, platters, boxes, ornaments to wall decor. Their designs were unique and beautiful. I purchased 2 Christmas tree ornaments and my friend bought a gorgeous pendant as a gift.I know I'm getting verbose here. I will trim in a bit. We stopped at Jane's Kitchen, where she sold sourdough, rye, and cranberry walnut loaves that were freshly baked. There was an extensive selection of baked goods like cookies, cinnamon rolls, etc. I purchased the cranberry walnut loaf, fudge brownie cookies, and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies. The loaf was $13 and the cookies were a good size sold at 2 cookies for $5.00. The cookies are awesome! We have yet to try the loaf but it smells so good! Her place soon amassed a crowd. One of the customers told me she was a big fan and had to return for the cinnamon rolls & breads.We then visited and purchased from several other vendors before we actually made it to the antiques barn. It's as if you entered a totally different world. A veritable treasure trove, a feast for the eyes, which was sensory overload! You just didn't know where to look first! We were blown away at the variety of goods. It was absolute fun!We liked their purchase process. Customers are given a numbered clothespin. There's no need to carry purchases around. I was #14 so when I wanted to buy an item, the vendor would take my item then it would be placed in a cubby behind the counter with the corresponding number. There were workers in the barn that would take your items to take to the cubby. Great concept that works well!We were so impressed and happy with our first time visit that we made sure we signed up for their emaillist. We were delighted to discover that they are open one weekend a month. Good to know! We now cannot wait to return!”

“GHOST STORY: A CAUTIONARY TALE OF HOPE, BETRAYAL, AND REDEMPTION In the sleepy little town of Escondido stands a quaint antique store that holds an extensive collection of forgotten treasures. As I wandered through its dusty aisles of cat vests, pizza headphones, and mushroom lamps... my eyes landed on an unkempt woman looking over a peculiar object. She had dark, asymmetrical eyes and her brow was furrowed like she was angry. She nodded, like she wanted me to know that she saw me. When I whispered to my wife to look, she replied "What woman? There's nobody there?!?" The peculiar object was an ancient, intricate-looking wooden box. Inside was a crumpled, time-worn note. Curiosity overwhelmed my cautionary instincts, as I wondered how the box, note, and strange woman were connected. I haggled the price down to $25 and purchased it. Little did I know how this seemingly innocuous decision would change my life. As soon as the box found its place in our home, strange occurrences began to unfold. Unexplained whispers echoed throughout the night, chilling gusts of wind blew through closed windows, and the box would mysteriously move from one place to another. Desperate for answers and unable to ignore the increasing malevolence, I posted photos of the box online; along with the note of seemingly random words: "Aberdeen, Omit, Leafage, Buck, Bank". Perhaps an amateur online sleuth, a decoding prodigy, or even a paranormal investigator could unlock the secrets held within. Various conspiracy theories began to occupy the thread. It was speculated that the words were some sort of spell to summon up evil spirits. Others surmised that the note was used by a spy network to communicate. Some said the box was a miniature version of a vault of buried treasure and the words were the combination to unlock it. Ultimately, a man named Theo revealed the note was in fact, a weather report. It was not encrypted for secrecy but this shorthand allowed stations to telegraph local conditions to the weather bureau on-the-cheap. "Aberdeen" was Aberdeen station in South Dakota. "Omit" meant an air temp of 56. "Leafage" was a dew point of 32F. "Buck" signifies no precipitation, and "Bank" indicates 12 mph wind. And the whispers and chilling gusts echoing throughout the night? That must have just been the dog snoring. #notsorry Pro tip: Great shop to find new and vintage home decor, gifts, clothes and accessories at low prices, most of which are not cursed or haunted. (Note-to-self: stop binge-watching 'Ghost Hunters')”

“I contacted the Original Strip Shop when I was looking for someone who could strip white paint off of a ceiling beam in my living room and refinish it to complement the walnut wood and wrought iron details that I have throughout my home. When Gus came over to assess the project and give me a quote, he was very honest about the complexity of the project and what would be required to pull it off as it was not something he does regularly. Gus and Anthony worked together on the project for over a week. They prepped everything in my home so nothing would get dirty and they cleaned up after themselves every day so while I was living in a construction zone, it was not unbearable! I was so impressed with their attention to detail and willingness to take the time needed to get it right. I am thrilled with the end result and would recommend them to anyone!”

“Grab Bag is just a fun place to walk through! Great prices and friendly staff. It's not a big place, so it isn't overwhelming but it has a lot of really neat stuff, a "grab bag" if you will, of different things to go through from antique to vintage to homemade. I always find a little something for a birthday or to add to a birthday gift. It's great for teacher's gifts and stocking stuffers at the holidays too. It's my favorite antique shop in Esco and now has regular hours. It's worth a trip out to see what they have in their different booths. And even though it's neat and cute and stylish...it's never snooty or too kitschy. I really like it.”

“So happy with the restaining of my cedar chest. We wanted a darker color to go with our style. Howard's was fast to respond and provided great service. Pick up and delivery was free. Color and finish turned out exactly as we wanted. Would definitely recommend for any of your furniture refurnishing needs.”

“Antique malls are always fun. Just don't know what items you might find from the past. Look and you will find something brand new from history. From clothing, toys, books, records and fine jewelry. There is a diverse background for everyone to get something they will treasure for their home.”