Years ago when I was in high school, my aunt took me to an antique shop. Now, I love my aunt to pieces, but shopping in a crowded store full of old stuff was not my idea of fun. I remember the antique store being very upscale and full of things I probably shouldn’t have touched. There was a lot of glass and shiny things. I loved the antique store so much that I didn’t step into another one for a good 15 years. 😉
I started going back into antique stores a handful of years ago with one of my best friends. We went a couple of times just to have something to do, not for anything in particular. Even then, I still didn’t appreciate how wonderful an antique store could be.
That is, until this past summer.
It all changed when my teenage daughter spent some time in Old Town Clovis with friends. It was one of the nights of Farmer’s Market, and they all went into some of the antique stores along Pollasky Ave. My daughter LOVED the experience. Seriously. She was so excited to share this with me, that as soon as she came home she asked when I could take her. As a parent we often do things for our kids that we wouldn’t normally do on our own. For example, I don’t like swimming unless it’s over 100 degrees outside, but my kids will swim when it’s 70. So, I take them to the pool. Sitting through a Wiggles concert when my daughter was little wasn’t necessarily number one on my list of things to do on a Saturday, but because I love her, I did it. My son really likes Harry Potter, so I do my best to learn about all things Harry. So, when my daughter suggested going into an antique store, I groaned a little inside, but said, “Sure we can go some weekend.”
A couple of weekends later we did. My daughter took me into the antique stores that she had gone into with her friends. She showed me things she loved. She knew of backrooms, and how to get upstairs. She was like my mini tour guide.
And you know what?
I. Loved. It.
There were so many hidden treasures I couldn’t believe it! Records galore, kitchen gadgets from long ago, old toys I haven’t seen in ages, china, Scrabble tiles, tools, knick-knacks, furniture, old restaurant menus, classic children’s books. Really, the list goes on and on. I was in amazement and awe!
We spent a good 2 hours walking from store to store. It wasn’t crowded, and it was a nice day outside. We stopped to have a snack midway through, and then went right back into looking at some people’s forgotten treasures. It was such a nice afternoon, and I’m glad my daughter suggested we go. We didn’t even get to see all of the antique stores along Pollasky, so we plan to go back again.
I really cannot stress enough how much fun I had. I kept saying to my daughter, “Look at this!” I think it was the excitement of seeing things from my childhood, things I had forgotten about, things that had brought back memories. I didn’t appreciate that as a teenager, but my daughter, she sees the value in appreciating the past. She is so much more insightful at that age than I ever was.
When doing things in Fresno it’s important for me to surround myself with loved ones. These loved ones are going to make whatever it is I’m doing more fun. I bet the same goes for you. When you go out with loved ones you form new memories and build upon old ones. So, if you have any spare time on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon, grab a loved one and head over to Old Town Clovis to check out the many antique shops that are on Pollasky Ave, between 3rd and 5th street. I promise you’ll have fun making new memories while looking at old ones.
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One of our largest stores is at Clovis and 5th, off of Pollasky. There are 12 antique stores in Old Town! Thanks for the post!