We had the good fortune of connecting with Chuck & Martha Garcera and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chuck & Martha, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
Our business, antique and vintage buying and selling, by nature is all about reusing items. We are all about giving items a new home, a new owner that appreciates well made older items. What better way to help the community and world by extending the life cycle of clothing/apparel, decor, furniture, jewelry, and more. We are environmentalists, ambassadors of the planet……we help recycle and repurpose valuable resources that are cherished by all generations (young and old).

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Chuck – worked 23 years for Rockwell/Boeing as an Project Engineering on the Space Shuttle Program. He developed a knack for running projects, building item, and overseeing people and finances which comes in handy for running a business.

Martha – worked 26 years as a Sheriff Deputy of Los Angeles County. She developed a knack for reading people and has always loved crafts and decorating which comes in handy in buying and decorating the store.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

Wow……this is tough because the Socal/California area has a ton of places to eat, drink, visit and hang out. That’s why we love it here. You never run out of things to do. We would suggest they:

1) Visit a Museum: Getty, Broad, Griffith observatory, Peterson, LACMA, Academy Movie, etc

2) Eat/drink: LA has many speakeasies, breweries and eateries: Spagos, Portos, Randy Donuts, In-N-Out, Food Trucks, Anaheim Packing District, Cicada Club – Art Deco historic site

3) Take a city tour: LA walking tours, San Diego tour, Amtrak, etc

4) Hang out: at the beach, wineries (Temecula, NAPA, etc), ball games (Dodger, Rams (SoFi), etc), concerts (Greek, Ford, etc).
5) Shop: Antique stores (of course), Flea Markets (Rose Bowl or Long Beach), Rodeo Dr., Grove/Farmers Market, outlet malls, anti-malls (The Lab in Orange County)

Or Search: LA Visitor & Tourism site (Discovery LA); Yelp, etc. for ideas

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Well, this one is easy for us. Our daughter Sara, started collecting and selling her Star Wars collections when she was 9 years old. She is a real Kid Picker. She was doing great and asked to sell (share a space) with Martha’s friend at an antique store. Martha got the fever and started collecting and selling too. Our garage started getting full. Shortly thereafter, Martha heard the mall, King Richard’s Antique Center was for sale. The rest is history. Big kudos to younger daughter Sara for helping start our fun and very successful, 15 year old, family business. FYI, Sara (27 yrs old) now owns her own store in Merriam, Kansas – Slater St Antiques.

Website: www.kingrichardsantiques.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kingrichardsantiquecenter/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whittierpackinghouse

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/king-richards-antique-center-whittier

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1J0Wif14vK_dSvm-yTjVHg

Other: TripAdvisor https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g33268-d1943729-Reviews-King_Richard_s_Antique_Center-Whittier_California.html

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSocal is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.