Adult Store
1st Place
Diva Passion Boutique, 3431 Telegraph Road, Ventura, 658-8011
2nd Place
Kama Sutra Closet, 451 E. Main St., Ventura, 888-801-8952
3rd Place
Three Star Books and News, 359 E. Main St., Ventura, 653-9068
Antique Store
1st Place
Times Remembered, 467 E. Main St., Ventura, 643-3137
2nd Place
Attaboy Vintage, 2470 E. Main St., Ventura, 648-1668
3rd Place
American Home & Garden, 64 S. Oak St., Ventura, 648-6818
Art Gallery
1st Place
Red Brick Gallery, 315 E. Main St., Ventura, 643-6400
2nd Place
West End Gallery and Tattoo Studio, 35 S. Ventura Ave., Ventura, 641-1729
3rd Place
Sylvia White Gallery, 1783 E. Main St., Ventura, 643-8300
Arts and Crafts
1st Place
Ojai Creates Art and Imagination Store, 606 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai, 640-6558
2nd Place
Anacapa Fine Yarns, 4572 Telephone Road, suite 909, Ventura, 654-9500
3rd Place
Superbuzzy, 1794 E. Main St., Ventura, 643-4143
Auto Dealer (New)
1st Place
Barber Ford, 3440 E. Main St., Ventura, 642-6701
2nd Place
DCH Toyota, 1631 Auto Center Drive, Oxnard, (877) 393-4478
3rd Place
Paradise Chevrolet, 6350 Leland St., Ventura, 642-0111
Auto Dealer (Used)
1st Place
Barber Ford, 3440 E. Main St., Ventura, 642-6701
2nd Place
DCH Toyota, 1631 Auto Center Drive, Oxnard, (877) 393-4478
3rd Place
Paradise Chevrolet, 6350 Leland St., Ventura, 642-0111
Auto Parts and Accessories
1st Place
Oldies Speed Shop, 4532 Telephone Road, Ventura, 676-1264
2nd Place
Paradise Chevrolet, 6350 Leland St., Ventura, 642-0111
3rd Place
Barber Ford, 3440 E. Main St., Ventura, 642-6701
Beauty Supply
1st Place
Pro Beauty Supply, 2724 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura, 648-7600
2nd Place
Salon Centric, 2887 Johnson Drive, Ventura, 658-9180
3rd Place
B&M Beauty Supply, 501 Mobil Ave., suite E, Camarillo, 484-7805
Bicycle Shop
1st Place
Open Air Bicycles, 2386 E. Main St., Ventura, 653-1100
2nd Place
Trek Bikes of Ventura, 4060 E. Main St., Ventura, 644-8735
3rd Place
The Mob Shop, 110 W. Ojai Ave., Ojai, 272-8102
Book Store
1st Place
Bank of Books, 748 E. Main St., Ventura, 643-3154
2nd Place
Bart’s Books, 302 W. Matilija St., Ojai, 646-3755
3rd Place
Mrs. Figs’ Bookworm, 93 E. Daily Drive, Camarillo, 482-1384
Bridal Shop
1st Place
Camarillo Bridal, 425 Arneill Road, Camarillo, 389-1515
2nd Place
Sew What Tailoring & Design, 427 E. Main St., Ventura, 653-1920
3rd Place
Kay’s Bridal, 4420 Alpine St., Simi Valley, 522-3031
Children’s Clothing
1st Place
The Luxe Baby, 1790 E. Main St., Ventura, 236-0970
2nd Place
Little Birdy Lane, 654 E. Main St., Ventura, 648-1735
3rd Place
Ciao Bella, 401 E. Main St., Ventura, 643-3415
Cigar Shop
1st Place
Smokers’ Castle, 1824 E. Main St., Ventura, 643-7894
2nd Place
Old Oaks Cigar Company, 3006 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, 494-1886
3rd Place
Cigar Crazy, 1504 E. Thompson Blvd., 648-2589
Comic Book Store
1st Place
Ralph’s Comic Corner, 2379 E. Main St., Ventura, 653-2732
2nd Place
Seth’s Games and Anime, 2379 E. Main St., Ventura, 653-5890
3rd Place
Hypno Comics, 1803 E. Main St., Ventura, 651-9767
Dive Shop
1st Place
Ventura Dive and Sport, 1559 Spinnaker Drive, suite 108, Ventura, 650-6500
2nd Place
Peace Dive, 2419 Harbor Blvd., suite 131, Ventura, 650-DIVE
3rd Place
Channel Islands Scuba, 3200 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, (818) 225-1616
Eco-Friendly
1st Place
The Refill Shoppe, 363 E. Main St., Ventura, 765-9135
2nd Place
Patagonia, 235 W. Santa Clara, Ventura, 643-6074
3rd Place
Betty Belts, 12 N. Fir St., Ventura, 648-6997
Florist
1st Place
Passion Flowers, 920 E. Main St., Ventura, 641-1076
2nd Place
Sweet Peas Flowers & Gifts, 2855 Johnson Drive, suite Q, Ventura, 644-9992
3rd Place
Shell’s Petals, 7820 Telegraph Road, Ventura, 659-4449
Formal Wear
1st Place Tie
California and Main, 481 E. Main St., Ventura, 643-6200
Mission Tuxedo, 3615 Telegraph Road, Ventura, 339-0000; 140 W. Fifth St., Oxnard, 483-8888
Sew What Tailoring & Design, 427 E. Main St., Ventura, 653-1920
Gift Shop
1st Place
B. on Main, 337 E. Main St., Ventura, 643-9309
2nd Place
Plum Accessory Gift Boutique, 401 E Main St., Ventura, 641-0113
3rd Place
Betty Belts, 12 N. Fir St., Ventura, 648-6997
Gourmet Food
1st Place
Paradise Pantry, 677 E. Main St., Ventura, 641-9440
2nd Place
We Olive, 294 E. Main St., 648-6166
3rd Place
Rainbow Bridge, 211 E. Matilija St., Ojai, 646-4017
Home Furnishings
1st Place
Urban Home, 2801 Paseo Mercado, Oxnard, 604-7445
2nd Place
Fusion Home, 418 E. Main St., 652-7017
3rd Place
For Your Home Furniture, 443 E. Main St., Ventura, 641-1919
Jeweler
1st Place
Fox Fine Jewelry, 210 E. Main St., Ventura, 652-1800
2nd Place
Lynn’s Jewelry Studio, 6100 Telegraph Road, suite C, Ventura, 642-5500
3rd Place
Joseph’s Fine Jewelers, 3301 E. Main St., suite K-106, Ventura, 650-0808
Lingerie
1st Place
Aphrodite’s Lingerie & Gift, 477 E. Main St., Ventura, 652-0082
2nd Place
Diva Passion Boutique, 3431 Telegraph Road, Ventura, 658-8011
3rd Place
Kama Sutra Closet, 451 E. Main St., Ventura, 888-801-8952
Liquor Store
1st Place
H&H Liquor, 1839 E. Main St., Ventura, 648-2771
2nd Place
Five Points Liquor, 2783 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura, 643-4205
3rd Place
Sam’s Saticoy Liquor, 1500 Los Angeles Ave., Ventura, 647-1979
Men’s Clothing
1st Place
Bob Kildee Clothing, 606 N. Las Posas Road, Camarillo, 482-2124
2nd Place
WetSand, 446 E. Main St., Ventura, 652-1706
3rd Place
Patagonia, 235 W. Santa Clara, Ventura, 643-6074
Motorcycle Shop
1st Place
Ventura Harley-Davidson, 1326 Del Norte Road, Camarillo, 981-9904
2nd Place
RPM Cycles, 1495 Palma Drive, #B, Ventura, 644-7159
3rd Place
Cal Coast Motorsports, 5455 Walker St., Ventura, 642-0900
Musical Instruments
1st Place
Instrumental Music, 3171 E. Main St., Ventura, 654-9388; 1501 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, 496-3774
2nd Place
Henson’s Music, 2291 E. Ventura Blvd., Camarillo, 482-6115; 301 S. A St., Oxnard, 486-8742
3rd Place
Phil Salazar’s Fiddle Shop, 921 E. Main St., Ventura, 652-0676
Nursery
1st Place
Green Thumb Nursery, 1899 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura, 642-8517
2nd Place
Oasis Garden & Patio, 33 S. Palm St., Ventura, 641-9909
3rd Place
Baron Brothers, 7568 Santa Rosa Road, Camarillo, 484-0085
Pet Store
1st Place
Ventura Pet Barn, 3203 E. Main St., Ventura, 654-0345
2nd Place
The Wharf, 980 E. Front St., Ventura, 648-5035
3rd Place
Linda’s Claws & Paws, 1865 E. Main St., Ventura, 648-6060
Record Store
1st Place
Salzer’s Records, 5777 Valentine Road, Ventura, 639-2160
2nd Place
Buffalo Records, 92 S. Laurel St., Ventura, 648-3345
3rd Place
Grady’s Record Refuge, 2546 E. Main St., Ventura, 648-5565
Shoe Store
1st Place
Wild Planet, 560 E. Main St., Ventura, 643-5238
2nd Place
Jack’s Shoes of Westlake, 950 S. Westlake Blvd., Westlake Village, 373-9328
3rd Place
WetSand, 446 E. Main St., Ventura, 652-1706
Skateboard Shop
1st Place
Five Points Skate Shop, 2787 E. Main St., Ventura, 652-1432
2nd Place
Revolution Surf Co., 1775 Daily Drive, suite C, Camarillo, 383-1288
3rd Place Tie
Skatelab, 4226 Valley Fair St., Simi Valley, 578-0040
Ojai Board Shop, 423 E. Ojai Ave. #103, Ojai, 452-6994
Smoke Shop
1st Place
Salzer’s Records, 5777 Valentine Road, Ventura, 639-2160
2nd Place
Pipeline Smoke Shop, 228 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura, 643-4420
3rd Place
Wild Side Smoke Shop, 1750 E. Los Angeles Ave., suite D, Simi Valley, 577-8298; 1861 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks, 371-4941; 2850 Johnson Drive, suite C, Ventura, 644-4060; 608 E. Main St., Ventura, 652-0882
Surf Shop
1st Place
Ventura Surf Shop, 88 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura, 643-1062
2nd Place
WetSand, 446 E. Main St., Ventura, 652-1706
3rd Place
Revolution Surf Co., 1775 Daily Drive, suite C, Camarillo, 383-1288
Swimwear
1st Place
Ventura Swimwear, 1559 Spinnaker Drive, suite 102, Ventura, 642-6281
2nd Place
WetSand, 446 E. Main St., Ventura, 652-1706
3rd Place
Tiki Girl Boutique, 451 E. Main St., suite 4, Ventura, 643-4800
Thrift Store
1st Place
Goodwill: 119 N. Ventura Ave., Oak View, 649-8090; 624 Lindero Canyon Road, Oak Park, (818) 874-4003; 2710 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura, 650-9339; 140 W. Hillcrest Dr., Thousand Oaks, 494-7250; 404 E. Main St., Ventura, 641-1101; 330 W. Sixth St., Oxnard, 483-2511; 476 W. Los Angeles Ave., Moorpark, 531-0314; 530 E. Los Angeles Ave., Simi Valley, 526-5570; 858 E. Main St., Santa Paula, 933-3020; 267 Arneill Road, Camarillo, 455-9196; 745 W. Ventura St., Fillmore, 524-4708
2nd Place
The Arc Foundation of Ventura County Thrift Store, (800) 228-1413: 265 E. Main St., Ventura, 653-0271; 625 N. Oxnard Blvd., Oxnard
3rd Place:
Avenue Thrift, 222 Ventura Ave., Ventura, 667-8855
Tire Store
1st Place
Big Brand, 3850 E. Main St. Ventura, 650-3290
2nd Place
5-Day Tire, 804 E. Main St., Ventura, 648-2712
3rd Place
Associated Tires, 6353 Ventura Blvd., # 26, Ventura, 656-2049
Toy Store
1st Place
Serendipity Toys, 221 E. Matilija St., suite E, Ojai, 646-2585
2nd Place
Imagine on Main St., 540 E. Main St., Ventura, 643-4463
3rd Place
The Luxe Baby, 1790 E. Main St., Ventura, 236-0970
Video Store
1st Place
Salzer’s Video, 5801 Valentine Road, Ventura, 639-2169
2nd Place
Movie Town, 1880 E. Main St., Ventura, 643-3400
3rd Place Tie
Plaza Video, 1119 Maricopa Hwy., Ojai, 646-0188
Fillmore Video, 359 Central Ave., Fillmore, 524-4588
Women’s Clothing
1st Place
Blue Moon, 600 E. Main St., Ventura, 643-2553
2nd Place
Le Monde Emporium, 542 E. Main St., Ventura, 648-7463
3rd Place
WetSand, 446 E. Main St., Ventura, 652-1706
EDITOR’S PICK
Best place for exotic creatures
Covet, An Exotic Emporium
2045 E. Thompson Blvd., Ventura, 653-1215, www.covetee.com
Covet’s staff, volunteers and friends are making Ventura County a little more . . . exotic.
The Los Angeles Zoo recently opened a $14 million complex for rare and exotic amphibians and reptiles.
That’s great and all, but save yourself a trip.
Covet, An Exotic Emporium, in Midtown Ventura, arguably rivals, and perhaps outdoes, L.A. Zoo’s multimillion-dollar selection of species.
Eyelash leaf-tailed geckos, waxy monkey tree frogs, Mexican bearded lizards, Kaiser newts, pythons and chameleons from Egyptian deserts, Iranian mountains and tropical landscapes, Covet houses all species exotic (and legal in California).
“My animals are the best-looking and highest-quality in the United States,” says Dee Williams, who co-owns the shop along with his nine-year-old son, Justus.
With a soft opening last Christmas, Covet is quickly making a name for itself in the reptile world. After impressive showings in national trade shows, and most recently at the 2012 Reptile Super Show in Pomona, the shop’s animals are routinely rented for film shoots in Hollywood.
Locally, the waxing interest in Covet’s exotic animals has been incredible, says Williams.
“I didn’t know that many people were into reptiles,” he admits. “But as soon as I opened, people were drawn to it.”
Kids especially.
Since the shop opened, Williams and his son have been hired to show their animals at birthday parties and do presentations at local elementary schools, where they educate students about various species and demonstrate handling techniques.
Williams now has about a dozen kids who volunteer at the shop after school. Under the supervision of EATM (Moorpark College’s Exotic Animal Training and Management)-trained employees, kids clean cages, care for the animals and eventually take one home for a pet.
Working with a special team of wholesale suppliers and captive breeders, Williams said his network is expanding internationally.
“They’ve all helped us get to this point” says Williams, “and now we’re building something really special in the reptile world.”
— Shane Cohn
