By Alexander Dworkowitz
With its narrow aisles stretching the length of a city block, Golden Oldies in Flushing resembles a Hollywood movie set more than it does an antique shop.
Workers are constantly moving mirrors, armoires and lamps through the cavernous building, which houses everything from suits of armor to flower pots to a Model T Ford. Even in a time of slow business, the phones ring off the hook, and Erik Weinstein, the 26-year-old son of the owner of Golden Oldies, dashes from customer to customer.
“Never buy an object with a specific place in mind,” advises a sign painted to look like a shield, directed at the business’ often overwhelmed customers. “Love the piece, and in the end it will find the perfect spot.”
Golden Oldies is the largest importer of antiques in the country, according to its owners. The sprawling facility includes a 100,000-square-foot show room and a separate building nearly just as large, in which scores of craftsmen restore and customize the antiques.
“One man’s garbage is another man’s profit,” Weinstein joked.
Golden Oldies was founded in Whitestone by Mark Weinstein, Erik’s father, nearly 30 years ago. A former schoolteacher, the elder Weinstein was looking for a way to earn more money and found his calling in the dealing of antiques.
The business rapidly expanded, and after about a decade Golden Oldies moved to Flushing.
The location itself is at odds with the marvels inside. The showroom at 132-29 33rd Ave. is tucked away on a side street in a gritty area surrounded by other warehouses, and it is a short walk from the factories along College Point Boulevard.
“We used to have a slogan, ‘With a location this bad, our prices have to be good,’” Erik Weinstein said.
Most Golden Oldies customers come from outside the immediate area. Many travel from Long Island to the warehouse, and the store offers free transportation for customers coming from Manhattan.
Golden Oldies also has five smaller locations in Long Island, New Jersey and Westchester, where the Weinsteins are from.
A significant amount of their business comes from selling their products wholesale to antique dealers throughout the country.
The family lives somewhat of a worldly lifestyle. The Weinsteins fly around the globe to find their wares, often taking off several times a month.
“Everything is hand-picked,” Weinstein said.
The family uses its contacts in countries such as Italy, India and China in a constant quest to find new merchandise.
The key, Weinstein said, is knowing the taste of their customers.
“Everyone has their own flavor,” he said. “Some people like the rustic look. You get the rustic look out of India. You get the formal look out of France.”
Their frequent trips result in the arrival of tons of antiques. Every week, three or four shipping containers crammed full of items are delivered from around the world.
Most of Golden Oldies’ 100-odd employees work to repair or modernize the antiques. Their labor includes wiring chandeliers, installing a sink in an armoire and a television in a dresser.
Almost all of the craftsmen are immigrants from Latin America or Asia.
“It’s a dead art,” Weinstein said. “No Americans want to do it.”
Weinstein admitted he likes certain antiques more than others and said he could easily fill up his home with new items every week. But he and his family made sure not to turn their trips to exotic locales into a personal shopping spree.
“You can’t fall in love with the product,” he said.
Golden Oldies is open seven days a week and can be reached at 445-9809.
Reach reporter Alexander Dworkowitz by e-mail at Timesledger@aol.com or call 229-0300, Ext. 141.
