A Langford landmark is no more.
The Trading Post on Jacklin Road had been in Langford for years and was well-known for its incredible collection of antique treasures. But now the shop is gone and the building has been demolished.
Fred Gallichen, owner of Memories Antiques at the Trading Post spoke with the Goldstream Gazette back in 2018 when construction and new development had slowed traffic at the popular location.
“I believed in this property when I came here, the space that we have, the opportunities that we had,” Gallichen had said.
But in 2019, a ‘for sale’ sign went up outside the popular shop. It was followed by another sign, this time for a retirement sale.
Here is a look back at a 2013 story on the “Merchant of Cool,” pulled from Black Press Media’s archives.
Merchant of Cool
In a hip shop tucked away in Langford, you’ll find everything from antique glass door knobs, to skeleton keys or an 1880s solid oak buffet. Unearth these treasures at the Victoria Trading Post, which hosts not one, but two, noteworthy stores.
| Kristina Lagadyn, right, assistant manager of General Salvage and Fred Gallichen, owner of Memories, run their businesses at Victoria Trading Post in Langford. (Black Press Media file photo) |
The ground level of the building is home to Memories. Owner Fred Gallichen has run the business where he has specialized in high-end furniture, art and Persian carpets for 40 years. The shop is packed from floor to ceiling with detailed furniture and hundreds of wooden chairs hang from the rafters. “If something has already lasted 100 years, it will last another 100,” says Gallichen. “A lot of my items are one-of-a-kind.
The basement of the Trading Post at 3108 Jacklin Rd. is home to General Salvage. Here, the antiques are significantly different. While upstairs items can run into the hundreds or thousands of dollars, below ground, prices start at just $1.
Here, you’ll find mostly odds and ends including 100-year-old skeleton keys and old military items such as ammunition boxes and flashlights.
“Usually someone will find something here (they want),” says Kristina Lagadyn, assistant manager of General Salvage.
Children are the biggest buyers of skeleton keys and old bottles, while owners of character homes come in when they are looking to replace fixtures.
Both businesses have been growing with the up-cycling movement which encourages taking something old and using it for an alternate purpose. The employees have joined in, making and selling items including door knob coat hooks and serving trays made of salvaged wood and old handles.
ALSO READ: The Trading Post in Langford is up for sale
Do you have a story tip? Email: vnc.editorial@blackpress.ca.
Follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook.