Photograph by George Sakkestad
Sunnyvale Antiques and Collectibles owner Sid Copeland is a collector of old treasures.
By LESTER CHANG
Someone once said, " One man's junk is another man's treasure." Sid Copeland, owner of Sunnyvale Antiques Collectibles at the Sunnyvale Town Center, hopes customers find nothing but treasure at his place, which is crammed with more than 100,000 antiques from throughout the world.
On any given day, shoppers stop in to survey the wide array of clocks, vases, tables and books Copeland values at up to $1 million.
His most valued possession is a blackened metal Chinese vase dating back 2,000 years. He bought it at a garage sale in Santa Clara Valley and says it is worth $10,000.
"People come in because this is art. They also get to be in touch with history," said Copeland, who greets shoppers at the door and has the look of a California gold prospector from the 1800s.
Copeland, who is 73, has collected items for more than 25 years and has owned stores in Mountain View and in Sunnyvale since 1980.
The management at Town Center almost didn't lease space to Copeland because they thought he couldn't make a go of it, Copeland said.
"But I have been successful because I know what will bring people in," he said with a wink of his eye. "The shopping center is concerned about getting more people in. I do that by bringing people in from all over the world." Copeland's store is one of five antique stores in Sunnyvale and the only one in a mall, he said.
Most of his antiques come from Africa, Asia, Australia, Indonesia, England and the United States. Copeland picked up some from his travels, but acquired most of his goods from garage sales in Santa Clara Valley and from collectors.
One of the more unusual items at this store is a basket-shaped bamboo monkey trap from Asia.
As a monkey pulls fruit out of the basket, the mouth will close tighter and tighter as the monkey tries to put out its paw. Copeland wants more than $200 for it.
Among other prized antiques in his store, Copeland has a washing machine made in England in the 1800s, a vacuum cleaner made in Chicago at the turn of the century, crucifixes, a 2-foot-tall wood carving of Ferdinand Marcos--the one-time president of the Philippines--in military uniform, and an Ansonia clock that was made at the turn of the century.
Jonathan Gerkensmeyer, a student at Crittenden Middle School in Mountain View, said a visit to the store was special.
"Buying these things is a neat way to preserve history,"said Gerkensmeyer, as he scanned the aisles for items. "There is a lot of stuff here. But there are some real treasures here."
This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, January 22, 1997.
©1997 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.