Shen’s Gallery & Imports

An utmost surprise with the huge collection! April Shen is a true marketeer (I meant good), introduces me where the values are for the $ 500k class items, the next tiers down and other varieties, the history that I should have known but not, and even down to the engineering sense of how it might have made in the times with primitive tools and materials. My wife and I have enjoyed it while my son awaited impatiently.
But for the practical folks, like myself, I bought some very low-​low end delights, it is not antique, but has a sense of appreciation since even the cheapy are a conversational pieces for me. After my 30 minutes lesson on those items that I could have bought a house in Santa Cruz, I spent small money on items we are now admiring since Sunday, at least.

After driving past Shens gallery many of times over the years I was quite surprised with delight as I finally walked in. The gallery is quite large and the complete collection of antique furnishing and designs is considered high end, museum quality. The store is adept with true treasures… The service matches their product, Anton greeted me upon arrival in the upmost sincere manner offering me tea and cookies. He provided new information to me for every piece I inquired about. If you have a fine taste for Asian artifacts I highly recommend stopping by Shens!

Feels a bit like where I might shop if I had a need for an overly large piece of Asian anything wood. And a large checkbook to pay for it. Anyone have a big truck I could borrow to haul this overly large and expensive antiquity just in time for thanksgiving?
The strip mall itself is an eye sore, so maybe that merits my meh. a little freshen-​up might re-​wow the place.

Shen’s Gallery is known for it’s amazing selection of antiques and furniture from all parts of the world. What is less known is the gem of a tea shop that hides a corner of the store. April sources the best Taiwanese oolong and very well-​priced teaware that suits the most discriminating connoisseur. I have gotten some of my favorite teaware there, and I have sources all over the world! Santa Cruz is truly lucky to have it!

I went to Shen’s looking for a very unique piece of furniture, after not finding anything at all the other local stores.
Walking into Shen’s I found that the place was packed with great pieces. However, it was not really what I wanted. I wanted a coffee table that had wood carvings that weren’t overly Chinese or Japanese. I have a few wonderful pieces in my home, a nightstand with Indonesian carvings and a wall art piece from India. I needed a coffee table that would «fit in» with these pieces. After explaining this to April Shen, she immediately started showing us a few pieces that she had designed that would work. We saw three different pieces, and fell in love with a simple, yet elegant, design.
The price on the tag was high, but April immediately knocked it down, without prompting, and the resulting prices was on the upper end of what I was willing to pay. However, it seemed like a fair price, for a unique piece of furniture that would work in our eclectic home.

I’ve not yet bought antiques from this wonderful shop but dream of the day I can. Until then, I will purchase any tea or teapot that April (the owner) puts in front of me. Her taste in tea and teaware is refined and well educated. She will sit you down for tea and show you a wonderful assortment of teas from Tong Ting to Yunnan varietals. As well, she will show you wonderfully crafted yixing ware to tempt any tea person.
I know she specializes in antiques, and, again, I WISH I could take them all home with me. But as a simple man, tea will do and she has GREAT tea and teaware!

Phenomenal furniture on the Westside.
Not for the faint of heart because it has PRICE TAHHHGS.
I just wanted to mention it for those of you who have recently cashed in on the lottery or come from old money.

This is where I bought my first real piece of furniture. It is an old trunk from Japan. I bought it almost 20 years ago. It was a significant investment for a college student — but I loved it then and still do – though it now has been reduced to another piece used for wine storage. Why must everything eventually be used as wine storage…
Anyway, I have moved this piece with me every step of the way and it is a treasure. I have made a number of visits to Shen’s in the last few years. It has moved from its original small downtown location to a larger downtown location and is now in a huge space on Mission Street. Many more large pieces of furniture — and all of their prices have increased (to be expected).
There are still some elements that make me remember why I loved this place — but overall it is one of the places that fails to completely live up to the memory.