Antique treasures as far as the eye could see

RICHMOND

Heading out of town to shop for antiques can be hit or miss. You hear about a place, take a stab in the dark and hope there's something for you at the other end.

In this case, we wanted to explore the possibilities in Richmond. So we looked at our Sunday Drive antiques directory and were intrigued by the ad for West End Antiques Mall.

"Over 250 Dealers," it said, and "2 buildings" with more than "53,000 Square Feet."

It sounded big. It looked like it could be worth the drive.

We hauled ourselves up I-64 and arrived about 10:20 on a Thursday morning at Crossroads Center, a strip shopping center that looked like it had a few years under its belt.

Right away, we spotted the sign for the antiques mall behind some trees, but first we felt compelled to take a peek inside the Crossroads Art Center, a gallery for original art and crafts.

What a treat. This full-service arts center supports 250 established artists as well as up-and-coming talent in five galleries full of rotating exhibits. There's a frame shop, places for art classes and one well-priced buy after another - paintings, photography, pottery, fiber art, jewelry.

Richmond, it seemed, luxuriates in abundance.

And it was only the beginning.

We left the gallery, headed for the door to the antiques mall, opened it and gasped.

Around every corner was a sea of antiques. Room upon room, vast space after vast space, filled with everything imaginable.

We gasped once more and said, "Ridiculous!" - a phrase we uttered again and again during the visit.

There was so much that, at first, we didn't even know how to behave.

But then we started touching: chests of drawers with wonderful patina, gilded picture frames, tilt-top tables, slant-top desks with tooled leather writing surfaces.

The first area we explored was called "Sidecar" and contained antiques imported from the United Kingdom. We had our choice of silver-plated meat domes big enough to hide an entire piglet for less than $300 each. There were scores of wooden tea caddies, most with their fittings still intact. Oil paintings were stacked on walls, one over the other, salon-style.

Need a gilt sunburst wall clock? No problem. They had who knows how many.

Need a crystal decanter with stopper? Done.

Need a tiny piece of furniture to fill an awkward space? Take your pick. There was hefty Georgian furniture as well as more delicate accessory furnishings with Queen Anne legs or tapered Chippendale or Sheraton style.

We walked and walked, through an area filled with reference books on antiques and collectibles, past a display of pressed, cut and carnival glass. Past the Fostoria, past the hobnail glass, the transfer ware, the flow ware, into an area dubbed "West Wing."

Hmm. The super-refrigerated air was warmer in there. We spotted a trio of hanging corner cupboards from England. The first, of 19th century mahogany, had curved doors with brass trim on the leading edge of one and was marked $895. Another, of inlaid oak, was $1,095. A third was beautifully carved.

Wandering around, we wondered why anyone would buy Waterford crystal new since there was so much here at bargain-basement prices.

In an area called "Great Room," we saw a collection of Roseville pottery, majolica and then a model airplane made from Budweiser beer cans, proving that treasure is truly in the eye of the beholder.

A garden area in the "Greenhouse" was a delight. Filled with galvanized watering cans, birdhouses, wicker and wire furniture, it was arranged so well that it was hard not to buy.

We strolled through a large display of hunt-y, horsey and doggy stuff and spent a lot of time in a space headlined "Kenworthy Antiques" filled with more beautiful English antiques.

Overhead, as in every room of this huge mall, hung lights of every type - crystal chandeliers, brass fixtures, wrought-iron lamps and outdoor sconces.

In every corner, the inventory was diverse and hit every price point: vintage furs, Fiestaware, monogrammed linens, chenille bedspreads, costume jewelry, estate jewelry, even a couple of riding saddles - both marked $448.

We even saw midcentury modern items, including seductively curved chairs, architecturally interesting lamps, consoles and slick-surfaced chests.

Thoroughly exhausted after four hours of prowling and inspired by the knowledge that this was only the first of many visits to come, we asked at the desk for a lead on lunch.

Go no farther than the pool hall down the sidewalk, we were told. So we did. Walked right past another temptation - Amir's, a place full so of Oriental rugs that some had flopped to rest outside.

"Next trip," we thought, "when we are fresh."

The Side Pocket was full of clacking cue sticks and folks enjoying an afternoon game.

We paraded past the dim green tables full of gents, headed for the grill in the back, and ordered drinks and chips and burgers. The big hamburger and cheeseburger arrived minutes later freshly made to order, juicy, each topped with several leaves of crisp lettuce, nice slabs of tomato and a generous sprinkle of pickles.

Beside us, a fellow dug into a turkey sandwich with a side of fragrant ground beef and vegetable soup, a favorite with regulars.

Leisa Hannah is both the manager and cook at The Side Pocket.

"I make chicken and dumplings on Tuesdays," she said when we paid our $12 check for two. "Come back."

No doubt about that.

Krys Stefansky, (757) 446-2043, krys.stefansky@pilotonline.com