By Susan McDonald

Think "antiques" in Paso Robles and visions of old wagon wheels, cow bells and butter churns come to mind. If that's all you come up with, well, you'd better think again. Paso is becoming quite cosmopolitan. At least when it comes to antiques.

That's right. Trek the streets of downtown Paso Robles and you will of course, find vintage Americana, along with some really, really old stuff from France, England, the Middle East - and just about any other place you can think of. What a trip!

Set along Highway 101 about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, Paso Robles is a popular stopping spot for visitors. The region's renowned wineries lure both tourists and new residents to this charming town. Maybe it has something to do with the rise of wineries and vineyards in the surrounding hills over the past 20 years, but for whatever reason Paso Robles is turning into an antiquers dream.

Americana on Tap Everywhere

Downtown Paso has at least seven antique stores within walking distance of each other downtown near the intersection of Spring and 13th streets. Awfully Civilized (1311 Park) is a shop filled with English treasures and Ali's Antiques (1245 Park) offers a large collection of Persian rugs and antiques from the Middle East. Virginia's Attic (Spring St.) specializes in beautiful glass, china and ceramics. And there are some large malls: The Antique Emporium (1307 Park), Sentimental Journey (1344 Pine) and Pearly Gates (500 13th St.).

Great American Antiques, on the corner of Spring and 13th streets, is the granddaddy of them all. At the same location for decades, it's one of the biggest (9,000 sq. ft. and 40 dealers) and best places to shop for Americana. Plan to spend at least a couple hours wandering the nooks and crannies of this intriguing barn of a store.

The old wooden wagon wheels and rusty farm equipment out front set the tone. If you're into American furniture and collectibles with a past, this is the place for you.

Great American's location in the heart of the town's growing antiquing district is a real plus, according to dealer Marilyn Greenhaw. "When I go visit a town," she said, "it's important to me that there are at least a few stores to see. If there's just one, that really doesn't thrill me. I probably wouldn't stop there."

Her store is the friendliest in the region, Greenhaw insisted. "And you don't have to spend a lot of money to take home something special." It's true; postcards and other old paper goods sold there are fun and inexpensive. Just ask dealer David Taddei, who has been collecting and selling paper for about 20 years.

"Paper has a lot of history," he said. "It's the most interesting to me." His oldest postcards date back to the late 1800s. Some have postmarks and messages inscribed on them. Others are in mint condition. Their value depends on the buyer's preference.

"Many collectors want cards with writing on them, and postmarks, perhaps, from towns that do not exist any more," Taddei said. "Others want them mint."

His most precious item is a publication called "The Rock," a booklet of photos and names of the troops stationed at Pearl Harbor just five months before the bombing that brought the U.S. into World War II. "This book is very rare, very special," Taddei said.

He also has for sale Disneyland maps from the 1950s and menus from Joe DiMaggio's San Francisco restaurant of the 1940s. And there's a rack of old Life magazines next to another rack of old comic books. Here's a tip from the dealer: "Anything from Yosemite is collectible bigtime."

Country collectibles abound at Great American Antiques. There's a large selection of popular ceramic "head vases," featuring women wearing hats and a lot of makeup - items typically found in the parlors and boudoirs of old farmhouses. Vintage cooking stoves, cast iron pans, branding irons, bridles and bits fill many walls and cases. There's some beautiful pottery, including Roseville vases and a McCoy covered wagon cookie jar. And Gasoline Alley near the front entrance features old tin oilcans and other automobilia.

Nancy Fetzer of Modesto was recently browsing the large shop with her husband "just for fun," she said. "I used to collect ceramic Siamese cats," she said. "Now I collect little wind-up clocks. My husband is always looking for old fishing reels."

Dealer Marilyn Greenhaw offers a variety of elegant furniture in her large display area, including a mahogany fold-out game table dated 1939 and a chrome dinette set from the 1940s. "We sell lot of furniture," Greenhaw said. That particular day, she also had for sale a vintage corset, an antique pine tool chest with dovetail joints and square nails and lots of small collectible kitchen items.

But it's more than just the collectibles themselves - or even the desire for an amusing way to spend an afternoon that draws antiques fans to shops like Greenhaw's. It's the memories, too, she believes. Lots of times, "They just want to reminisce."

Finding the Really Really Old Stuff

A block - and what seem like a world away - is Clotilde et Yves (1237 Park St.), a small shop filled with elegant French antiques.

Husband and wife owners Yves and Clotilde Julien are newcomers to Paso Robles. They moved there from Paris. Their little store has been open only since July 2000, but they are doing big business with local residents and visitors. Sales are so good that Yves is commuting back to France each month to buy new merchandise.

"I prefer to stay here," he said. "Moving here is like a dream."

Most of their furniture is from the 18th and 19th centuries - with some additional pieces from the Deco period of the 20th Century. They specialize in "country French" furniture made of oak, chestnut, walnut or cherry. Their finds are old, beautiful and unique, but not meant for a museum, said Clotilde. "The main thing is this furniture is to be used. It is furniture we have always liked."

Customers are mostly "curious" locals and visitors from out of town who come in to check out what they have to offer. "We get a lot of people from L.A. and the Bay Area and people who work in the movie industry," Clotilde said. "And we get a lot of people who have second homes in this area. There are a lot of new people moving here."

One woman even flew in from New York to shop after seeing their website (countryfrenchantique.com).

Would You Like a Story With That?

Yves and Clotilde know the history behind each piece they sell. An oak kitchen trunk that dates back to 1880 is an example of storage before cabinets with doors came into being, they explained. The trunk has a top that lifts up with room inside for pots and pans, as well as a lower drawer for utensils. No cabinet doors.

This type of storage later evolved into a short cabinet with doors instead of a lift-up top, and then into a cabinet with shelves on top to hold plates. "That's when this furniture moved into the dining room," said Clotilde.

They selected an 18th century armoire from Provence because of its decorative carvings - grapes, wheat roses - typical of plants grown in the Paso Robles area. And they always have some interesting upholstered chairs. Frequently in stock are armchairs with high backs are called "Voltaire" chairs after the famous French philosopher because they were the style of chair he could sit in and rest his head to think. "Orriete" or eared chairs have winged sides that provided warmth in drafty castles.

And there's a baker's table that could now be used as a coffee table because of its low height and broad top. The surprise is the top slides back to reveal storage inside. More than 100 years ago, bakers would use the table to store dough overnight, Yves explained. "Now," he joked, " it would be perfect for keeping beer, potato chips and the remote."

Ah, the French. What a sense of humor.

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Susan McDonald is an award-winning journalist with a taste for antiques.