Neighbor News
The Best of Times in Burbank Antique Store
There are over 7000 antique dealers and thrift shops in California . RG Cannings’ Flea Market at the Pasadena Rose Bowl is the largest monthly venue with over 1000 vendors. The downside being the daunting task of glancing over even 1/3 of the vendors AND it is a scheduled event that may or may not fit your plans
Of course bargain might be found via estate or garage sales Gone are the days of driving down a main street eyeballing all the home-made signs. Craigslist and EstateSales on the .net have made it easier to map out a plan of attack to reach the area, on any given weekend, with the most locations in close proximity.
Local antique and consignment stores tend to be in areas designated as antique-row. As such they are able to offer help-each-other with this one-stop-shop theme. There is a wealth of interesting lore, vintage, and collecitlbes. While the thrift stores may have a necessary rotation of inventory, their staff and volunteers often are unequipped to help you understand or look for odd, one-of-a-kind, or unique pieces from yesterday.
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So where does one start?
Some merchants are also online using Etsy , Craigslist, or Ebay and so may not need or be willing to negotiate since their customer base is larger than the local population of walk-ins. So while more and more brick-and-mortar antique stores are venturing into an internet presence to sell product; it is still the traditional word-of-mouth that brings customers. Unfortunately it seems the best intentions of people who comment on- line can be dismissed by “yelping” which is intentionally not as easy to go away or be forgotten.
I like to visit Best of Times, which has been in Burbank since 1996 (the proprietor explains the Northridge Earthquake destroyed their previous location). With a corner location the outdoor lighting filters through the store windows and allows time spent with greater ease to view every shelf, nook, and corner. Packed wall to wall with everything imaginable from yesterday: dolls, clothing, purses, plates, cups, paintings, plaques, prints, rhinestone pieces, architecture tucked here and there, furniture holding more pieces, and lots of linens to add to anything you might repurpose.
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Lori, the owner of Best of Times, and her staff maintain a clean odor free store by systematically dusting the shelves and contents; providing customers with a memorable shopping experience. Items are fairly priced and if you see something you like it is advisable to buy now because quite often it has been bought by someone else by the next time you visit. Lori is adamant to keep technology out of her store and because of her years of experience prices are reasonable and her methods refreshing.
This is a lovely store to spend an afternoon in Burbank – even tourists in town attest to the friendly environment. Best of Times: 3401 W. Magnolia Blvd Open Tues – Sun 10am -6pm 818-848-5851 http://www.BestOfTimesAntiques.com