Lemon Grove Antique Mall: More Than 6,000 Square Feet for Browsing

My mother was a collectibles collector. As a child I would accompany her to uncountable rummage, estate and garage sales throughout San Diego. It was something to look forward to, since someone had fallen not too far from the tree.

While she looked for her bounty, I sought to increase my large collections of comics, coins and books. After my mom’s passing, I had to deal with all her “stuff.” One method was to rent a glass display case at a local antique shop. It provided a tidy extra income for about six months.

For 20 years, the on Broadway has been a repository of wonderful treasures. You can spend some serious time checking out the many different booths and display cases. Longtime owner Nadine May explained that the booths are rented by different dealers, so each has its own unique feel. She said her 25 renters pay a monthly fee, as well as a small percentage to the store for each item sold.

May told me that, in addition to the rented booths, about a quarter of the merchandise belongs to the store. Her daughter Linda Martin is the chief buyer, and finds most of her “one-of-kinds” at estate sales around the county.

When asked about online selling, such as eBay, the feisty May replied: “No eBay. They have cost us a lot of money.” She added that customers can find just as good a deal here, plus they get to see, touch and bargain on what they are buying.

The prices on most items I viewed seemed reasonable. After all, Lemon Grove is not the high-rent district. I’ve heard that there are antique dealers who visit because they know this is the spot to find a deal.

The Mall’s largest private antique dealer, Nancy Nylander, has remarkable collectibles, including more antique table cigarette lighters than I have ever seen. Can you believe that, up until about the 1980s, almost every coffee table used to feature one? Nylander said: “I bought about 4,000 out of a collection of 12,000 lighters at an estate sale, and the guy didn’t even smoke.”

Boggles the mind—if you bought one a day, it would take more than 32 years to acquire 12,000 lighters. Yikes.

The Lemon Grove Antique Mall is located at 7917 Broadway, between Main and Grove streets. The store hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. They take cash, credit cards, personal checks, and you can put larger items on layaway. They don’t have a website, but you can call them at 619-461-1361 for more information.

Three generations of friendly family members run the place. It is fun to visit, and great if you’re looking for something out of the ordinary. On what other store shelf in town can you find Hop-Along Cassidy sharing space with Roy Rogers?