Main Street Antiques home to historical items — and a friendly ghost

BY JOE CORTEZ Turlock Journal

When you’re talking about the history of Turlock, there’s really nothing more historical than an antique store, home to all sorts of old and interesting items.

And when you’re talking about old and interesting items, there’s not much that compares to a ghost.

Main Street Antiques, 208 E. Main St., has been selling vintage and antique merchandise for nearly three decades, offering everything from antique furniture to comic books to vinyl records to vintage dishware.

They have yet, however, to find a buyer for a ghost that reportedly hangs out in the southwest corner of the store.

“I’ve never seen it,” said co-owner Jennifer Jensen, who has partnered with Lori Smith since 2015. “But we’ve had customers tell us, ‘You know you have a ghost in here, right?’”

Based on customer response, the ghost hasn’t made an appearance in the store for quite some time. But Jensen figures if there was a ghost on the premises, it likely had something to do with the figures that plagued the building in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

According to Smith, the original building was constructed in 1871 … back when the front door faced Golden State Boulevard, then called Front Street. In the late 19th century, the entire block was destroyed in a fire.

The second building on the site suffered from a multitude of fires — 17, according to Jensen.

“They discovered that sawdust was used as insulation,” said Jensen. “That probably had something to do with all the fires.”

The current building was constructed in 1920. Over the years, a number of businesses have occupied the site, including Miss Margie’s clothing store, owned by the late Richard Soderquist. It eventually became Expressions, then Express for Less, but when big commercial retailers started moving into town, Soderquist decided to get out of the clothing business and opened Main Street Antiques.

Smith and Jensen both started as vendors within the store, and both still love what they do.

“It’s a fun business because everybody’s happy when they come in here,” said Jensen. “It’s definitely not the DMV.”

Smith agrees with her partner.

“It never gets old,” Smith said. “You’re always learning new things about all the old things we have for sale. I love doing research and I love our customers. It’s all about walking down memory lane.”

Smith remembers exploring old, abandoned buildings with her family when she was a youngster.

“Back in the day when you could do that sort of thing,” she said.

That led to her love for vintage and antique items. But not just a love for the objects themselves. It’s the thrill of the chase that’s most appealing.

“That’s why I got into it,” said Jensen. “I like to go hunting for things. It’s fun.”

Jensen pointed out that these days, people aren’t just collecting items, they’re actually using them.

“For a time, everybody seemed to be collecting Depression glass,” Jensen said of the product that got its name because companies that made luxury crystal were forced to reconsider their products during the Great Depression. “People still want it, but not to collect. They want to use it.”

Whether you want to add something to your collection or use it every day, whether it’s antique (more than 100 years old) or vintage (more than 30 years old), and whether it was once owned by a Turlock pioneer or still owned by a loitering ghost, it’s probably on the shelves at Main Street Antiques.