Escondido antiques auction to begin Sunday

By: PAUL EAKINS - Staff Writer | Thursday, February 15, 2007 11:19 PM PST ∞

ESCONDIDO ---- As Barbara Evans stood Thursday afternoon among ancient-looking furniture, books printed more than a century ago, and decorations of all shapes, sizes and materials, she laboriously labeled dozens of intricate bolo ties.

The labeling was one of the last steps in her preparations for an antiques auction to be held Sunday at Ellen's Enchanted Gardens, 328 S. Escondido Blvd. Evans, who runs North County Auction Services, plans to have an auction at the location on the first and third Sundays of each month.

By all accounts, this is the first time Escondido has had a regular antiques auction, at least in many years. Representatives of the Escondido Antique Mall and the Downtown Business Association said this week that the auctions could help local antiques shops and increase business downtown on Sundays.

Evans and her husband, Gary, closed Fireside Antique Mall in Bonsall at the beginning of the year, losing with it a location for their auctions. Escondido, however, is a better location, she said this week.

"Now that we're more centrally located, we're getting more items from all over," Evans said. "It's easier to bring it (auction items) to Escondido than to Bonsall."

She estimated she will have between 400 and 500 items up for bid at the auction, which will begin at 1 p.m. after opening for viewing at 11 a.m.

Eventually in the spring or summer, Evans said she hopes to have an outdoor antiques auction at the Jewelry Source on Grand Avenue, where her husband works, on the second and fourth Sundays of the month.

Once that begins, it could really be a boon to the downtown area, said Sue Dusharme, programs director with the Downtown Business Association.

"Some of our restaurants are opening on Sundays now, so it would be a support to the restaurants," she said.

The antiques auction likewise could draw customers from the restaurants, Dusharme said.

Lois Eck, manager of the Escondido Antique Mall, said the auction could drum up business on an often slow day of the week.

"We're very happy to have more reasons for antiquers to come up here," Eck said.

Sundays sometimes are busy, she said, but that's usually not the case.

"Overall they're a little bit slower, and a lot slower than Saturdays," Eck said. "Saturday is probably our best day of the week."

Downtown already has a regular event designed to bring in more crowds on Saturdays.

At Second Saturday, which is sponsored by the Escondido Arts Partnership, special arts events take place and the area's numerous art galleries stay open late the second Saturday of each month.

While shopping at the Escondido Antique Mall on Thursday, Diane Baker of Vista said she would enjoy going to an antiques auction.

"I think it's a great idea," she said. "It's another venue."

On Thursday at that new venue, Ellen's Enchanted Gardens, Evans showed off some of the items she hopes to auction.

They included intricately decorated Japanese screens, a large Indonesian wood carving, lamps, furniture, toys from the early part of the 20th century, and even a bulky piece of petrified wood.

Some come from dealers, while others come from regular folks who sometimes just want to get rid of their old things.

However, some of those old things can be worth a bundle, she said. The selling amount is entirely up to the bidders at the auction, which is why some buyers get a deal, Evans said.

For professional antiques dealers, local auctions can be a great opportunity, Evans said.

"(Antiques) dealers are fools if they don't come to these auctions," she said.

Contact staff writer Paul Eakins at (760) 740-5420 or peakins@nctimes.com.