photography by Matt Wright

"I didn't like antiques when I was young, and all of the sudden when I got older I got a great appreciation for antiques," says Betty Kalousek, owner of Generations Antiques in Old Town La Verne. "The things are made so much better than anything we have now-a-days. And everything was made by hand with care. Things made of natural wood, it's not glued together sawdust. And the lasting quality of the things that we have and that we sell." / photo by Matt Wright

“I didn’t like antiques when I was young, and all of the sudden when I got older I got a great appreciation for antiques,” says Betty Kalousek, owner of Generations Antiques in Old Town La Verne. “The things are made so much better than anything we have now-a-days. And everything was made by hand with care. Things made of natural wood, it’s not glued together sawdust. And the lasting quality of the things that we have and that we sell.” / photo by Matt Wright

In the mornings from Tuesday through Saturday, Betty Klousek arrives at 9:30 to Generations Antiques for business. The store is located on the west side of "D" street between Bonita Avenue and Third Street, in a building constructed by Klousek's father-in-law in 1936. / photo by Matt Wright

In the mornings from Tuesday through Saturday, Betty Kalousek arrives at 9:30 to Generations Antiques for business. The store is located on the west side of “D” street between Bonita Avenue and Third Street, in a building constructed by Kalousek’s father-in-law in 1936. / photo by Matt Wright

Both young and old come in throughout the day to browse, buy or try on many items in Generations Antique shop. La Verne residents, Tuesday Rose Thornton, 6, and her mother Jacklyn, frequently stop by Generations to do mother daughter shopping. Generations is a favorite for the two because, "We really like Betty. She is really nice to my daughter, and her store is always so peaceful and sweet. She has fair prices and sells unusual things," said Jacklyn Thornton. / photo by Matt Wright

Both young and old come in throughout the day to browse, buy or try on many items in Generations Antique shop. La Verne residents, Tuesday Rose Thornton, 6, and her mother Jacklyn, frequently stop by Generations to do mother daughter shopping. Generations is a favorite for the two because, “We really like Betty. She is really nice to my daughter, and her store is always so peaceful and sweet. She has fair prices and sells unusual things,” said Jacklyn Thornton. / photo by Matt Wright

photo by Matt Wright

photo by Matt Wright

In her free time, Betty Klousek dusts, cleans and arranges the way her antique displays look. When holidays approach, Klousek tries to arrange the store's design to correspond with the theme of the holiday. Klousek and her daughter Rebecca, who co-owns Generations, share duties that include polishing silver, restoring old furniture and replacing missing beads and gems. "The things are made so much better than anything we have nowadays. And everything was made by hand with care. Things made of natural wood, it's not glued together sawdust," Klousek says. / photo by Matt Wright

In her free time, Betty Kalousek dusts, cleans and arranges the way her antique displays look. When holidays approach, Kalousek tries to arrange the store’s design to correspond with the theme of the holiday. Kalousek and her daughter Rebecca, who co-owns Generations, share duties that include polishing silver, restoring old furniture and replacing missing beads and gems. “The things are made so much better than anything we have nowadays. And everything was made by hand with care. Things made of natural wood, it’s not glued together sawdust,” Kalousek says. / photo by Matt Wright

photo by Matt Wright

photo by Matt Wright

Betty Klousek sold her goods at a store in Glendora called The Irish Nook for 13 years before she moved to La Verne in 1995. In the back offices of her current store, hundreds of thousands of beads and gems are stored and labeled, ready to be replacements on items in need of repair. / photo by Matt Wright

Betty Kalousek sold her goods at a store in Glendora called The Irish Nook for 13 years before she moved to La Verne in 1995. In the back offices of her current store, hundreds of thousands of beads and gems are stored and labeled, ready to be replacements on items in need of repair. / photo by Matt Wright