Roberts Relics Antiques & Collectibles

Posted on July 4, 2011 by Fan

Saturday got pretty warm in the 90s here in wine country California. While our Bichon Frise dog Luna was getting a bath, my husband and I explored the lovely town of Windsor, California right here in Northern California’s wine country.

We headed to Old Downtown Windsor and it is a super cute “square” that totally has that little town vibe. The downtown seems to be going through a revitalization as there are still lots of shop spaces for lease and there are condos and town homes being built, a nice mix of restaurants and shops. We had lunch at KCs Downtown Grill and it is really cute inside and kinda decorated with that 50s diner look.

We wandered around and wouldn’t you know it, we ended up at a little antique shop called Roberts Relics. The front of the shop had lots of old tables and chairs and there was Robert himself perched on a stool out front greeting customers and fanning himself. He seemed a little grumpy. Inside the shop was very hot and stuffy…no air condition or fans. The shop is so packed with stuff all over that it really gives the impression of a junk shop as there is no rhyme or reason with the way the items are setup. I am noticing that in Northern California antique shops have tons of paintings all over the place and I am seeing more vintage California pottery than ever.

There were a few shoppers inside Roberts Relics but it was very hard to maneuver through the narrow isles and stuff all over the floors. I think I saw some pretty chandeliers and there were lots of collectibles and prices were pretty high for what the items were and their condition. Shop seemed dirty and items not well maintained. We didn’t buy anything but it was an experience going through the shop. Day ended great with our Luna looking fabulous.

Vineyards and Antiques in Healdsburg, California

Posted on June 26, 2011 by Fan

This past Saturday was gorgeous here in Sonoma County with temps in the mid 80s and sunny skies and light breezes. I went to the town of Healdsburg, CA, in wine country and took in some fabulous antique shopping. Healdsburg is surrounded by several vineyards, wineries, and tasting rooms. There is the “town square” where I spent my day and it has the very finest things life has to offer and of course large Antique malls and several Antique shops. Wine country brings a lot of visitors to the region and antiquing in wine country has quite the draw.

I visited Mill Street Antique Plaza (located a couple blocks from the main town square), Healdsburg Classic Antiques and Antique Harvest. These shops are all very big and Mill Street is a huge Antique mall as is Classis Antiques.

I found Mill Street Antiques to be crammed with a ton of “stuff” and when I say stuff I am mostly referring to junk. The booths are not all that well maintained and stuff is literally everywhere, so much so that you can hardly enter booths and many booths you look at and decide you don’t want to enter. I don’t know why booth owners allow their spaces to turn into such a mess and why the mall does not enforce a rule that customers should at least be able to walk into a booth without falling down. Prices however are reasonable. Not many shoppers. They were also holding an early 4th of July sale. This mall was very hot and stuffy and because it was so large it could have used a little tea room or restaurant. Also, no staff welcomed you and there was no one walking the floor to see if you had questions or was looking for anything special. Felt like you were picking through junk all alone.

Classic Antiques located right in the main town square of Healdsburg was packed with shoppers. The Antique shop is large and has such a wide variety of antiques and collectibles. If you are interested in paintings there are lots and lots as well as the largest selection of French furniture. The prices in this shop are extremely high so come with lots of spending money!! This shop was very hot and stuffy….I would think if shoppers were kept cool and comfortable they would be more likely to pay top dollar for items but, perhaps hot and stuffy is what brings in the buyers. Staff welcomed you at front desk when you entered and were really friendly.

Last stop was Antique Harvest. But, before exploring this shop I needed a very long break. My feet hurt and I was hot and sweaty. I found my way to Spoon Bar which was a super hip and trendy bar/restaurant that had its windows opened all the way and you could practically sit on the sidewalk and the breeze was so refreshing! I was not hungry but really needed water, coffee and something sweet. Staff super nice and desert was a coconut cake and cannoli with espresso coffee – yummy and very reasonably priced.

Okay, final stop was Antique Harvest. This was a nice shop, had lots of collectibles and antique furniture. Because it was already late in the day, close to 5pm the shop was not super busy and it was actually closing. I made my way through the shop quickly and found some furniture I would have liked (end tables and chairs) but there was no way of fitting it in my car so, mental note to go back one day with a truck.

Driving back home through the vineyards. Everywhere I look I see vineyards and it is gorgeous!! Hope you all get a chance to visit Healdsburg, CA.

Sonoma Wine Country Flea Market & Antiques

Posted on May 17, 2011 by Fan

It was a whirlwind of a weekend! Circumstances brought us to beautiful Sebastopol in Sonoma County with lush vineyards and gorgeous landscapes in Northern California. Once “business” was handled, we were able to drive around a little and enjoy the quaint town of Sebastopol. There must have been 5-7 Antique shops in this little town!! The locals are so friendly and you see many signs that say “natural”, “organic”, and “farm fresh”. We ate more whole wheat, grains, and organic veggies in one weekend then we have the entire time we have been in Texas! Texas is full of steak, Tex-Mex , and fried foods and you need to go and search for organic and healthy foods as they are not readily served in restaurants.

It was rather early in the morning as we were heading out and saw a “Flea Market” sign so I had my husband turn a sharp right into the parking lot. The flea market was just getting setup so there were not many vendors ready for business yet. We did see lots of fresh herbs and plants being sold as well as the usual flea market items of socks, shirts, and toys. It appeared the flea market was year-round and it looked like there was room for a lot of vendor booths/tables so it probably gets busy later in the morning.

As we were leaving Sebastopol to head into San Francisco we noticed one of the antique shops was just opening so we pulled into Windmill Antiques. The owner was such a friendly lady from Louisiana and had been living in Sebastopol for 16 years. Her shop was cute; she had lots of collectibles, teacups, kitchen goodies, Pyrex, and miniature dollhouse furniture. She was so nice and let us go inside and shop early as her shop was not open for another hour. I bought a super cute vintage 1950s Norcrest poodle dog cotton ball holder that will look fabulous as part of a vintage vanity set.