2 Beloved Old Town Temecula Antique Malls Forced To Close

TEMECULA, CA — More change is coming to Old Town Temecula. After decades in business — selling vintage baseball cards, art deco jewelry, mid-century Disneyland keepsakes, flapper girl wedding dresses, and more — two antiques malls in the historic district are slated to permanently close.

Old Town Antique Faire, located at 28601 Old Town Front St., #D, and Fourth Street Antiques, at 41975 4th St., will both close on August 31.

The 4,361-square-foot Fourth Street Antiques property is currently being marketed for lease with a rental price of $252,938 annually, or approximately $21,078 per month. It's more than the existing 40 independent antiques dealers inside the store can afford, according to Fourth Street Antiques manager Linda Conceicao.

"It's just very sad," she said.

At Old Town Antique Faire, there are approximately 20 dealers. It's a close-knit community that is struggling with the closure.

"We're a family," said dealer Laura Wager. "We've been through births, marriages, divorces, illnesses, deaths. This is very hard."

Old Town Antique Faire has been in business for 35 years. The building still has the Old Town Temecula western vibe, with its dark wood exterior and plank porch. The stairs leading up to the entrance feature a medallion in memory of Robert "Bob" Morris, also known as Mr. Old Town Temecula, who passed away in 2018 at the age of 85.

When I visited the antique malls on a recent Tuesday, I was struck by the high volume of foot traffic inside. Young, old, locals, visitors.

Gina Venturelli is a longtime Old Town Antique Faire employee who, for more than 25 years, has helped shoppers find that special something. She explained that the store never really has a lull, and the hectic pace keeps her going. She still loves coming to work in Old Town.

"It's just a joy," the retiree said.

Mychele Chamberlin has been a dealer at Old Town Antique Faire for about 18 years. She brought her daughter, Alycia, into the business, and now the two work side by side at the mall.

Alycia was young when she joined her mother. There has since been a marriage — Alycia's last name is now Drury — and two grandkids who are learning the antiques trade.

Chamberlin teared up when she talked about the friendships she's formed with dealers and customers.

"It's such a nostalgic walk down memory lane," Chamberlin said.

Wager has leased a space inside Old Town Antique Fair for 10 years. She's not making millions of dollars, but she said, "We make a profit."

Wager's toiled over the impending closure and doesn't understand why the city can't step in to preserve the antiques malls, which she said are part of Old Town's historic western heritage.

"We're not La Jolla, we're not Beverly Hills. We're Temecula, and we are a special place," she said. "We have repeat customers from all over the world. They come to Wine Country and they come to Old Town."

During my Tuesday visit, word was spreading that the mall was going to close.

Mike and Martha Villegas of Menifee are regular Old Town Antique Fair patrons. I met them while I was visiting the mall. They recalled a time years ago when they were on the hunt for vintage Mason jars to use as flower vases at their daughter's country-themed wedding reception. They found a perfect set of matching blue ones at the mall. They were perfect, Martha explained.

"I'm saddened by this," Martha said of the mall closure, adding that whenever she and her husband have company, they bring them to Old Town and drop by the mall.

"There's something for everyone," she said.

It's not immediately clear what will replace the longstanding antiques malls. The Old Town Antique Faire property is owned by Los Angeles-based Zip Third Investments, LLC, while Norco-based HJP LLC owns the Fourth Street Antiques property.

The Old Town Antique Faire dealers were in negotiations with the owner to extend the mall's lease, and an increased price was agreed upon, but before the paperwork could be drawn up, the landlord decided to pursue a "different direction," according to Drury.

The only place in town for antiques dealers like Drury and her mother is Granny's Attic, a sprawling antiques mall located in the city's industrial area. The family has an existing business there.

I strolled through the vast Granny's showroom, which is jammed with all manner of aged goodies. It's uncertain whether all 60 dealers from the two soon-to-close antiques malls in Old Town will be able to relocate there.

"He [Granny's owner] is trying to accommodate everyone, but there's just not enough room," Drury said.

Maria Marquez is a longtime Temecula businesswoman who told Patch that she wants to step in to help the antiques dealers. She said she made an offer on the Fourth Street Antiques lease, but business discussions were ongoing and her price was below the asking.

"People are being displaced. It's painful," Marquez said. "I'm doing everything in my power to save this."