Nana's Antiques

08/31/2026

🌿 ON THIS DAY IN VANCOUVER HISTORY — AUGUST 30, 1975 🌺

There are places in Vancouver that seem as though they’ve simply always been there.

VanDusen Botanical Garden isn’t one of them.

On August 30, 1975, Vancouver officially opened VanDusen Botanical Garden at Oak Street and 37th Avenue — and anyone walking through the gates that Saturday saw a garden that looked considerably different from the leafy landmark we know today.

🌳 Before there was VanDusen, much of the 22.2-hectare property had been the Shaughnessy Golf Club.

Even B.C. Premier Dave Barrett had a connection to its earlier days. As a Britannia High School student, he had worked there as a caddy. When he returned for the garden’s opening, he reportedly said it was his first time back since his teenage years.

At 2 p.m., Barrett and Vancouver Mayor Art Phillips held the ribbon while 85-year-old forestry executive W.J. VanDusen cut it.

VanDusen had contributed $1 million toward creating the garden, helping finally settle years of debate over what would happen to the former golf-course property.

Canadian Pacific Railway had originally wanted $5.2 million for the land. The city and province were prepared to pay $2.5 million. Eventually, CPR agreed to sell for $2.2 million while retaining 4.8 hectares for housing development.

Opening day included tours and music from the Kitsilano Boys Band. 🎺

And admission?

🌺 Adults: $1
🌱 Students: 25¢

Now here’s the part we love.

VanDusen wasn’t really finished.

Newspaper coverage warned Vancouverites that a brand-new botanical garden naturally had a somewhat “raw” appearance. Annual flowers were being planted as temporary fillers while the trees, shrubs and permanent gardens had time to grow.

Visitors weren’t seeing the finished VanDusen.

They were seeing the beginning of it. ❤️

Garden curator Roy Forster oversaw the planting of roughly 12,000 trees, flowers and shrubs representing more than 3,000 species. His work would eventually help earn him the Order of Canada.

And beneath all those new plantings was something considerably older.

During excavation, workers found seashells — evidence that the land had been beneath the ocean roughly 12,000 years earlier. 🐚

Imagine that.

Golf course.

Botanical garden.

And, long before either one, ocean floor.

Today, more than half a century later, generations of Vancouver and Surrey families have wandered those paths, admired the flowers, taken photographs, attended events and probably said at least once, “What kind of plant is that?” 🌸😂

That’s the lovely thing about places like VanDusen.

Someone had to plant the first tree.

Someone had to walk the first path.

And then the memories started growing too.

Do you remember your first visit to VanDusen Botanical Garden? 🌿

Come wander through some memories with us at Nana’s Antiques — because sometimes an old photograph, garden tool, vase or little piece of Vancouver history can take you right back.

📍 Nana’s Antiques
17633 57th Ave, Surrey
📞 604.575.4897

We can not guarantee this will be in stock when you come in as our inventory changes daily.

08/30/2026

🎶🌼 BEFORE DOLLY WAS SIMPLY… DOLLY

On February 20, 1972, a 26-year-old Dolly Parton appeared onstage at Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre as part of the Porter Wagoner Show.

And a Vancouver newspaper review from the performance gives us a wonderful little glimpse of Dolly before she became one of the biggest stars in the world.

At the end of her solo spot, Dolly apparently looked out at the audience and said:

“I know you’re all bustin’ to see Porter, so I won’t take up any more of your time, thank you, thank you very much.”

The reviewer described her manner as “beautifully humble.”

Imagine that for a moment.

This was Dolly Parton — but not yet the Dolly Parton the whole world would come to know.

🌼 “Coat of Many Colors” had been released.

But…

🎵 “Jolene” was still two years away.
🎵 “I Will Always Love You” was still to come.
🎵 9 to 5 was nearly a decade away.
🎵 Dollywood didn’t exist.
🎵 Her enormous pop-culture fame was still somewhere down the road.

In 1972, Dolly and Porter Wagoner were one of country music’s best-known partnerships. The Vancouver reviewer called them both “immensely popular country entertainers,” whether performing separately or together.

The Porter Wagoner Show also brought some serious talent with it. Buck Trent’s banjo playing was singled out in the review as one of the outstanding parts of the evening.

But it’s Dolly’s little comment that gets us.

There she was at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, thanking everyone and hurrying along because she figured Vancouver was “bustin’” to see Porter.

If only someone in that audience could have whispered:

“Dolly… give it a couple of years.” 😂❤️

More than half a century later, millions of people would probably be quite happy if she took up a little more of their time.

Do you remember seeing Dolly Parton, Porter Wagoner or another country legend perform in Vancouver? We’d love to hear where and when. Those memories are exactly the sort of stories we love at Nana’s Antiques. 🥰

📍 Nana’s Antiques
17633 57th Ave, Surrey
📞 604.575.4897

We can not guarantee this will be in stock when you come in as our inventory changes daily.

08/29/2026

08/28/2026

This beauty is a ship’s wheel clock, and it’s steering straight toward coastal daydreams and salt-air stories. Designed to look like a helm from an old ship, pieces like this were popular in the mid-1900s, when nautical décor was all the rage and every living room secretly wanted to be at sea.

Brass finish, classic numbers, and enough maritime charm to make you hear gulls even if you’re landlocked. Perfect for a den, cottage, or anywhere that could use a little “ahoy” on the hour. Time may march on, but this one prefers to sail.

You’ll find treasures like this at Nana’s Antiques, tucked into the heart of the Vancouver and Surrey community at 17633 57th Ave, Surrey. Give us a ring at 604.575.4897 and chart your course over.

We can not guarantee this will be in stock when you come in as our inventory changes daily.

Drop anchor, come say hi, and see what stories are waiting on the shelves. ⚓🕰️

08/26/2026

👛 Picture it… a thrift store, sometime in the 1980s.

Estelle Getty needed just the right handbag for a character named Sophia Petrillo.

She found one.

And nearly 40 years later, that thrift-store purse just sold for $192,000. 😲

Yes… THAT purse.

If you watched The Golden Girls, you probably remember Sophia carrying her little straw handbag almost everywhere. Estelle Getty reportedly chose the purse herself, along with a polyester dress, straw hat and gloves — all thrift-store finds she used to help create Sophia’s unforgettable look.

The handbag appeared throughout The Golden Girls, from the pilot to the final episode, and Getty carried it again on The Golden Palace.

But our favourite part of the story isn’t the auction price.

Getty once explained why the purse mattered to Sophia. When older people have to leave their homes, she said, some of their most important possessions often end up travelling with them in a handbag.

In other words, that little purse wasn’t simply a prop.

It was part of Sophia’s life. ❤️

Getty kept it after the series ended, reportedly storing Sophia’s wig and a pair of her glasses inside.

And now?

The purse that began as an ordinary thrift-store find sold at Julien’s Auctions for an astonishing $192,000 — more than 12 times its $15,000 high estimate.

It’s a pretty wonderful reminder of something we believe at Nana’s Antiques:

You never really know where an old object has been, who loved it, or what story it might eventually tell.

And somewhere out there, perhaps there’s another future piece of television history sitting quietly on a thrift-store shelf. 😉

Were you a Golden Girls fan? And more importantly… were you a Dorothy, Rose, Blanche or Sophia? 📺👛💛

Come wander through Nana’s Antiques and see what stories are waiting to be discovered.

📍 Nana’s Antiques
17633 57th Ave, Surrey
📞 604.575.4897

Story source: Antique Trader, August 26, 2026
Auction information: Julien’s Auctions

08/26/2026

💛 Tuesday Testimonial 💛

Some testimonials tell you what people think of a store. This one tells you something about its heart.

Janice shared this beautiful memory about Nana’s Antiques and the connection to her dad’s former store, Jack’s Antiques:

“Nana - Debbie has done such a lovely job with what use to be my Dad's store, Jack's Antiques. May he rest in peace! A beautiful lady we all adore. She loves helping people find their special items @ the store. She is carrying on the legacy of being a true lover of antiques & collectables.” — Janice

That word “legacy” means a lot around here. ❤️

Antique shops have always been about more than the things sitting on the shelves. They’re about the people who saved them, collected them, sold them, loved them and eventually passed them along to someone else.

We’re proud that Nana’s Antiques can carry on a little piece of Jack’s Antiques while creating new memories of our own — right here in the Surrey and Vancouver community. 🕰️🪑📻

Thank you, Janice, for such kind words and for sharing a little of your dad’s story with us. ❤️

Come wander through Nana’s Antiques and see what brings back a memory for you — or perhaps find something that starts a whole new one.

📍 Nana’s Antiques
17633 57th Ave, Surrey
📞 604.575.4897

We can not guarantee this will be in stock when you come in as our inventory changes daily.

08/25/2026

We get a lot of people wondering where we are. Hopefully this will help. We are close to the the Museum of Surrey and The Henry! Near the intersection of highway 10 and 15. We get to explore the amazing things at the museum, go for a great lunch at the Henry and be central to everything.

08/24/2026

Sunday is a good day for slowing down a little… and antiques seem to understand that better than most of us. 🕰️❤️

Some things have survived 50, 80, even 100 years because somebody along the way decided they were worth taking care of.

And sometimes taking care of them means doing less.

Pieces made from materials such as jade, ivory, horn, and marble generally don’t need aggressive cleaning. A soft, dry cloth or gentle brush can often be enough to remove dust without risking damage. Keep delicate pieces away from prolonged direct sunlight and excessive heat, and when you move them, give them the two-handed treatment. 😊

It’s funny when you think about it.

Someone may have carefully dusted that little ornament in 1946.

Someone else packed it into a box when the family moved in 1963.

Maybe it sat on a mantel in a Vancouver bungalow, or on a dresser in a Surrey home, quietly watching generations come and go.

Now it has made its way to another set of hands.

That’s one of the things we love about antiques. We don’t really own them forever.

We’re just the next person entrusted with their story. ❤️

What’s something you own that has been carefully passed down through your family? We’d love to hear the story. 👇

Come wander through Nana’s Antiques and see what memories are waiting to be rediscovered.

📍 Nana’s Antiques
17633 57th Ave, Surrey
📞 604.575.4897

We can not guarantee this will be in stock when you come in as our inventory changes daily.

08/23/2026

🕰️ When telling time was only half the job…

There was a time when a clock wasn’t something glowing from the corner of your phone. It sat on the mantel, dresser or sideboard, ticked away quietly, and quite often was meant to be admired as much as it was meant to tell you that you were late. 😄

This fascinating clock at Nana’s Antiques is a wonderful example.

The name on the front is Весна — Vesna — a Soviet clock brand whose name translates rather beautifully to “Spring.” 🌷

But it’s the artwork that really makes this piece special.

The black lacquered base and wonderfully detailed scenes appear to be in the tradition of Mstyora lacquer miniature painting, one of Russia’s celebrated decorative arts. These miniature paintings were painstakingly created with incredibly fine details, often depicting Russian folklore, fairy tales, landscapes, horses and scenes from traditional life.

🐎 Take a close look at the base and you’ll spot the horse-drawn winter scene.

Then look inside the clock face itself. Instead of a plain dial, there’s another elaborate miniature scene surrounded by gold Roman numerals and decorative flourishes.

Vesna clocks decorated with Mstyora lacquer miniatures are known from the Soviet era, including examples from the 1960s and 1970s. Particularly elaborate versions were also produced around the time of the 1980 Moscow Olympics and sold through Soviet shops catering to visitors and collectors.

We can’t say with certainty that this particular clock was one of those Olympic-era examples without seeing its markings, but it appears to belong to that wonderful tradition of combining an everyday object with traditional art.

And really, that’s one of the things we love about antiques.

Someone could have made a clock.

Instead, somebody decided the clock needed horses, folklore, gold decoration and a miniature painting too. ❤️

Come take a closer look at Nana’s Antiques — you never quite know what little piece of the world is going to be sitting on the next shelf.

📍 Nana’s Antiques
17633 57th Ave, Surrey
📞 604.575.4897

We can not guarantee this will be in stock when you come in as our inventory changes daily.

What do you remember sitting on your family’s mantel or shelf — a clock, a radio, family photographs… or something nobody was allowed to touch? 👇😊

08/22/2026

🛒 Remember when grocery shopping looked like this?

This Surrey grocery ad from 1931 is one of those wonderful little time capsules where you can almost imagine someone sitting at the kitchen table, pencil in hand, figuring out what the week's groceries would cost.

Curtis Cash Grocery was advertising its Friday specials, and some of these prices certainly make you look twice. 👀

🥫 Pink salmon — 10¢ a tin
🧼 Palmolive soap — 4 bars for 25¢
🥣 Quick Quaker Oats — 19¢
🦪 Christie's Oyster Crackers — 3 for 25¢
🥫 Heinz Vegetable Soup — 9¢ a tin
🧻 Toilet paper — 5 rolls for 15¢
☕ Malkin's Best Tea or Coffee — 2 lbs for 85¢
🍍 Sliced pineapple — 3 for 29¢
🥣 Shredded Wheat — 19¢
🧼 Sunlight Soap — 4 bars for 18¢
🥗 Dutch Maid Salad Dressing — 23¢ for 11 oz. or 41¢ for 23 oz.

And there's another little piece of history hiding at the top of the advertisement: the store's telephone number was simply "63L." ☎️ No area code. No seven-digit number. Just 63L.

Of course, those prices need a little perspective. People weren't earning 2026 wages in 1931, and Canada was in the depths of the Great Depression. Eighty-five cents for two pounds of coffee or tea could represent a meaningful chunk of a family's budget.

But that's what makes an old grocery advertisement like this so interesting. The tins, packages and bars of soap weren't antiques then. They were simply the things somebody needed for supper, breakfast, laundry day and keeping the household running.

Ninety-five years later, that ordinary shopping list has become a little piece of Surrey history. ❤️

At Nana's Antiques, that's exactly what we love about old things. A tin, bottle, advertising sign, kitchen utensil or grocery package can bring back an entire world — and sometimes a memory you hadn't thought about in decades.

What jumps out at you most: five rolls of toilet paper for 15¢, soup for 9¢, or coffee and tea being one of the expensive items on the page? 😊

Come wander through Nana's Antiques and see what memories are waiting on the shelves. You never know what will take you straight back to Grandma's kitchen. 🕰️❤️

📍 Nana's Antiques
17633 57th Ave, Surrey
📞 604.575.4897

We can not guarantee this will be in stock when you come in as our inventory changes daily.