In a hip shop tucked away in Langford, you’ll find everything from antique glass door knobs, to skeleton keys or an 1880s solid oak buffet. Unearth these treasures at the Victoria Trading Post, which hosts not one, but two, noteworthy stores.
The ground level of the building is home to Memories. Owner Fred Gallichen has run the business where he has specialized in high-end furniture, art and Persian carpets for 40 years. The shop is packed from floor to ceiling with detailed furniture and hundreds of wooden chairs hang from the rafters. “If something has already lasted 100 years, it will last another 100,” says Gallichen. “A lot of my items are one-of-a-kind.
The basement of the Trading Post at 3108 Jacklin Rd. is home to General Salvage. Here, the antiques are significantly different. While upstairs items can run into the hundreds or thousands of dollars, below ground, prices start at just $1.
Here, you’ll find mostly odds and ends including 100-year-old skeleton keys and old military items such as ammunition boxes and flashlights.
“Usually someone will find something here (they want),” says Kristina Lagadyn, assistant manager of General Salvage.
Children are the biggest buyers of skeleton keys and old bottles, while owners of character homes come in when they are looking replace fixtures.
Both businesses have been growing with the up-cycling movement which encourages taking something old and using it for an alternate purpose. The employees have joined in, making and selling items including door knob coat hooks and serving trays made of salvaged wood and old handles.
By Charla Huber
arts@mondaymag.com