I am not an antiquer, nor could I tell you a good antique buy when I see it. However, we love fun shops with lots of visual eye candy and great customer service.
We have been into this place a handful of times since it opened on The Alameda almost a year ago. The staff, most of the time it's the owner...is super friendly, lets you browse and ask questions, answering whatever they can. They always have fun things in the window, we love to press our noses up against it when we walk by to marvel at whatever cool antique thingamabob is setup inside the glass staging area. When they were cleaning this place up and moving in, we would walk by at night sometimes and see them hard at work inside, their little cute dog running around wildly.
I have always wanted to purchase something from them and today I KINDA had the opportunity. It's my Mom's birthday and she told me what she wanted, because that's how she rolls...she'd much rather have something she wants than a random something that *I* think she should have. I wonder if that's where I got it from....birthday 'wish list' anyone? Yep, I always have one.
This year's gift request from my beloved Mom is a buddha statue she found in the back of the Antique shop. I called and left a message for The Teak House yesterday, thinking the same # might work. So, technically it's the Teak House in the back, it used to be the whole shop but I guess SilverLeaf now is the first 3/4 of the store and Teak House is kinda only in the back small area now. After I heard nothing back, called today after being lucky enough to find SilverLeaf's # on Google and thinking they could help.
Well, so turns out the Teak House gal is on vacation and Jim at SilverLeaf was kind enough to go into the back area to find the buddha for me. He not only gave me a better deal, but also rang up the purchase, wrapped it, and keep it at the front for the birthday girl to pick up this afternoon. I called up Mom and said 'Swing by to pick up your buddha!'
Later, she told me that one of the little horns had broken off by the time she got home, not sure how this affects the luck-bringing of the buddha but we figure it's even more unique now.
Why can't all birthday purchases be as pain-free as this one?? SilverLeaf comes through for us with some buddha love...check this place out next time you are moseying down The Alameda. BTW their address is 1343 The Alameda...not the old Lincoln address that is still shown on the business listing. read more