Say Cheese, Ducky!

Some weeks ago, Jack and Kelly-Marie Howard of the UK stopped by Timeless Treasures during a visit to San Francisco. Like so many other people who appear to be on a mission when they first arrive in the shop, they made a beeline for our drawers and cubbies of vintage sign letters. And, as so often happens when someone begins rummaging through the old letters, other people in the store became curious and asked what they were going to spell.

Soon they were trying various combinations of letters to spell out JACK and KELLY and DUCKY, which turns out to be the name of their beloved pet. And when they were finished, we asked Kelly to be sure and send along a photo of how it all came together back home.

Recently we received a note and a snapshot of Ducky poised on Jack's hand in front of their words. Kelly says that "the words look lovely" on their bedroom wall.

"She really is a lovely pet to have," Kelly added, "and we both love and enjoy every minute with her."

in the fine print: new SF guidebook calls Timeless Treasures "a decorator's dream"

We're always interested in how people find out about Timeless Treasures.

Oftentimes customers say that a friend sent them, or that someone bought them a gift here.

Other people who are out strolling around the neighborhood notice the store for the first time, and stop in.

And, of course, in the age of Blackberries and iPhones, lots of people find us on Yelp or by Googling.

A few weeks ago we learned of another way people are discovering us, when a visitor from out of town said she saw a write-up in a new guidebook, San Francisco: spend less see more, edited by Pauline Frommer.

In a section on shopping, Frommer focuses on ways to "fill your bags without emptying your wallet", and says shoppers will be rewarded for ducking into countless boutiques spread around town, investigating the off-the-beaten path neighborhoods "for little stores worth a gander."

Among what Frommer calls "individual stores you'll want to visit", she describes Timeless Treasures as "eclectic," and "quite like any other store you might have seen." She writes that the store's "real fame is in its letters -- of every font, size and purpose," and "is the word for the alphabet."