the two year anniversary for Vintage Treasures. She still has the large booth market in the mall and alternates her time between it and the smaller store, thanks to her daughters who also help keep the businesses going.
Maggie mostly stays at Trendy, and Sarah oversees the store on Main Street. They also enjoy collecting vintage and have some of their own finds available in the store. The only one who doesn’ t collect is Palomino’ s husband, Armando.
Vintage Treasures is vastly different from the mall market, and has a more curated collection of items sourced by Palomino. This includes a few newer items. Those items still have a vintage or timeless appeal, like the black and white photographic canvas images of old trucks, barns and even farm animals. Her good friend, Carol Rochell, also has a few items in the store.
“ She’ s just a good friend and she helps me decorate and stuff, so I gave her a space.”
Palomino’ s favorite thing about Vintage Treasures is the staging. It has a home decor, gift shop appeal.
“ So, I like to set formal tables. People aren’ t buying china much these days, but it’ s still fun. I like decorating, putting the shelves together and setting the tables,” she said.
She gets to rotate the settings with the seasons and before August was over, Palomino had the autumn decor and dishes on display.
Palomino’ s preference for decor is farmhouse, a modern and primitive mix. She believes it traces back to her own childhood.
“ Maybe because I grew up in the country. We’ re always around horses and cows. Plus,( farmhouse) is durable, easy to maintain. Especially with a big family.”
She said her grandpa was a collector of everything, and her grandma collected dolls. Popular items include bee boxes, Pyrex, and hens on the nest.
“ We can’ t keep those in the store. Stuff will sell really good for a while and then nothing. Then it will come back around.”
When Palomino isn’ t at one of the two stores, she is shopping.
“ That’ s why I’ m not at the stores. I’ m usually out shopping.”
She strives to keep prices affordable so anyone who comes in can find something they just can’ t leave behind. It also keeps the store always looking fresh when she can bring in new“ old” items. She has several ideas that she would like to bring into the store, like offering painting classes, cake decorating, and other things that are vintage related.
Her focus now is on the holidays and she’ s already planning the Christmas window display. You’ ll have to visit Vintage Treasures and the other shops along Main Street Duncan to see what the merchants have created as they move into the holiday season.