By Pamela Dozois
Contributing Writer
Peggy and John Pollard have two passions in life — antiques and animal rescue. Their new store, North Fork Treasures on Mission Drive in Solvang, fulfills both of these desires.
Peggy worked in banking and John worked for the city of Ventura, but when they retired in 2016 they decided to follow their dream of opening an antique store. During their 30-year marriage, they had spent many happy vacations with their daughter, Conlee, in Kernville, northeast of Bakersfield, and they decided that would be the perfect spot to start the next phase of their lives. They opened North Folk Treasures in Kernville and operated it there for two years.
However, when their daughter graduated from college and moved back to Ventura, the Pollards decided they wanted to be closer to family, including John’s mother and stepfather in Arroyo Grande.
“Moving back to Ventura or to the Santa Barbara area, we felt, was the best choice for us,” Peggy said, “so we closed the store in December of 2017 and moved back to Ventura.”
On a visit to see his parents, John met a realtor who told him there was a space in Solvang that would become available in January this year.
“As soon as we walked into the building we knew this was where we wanted to have our store,” she added. “We signed a lease in February and moved in March, packing up the store in Kernville.”
“Our other passion is to support animal rescue agencies that are in our community by volunteering our time – having adoption days on our patio at least once a month and financially assisting whenever possible,” she said.
The Pollards have three rescue dogs — a St. Bernard, a border collie, and a Maltese-poodle mix. They also have two rescue cats, and their daughter has three.
“We have always been interested in antiques but never had the time, while working in the corporate world, to really research the value of all these antiques and vintage collectibles. It’s been fun to go to events and meet other people with the same interests who love to share their knowledge of the vintage world with us. It’s a continuing education for us. We’ve met so many nice people along the way,” Peggy said.
They find their inventory at flea markets, garage sales, and antique and estate sales.
“That’s my favorite part – discovering treasures in out-of-the-way places,” she added. “The store has a library section, a music section, a man cave, jewelry, fine china, kitchenware, art and furniture. John is an excellent handyman, which makes decorating the store easy and fun.”
The Pollards plan to move to the Santa Ynez Valley in the near future.
“We have been packing and unpacking from December through February, so we want to take a break. The thought of moving all our belongings from Ventura to the valley at the moment is daunting,” Peggy said, “but that move is next on our list of things to do. Presently, we commute daily from Ventura, so moving here is a must. It feels like home, as John was born in Los Alamos and I was born in Ojai.”
North Fork Treasures is at 1525 Mission Drive in Solvang. For more information, call 805-686-2377 or visit www.northforktreasures.org.
