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Jeff Spence, a Modern Antique Collector WRITTEN BY: MEgHAN MErEDItH PHOTOGRAPHY BY: CHrIS CHAvIrA Of CCIMAgES.COM
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alking into Mid Century, a modern antique store on Park Avenue, feels like entering a portal back in time when the art of living was simple; when quality was king and the good things were built to last. People talked to each other. People shopped on sidewalks. Furniture and home goods were crafted and refined. People kept things. There is an art to the buying and selling of antiques. To buy an antique is to buy an investment; and not necessarily an investment in the piece itself, but rather in the feeling and culture of a time gone by. The piece purchased has a past and, like a good story, it connects people back to each other and back to humanity. An antique buyer doesn’t live in a box or by the status quo. The lure of antique is in the originality. Jeff Spence, the owner of Mid Century, is also one of a kind. He is not a hands-on salesman. And thank goodness. He keeps time in his store, his sweet, rescue dog a constant by his side, but that’s it. He greets customers kindly, not particularly interested in pushing a sale. There is no feeling of rush, of having to accomplish something. In fact, you have to check yourself once you walk in – because you change. The pace is slow, but efficient, simple and yet profound. Walking into Mid Century is, well, pleasant. Once inside you are taken back to times that were not bent on acquisition, of owning as much stuff as possible. There is a relief to it. A sense that you can think and you can take your time. You are allowed to ask questions. But more importantly, you are allowed to imagine. Jeff can sense when his customers need engaging and when they simply want to look. He lets them feast their eyes, to travel the lines of a lamp or a table without interruption so that they may find that special piece that will give new inspiration to their home. Making wise decisions is encouraged, and so listening to your heart becomes inevitable. Jeff’s collection showcases furniture that was meant for sitting and conversing with each other, for living well and for gathering people together.
Q: How did Mid Century (formally known as Boomerang) come to be? JEff SPENCE: I started about 25 years ago and just always had an interest in the ‘50s. I just loved the style. And in the beginning years, in the late ‘80s into the ‘90s, it was quite different than you see now. It was mostly chrome dinettes and tacky, but now it has become more and more serious design. The expanse of the store has been doubled, and I’ve taken the next store over. Q: In the last 25 years, what has your clientele looked like? JS: That is what is so interesting about it is that there isn’t a typical client. There’s anywhere from teens to 80 year old people. It’s the full gamut of people discovering it for the first time, and then people who are adding to their collection or downsizing and needing different types of pieces. The variety is more than most stores would cater to, and I try to run the whole gamut of pricing as well. There are things for people just starting out and pieces for the designer and the collector. Q: Where do you find your pieces, without giving away too many of your secrets? JS: I would say half are referrals, estates, people who shop for me, and word of mouth. I still like to shop. I’ll shop three days a week. I am purely local. I don’t do anything online. Q: So, Mid Century could actually be considered a collection of San Diego history from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s. JS: Yes. It is. This is one of the few total brick and mortar stores. I don’t buy online or sell online. And I don’t look forward to when stores like this don’t exist anymore. Younger people go online and they find a piece they like and off they go to look at it. They don’t hit the pavement and shop. Q: What do you feel makes the Mid Century store unique? JS: I definitely have a niche. I don’t really offer a gallery experience. That’s not what I’m after at all. I’m into people who can pick out things from the store and imagine them in their house. There are great pieces here that you can add to what’s going on in your house and make it happen. This
type of furniture can add to an eclectic home. There are people that will have Asian but they’ll have modern pieces offsetting the Asian, and it just looks really good together. It doesn’t have to be cookie cutter or predictable. I’m selling much more of a variety than ever before including the ‘20s and a little bit from the ‘80s, too. Q: Do you have favorite pieces that you would be sad to part with? JS: There’s a woven cane sofa that is low production and designed by Paul Laszlo, and that is something I never even thought I’d see because it’s very rare. They were basically handmade in Los Angeles in the 1940s and you just don’t see that many of them. Q: How do you feel when your customers buy the pieces you have hand selected? JS: I hope the pieces go to those who appreciate them. I’m not as acquisitive as I used to be. Q: What do you see for the future of the store since going online doesn’t sound like it’s happening? JS: There’s pressure to expand online, but I don’t know if it’s for me. I like the personal experience with the customer and the one-onone interaction. It’s more interesting to me. I have a feeling I’ll have the store until I retire, and then it will be sold. Q: Have you ever walked into a home and recognized a piece of yours? JS: Yes, absolutely, and there’s been pieces that I’ve sold more than twice, more than three times. I think people don’t realize that if you buy properly and with some thought you actually can live with something, it will accrue in value and you can sell it back to the person and almost make your money back. Q: What do you feel is the draw of the antique? JS: I think a lot of people want their own stamp of individuality, the way you put together a house. It’s not just the elements but it’s the way that it’s done that makes it interesting. The draw to Mid Century is inexplicable. It’s a broad spectrum that offers quality and simplicity.
| Indian Summer 2013 Issue | 159