After operating the Antique Mall together for almost 30 years, Ray and Judy Jilderda announced at the end of 2013 that they’d be retiring soon and shutting down the shop. They initially tried to sell the business—and all the items in their inventory—but a lack of buyers prompted them to mark everything in the store 50 percent off at the beginning of January.
The shelves in the once-crowded (but not cluttered) space are rapidly thinning, with crystal and glass, linens and china, silver and tools and books and home furnishings and jewelry leaving in the hands of locals sorry to see the staple go.
Judy said that her husband and she are at the age of retiring, though neither of the Jilderdas is fully retiring. Judy will continue to sell antiques through three other local shops: A Glance into the Past in Arroyo Grande, Déjà Vu in Orcutt, and the Depot Mall in Los Alamos. Ray will be devoting all his time to the other full-time job he’s kept over the years: clock repair.
There were still some stately clocks in the shop as of Jan. 13. There was still a lot of stuff, in fact. Though the items had room to breathe, the space was hardly bare—or even sparse. A plastic Ken figure stood sentry in his box alongside an army of other, older dolls. Bric-a-brac and glittery knickknacks shone under lights inside glass-fronted cabinets. Large mirrors reflected whatever was opposite, from lamps to statuettes to solid-wood furniture.
As room has continued to open up in the store, Judy has been replenishing the available antiques from stockpiles she keeps elsewhere. That means new—well, previously unseen—antiques are still coming in despite the fact that the mall is winding down.
Amid the constant merchandise turnover, longtime clients—“forever customers,” Judy called them—have been coming in to say goodbye.
“It’s been wonderful,” she said, showing off two boxes of chocolates one grateful visitor had dropped off earlier in the day.
“A lot of them just come in to visit, so I’m really going to miss that,” she added.
The Jilderdas initially planned to finish getting rid of their inventory at the end of February, but their half-off sale is going so well, they might close up at the end of this month or early next month.
“It has been unbelievably busy,” Judy said.
For more information about the Antique Mall before it closes, call 922-6464 or stop by 1539 S. Broadway in Santa Maria. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.
For more information about Ray’s clock repair business—which includes cleaning and oiling shelf, wall, and grandfather clocks (but no watches)—call 868-9305.
Executive Editor Ryan Miller wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Send comments to rmiller@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jan 16-23, 2014.
