Business Profile: Vintage Treasures

Whether you are looking for an addition to your home, a gift, or simply something to wear to a themed party, Vintage Treasures is the place to go, even if you are shopping on a budget. – Photo by Gus Herrera

By Gus Herrera

Vintage Treasures antique store strives to bring the elegance of all things vintage to Arcadia. Alongside their immeasurable cache of records, jewelry, furniture, linens, and clothing, the store also boasts the largest collection of vintage hats in the San Gabriel Valley. Whether you are looking for an addition to your home, a gift, or simply something to wear to a themed party, Vintage Treasures is the place to go, even if you are shopping on a budget.

The store opened in 2014 and is operated by the passionate mother-daughter duo of Jeanette Beraha and Raquel Mc Laughlin. Their mission is to bring high-quality, unique vintage items to Arcadia in a warm and welcoming environment, all while providing exceptional customer service. Mc Laughlin describes why they chose Arcadia: “We felt that Arcadia has a lot of history, we wanted to relish in the history of the race track, The Derby restaurant, the Arboretum. Arcadia really needed vintage and an awareness of re-purposing. We were getting concerned that you didn’t see antique stores anymore. Why do you have to go to Silverlake or Los Feliz? Why can’t we do this here in Arcadia?”

With an emphasis on high-quality, Vintage Treasures distinguishes itself from thrift-stores by only acquiring pieces displaying a certain character and quality that live up to Beraha and Mc Laughlin’s high standards. They are constantly hunting for new items of exceptional craftsmanship from all around the country. These high-quality items, which are just as fully functional today as they were when crafted many years ago, provide the foundation on which the business promotes its message of the need for re-purposing. In today’s throwaway society, it is important to recognize how superior craftsmanship has allowed antique items to out-live their eras and potentially re-discover life via recycling and re-purposing.

Vintage Treasures owner Jeanette Beraha. – Photo by Gus Herrera

When you step inside the store, you are immediately welcomed into a fun, yet educational experience seemingly absent from the large, chain department stores, “you go to a retail store, you walk in, you check out, and you’re done. We want to get to know our customers. Why are they in the store? What are they shopping for? It is important to care about what the customer is telling you and not just try to sell them something,” says Mc Laughlin. Beraha and Mc Laughlin are experts of vintage fashion through the decades and they are constantly bolstering their knowledge by means of research. Their passion for the antique industry brings life to the shopping experience and they encourage customers to spend time in the store, trying items on. Combine this pleasant, customer-focused environment with their vast collection and you are almost guaranteed to lose track of time and possibly even leave with more than expected.

Vintage Treasures is also very much involved in the community, “we want to be very community-driven, we are a proud member of the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce. We partner with women’s organizations such as Elizabeth House. We also donate to churches. It doesn’t mater what religious affiliation, it doesn’t matter what walk of life you come from, we all need a coat and shoes to wear,” says Mc Laughlin. They have also worked with the Girl Scouts and, more recently, they partnered with the Arcadia Historical Society, providing items for the sold-out Tea & Vintage Fashion Show at the Arcadia Community Center on March 11.

Vintage Treasures is located at 340 E. Foothill Blvd. For more information, call (626) 386-5315, email vintagetreasures340@outlook.com, or visit them on Facebook and Instagram.

Alongside their immeasurable cache of records, jewelry, furniture, linens, and clothing, the store also boasts the largest collection of vintage hats in the San Gabriel Valley. – Photo by Gus Herrera

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