New expansion means more offerings

Locals and visitors alike are excited about the latest retail expansion at the Redwood Center in Cambria. Rich Man Poor Man Antiques is now located in two places at this location – their main store, where more than 35 dealers offer their collections, and the new Main Street Showroom located street-side as you turn into the parking lot.

“This space became available and we felt that this would be an excellent location for us to expand into,” explained owner JoAnna Crebs. She and husband Myles have owned the business since 1999.

Main Street Showroom

Since opening the main floor showroom they have expanded into the second story and also added rustic and quaint garden antiques outside in a space at the rear of the building. But the most exciting development was the opening of the Main Street Showroom in February; the space is intimate and tastefully arranged.

“We are concentrating on high quality antiques in this space,” Crebs explained, “and we also carry fine art pieces. The focus with antiques is always changing; people are now looking for name items and things from specific periods of time.”

This is emphasized in a display of 1960s furniture and decorative pieces from the collection of Diane Matzner.

“We call her our ‘Sixties Girl’,” Crebs said. “Many people are searching for pieces that are mid-century modern and Diane has a knack of finding them.” Collectors Greg and Francisco Vived have filled a space in the Red Room with a variety of fine quality period pieces from Europe. “We want this showroom to be a little different than what we have in the main floor showroom,” Crebs added. But this is not to negate the equally fine antique collections in the main store.

Something old, something new

One of the best aspects about Rich Man Poor Man is its diverse collections of things old and some new – and even if you don’t purchase something, the Crebs and their co-workers love sharing stories attached to the collections.

“We are finding that younger buyers are definitely interested in name association,” Crebs explained, “and they will come in and ask for a specific designer or line. People are no longer just buying junk – they are seeking quality pieces.”

The new showroom houses collections from a variety of time periods – there is a replica statue of David, fine French furniture, a desk from the 1940s, wire birdcages, and a rotary telephone in the 1960s collection.

Garden antiques and on-site appraisals

One of the Crebs’ goals when they moved the business to Cambria was to not only have outdoor and garden antiques in place, but to also offer appraisal services. The garden space now houses some a variety of interesting outdoor items such as wire chairs that hold potted plants, large braided rope, statues and garden figurines to name a few.

“We now have Jeanne Romansky on board to do appraisals,” Crebs said. “Jeanne has a Certificate in Appraisal from the University of California at Irvine in Antiques and Decorative Arts.”