Before Arnie’s Antiques and More had a storefront, it had a pulse.

It beat through late-night sorting sessions with coin jars and magnifying glasses. It echoed in conversations about gold certificates and silver eagles, passed between Carl Garza and his kids as they sat cross-legged on the living room floor. And it stacked, literally, inside three storage units and across nearly every inch of the Garza home.

Now, that pulse has found a permanent home — and a front door — in Glenwood Springs.

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Arnie’s Antiques and More quietly opened in early April, but the roots of the business go back decades. For Carl and Cynthia Garza, this store isn’t a new beginning. It’s a continuation of something they’ve been building their entire lives.

“This has been a passion of mine since I was 13,” Carl said. “It started with coins, then paper money, then stamps. I’d buy bags of change from banks and stay up late going through them. Eventually, it just snowballed.”

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And snowball it did — into a collection that took over their home, their garage, multiple storage units, and eventually, their lives.

“We had antiques everywhere,” Cynthia said. “At one point I just broke down and cried. I looked at Carl and said, ‘We’ve got to do something with all of this.'”

What they did was build something that feels both nostalgic and new — a place where history is honored, artistry is celebrated and every item tells a story.

It’s all captured in their motto: “Preserving the elegance of the past, making the old new again.”

Built on history — and family

The name, Arnie’s, isn’t a catchy placeholder. It’s a tribute to Carl’s grandfather, a man who played a central role in his upbringing and whose values helped shape the store’s identity.

“My grandfather meant the world to me,” Carl said. “Naming this after him just made sense.”

That tradition of honoring family is woven throughout the Garzas’ story. An earlier business, a restaurant, was named for Carl’s grandmother, Estella. Now, with Arnie’s Antiques, they’re continuing to build something rooted in legacy.

Inside the store, every item has been researched and tagged with care. You won’t find mass-produced replicas passed off as vintage. The goal, Cynthia said, is transparency — and reverence.

“I don’t want someone buying something that looks old but was made last year,” she said. “These items were crafted with skill and intention. They deserve to be understood.”

A collection that grew louder over time

What started as a childhood hobby grew into something that filled entire rooms. Cythia’s daughter, Morgan Godfrey, remembers it clearly.

“Carl would bring home coins all the time,” she said. “We’d sit together, going through rolls we picked up from the bank, watching YouTube videos about what to look for. That was normal for us.”

Eventually, the Garzas began collecting more than just currency. Their travels around Colorado — mostly work trips for Carl’s asphalt company — became opportunities to stop at antique shops. Furniture, paintings, tools, typewriters, glassware — anything that told a story came home with them.

“Our house was overflowing,” Cynthia said. “And I mean overflowing. Closets, corners, even the walls were part of the collection.”

The problem wasn’t what they had. It was how much of it there was — and what to do next.

“Our collection outgrew everything,” Carl said. “Even our first attempt at a storefront on Grand Avenue was too small before we finished moving in.”

That’s when they found their current location at 251 Soccer Field Road near Glenwood Springs Middle School — a large, open space that offers more than just room to display. It offers potential.

More than a store

From the moment you step inside Arnie’s Antiques and More, it’s clear it isn’t a resale shop. It’s a place where stories live.

World War II medals. Oak bookshelves. Blown-glass chandeliers. Typewriters with keys that still click like they did 80 years ago. The walls are lined with pieces that feel like they’ve waited decades to be noticed again.

“This isn’t stuff you find at a thrift store,” Cynthia said. “This is curated. We research every piece. We tell its story.”

And that commitment goes beyond retail. The Garzas are exploring plans to expand the space into a local auction house — something the valley currently lacks. They’re also considering event rentals for weddings, reunions, and other community gatherings.

“We’re not just trying to sell things,” Carl said. “We’re trying to keep things from being lost — to landfills, to time, to forgetfulness.”

For Cynthia, the mission has always been about giving items the space they deserve — and giving people the chance to experience them.

“There’s something special about seeing someone light up when they connect with a piece,” she said. “You can tell it reminds them of something. That’s what this is all about.”

Recognized — and finally relieved

The Garzas have received a warm response from the community, even before hosting a formal grand opening. One longtime acquaintance recently visited the shop, took one look around, and hugged Cynthia.

“She said, ‘I’m so proud of you. You’re going to do great,'” Cynthia recalled. “And that just stuck with me.”

It stuck with Morgan, too, who has seen firsthand the weight this project has lifted from her mother.

“My mom’s cried to me more times than I can count about the amount of stuff they had to go through,” she said. “Now, setting up this store, I can see it in her face — she’s proud. She can finally breathe.”

A place to remember

​​The Garzas aren’t in a rush. Their Grand Avenue location remains open by appointment only, while the main showroom on Soccer Field Road is now open to the public as they continue preparing for a full grand opening.

But even in its early stages, the store is fulfilling its mission — preserving the past, piece by piece, and making it accessible to anyone who walks through the door.

“We want people to feel something when they’re here,” Carl said. “Whether it’s nostalgia, curiosity, or just appreciation for how things used to be made.”

And as Cynthia puts it, “This isn’t just our story anymore. Now, it’s the community’s too.”