Sunday Antique and Vintage Pickin’
Picking. It is something that I really can’t explain or describe. It’s more of a feeling, a fire that races through your veins. It is actually something that I never thought would be apart of my life. I never imagined just a few short months ago that I would be working in the antique and vintage field that involved digging through people’s old and discarded things and discovering treasures. I also never imagined that it would be my own family’s things.
This past Sunday, Chelsie and I ventured out to Roanoke, AL. We actually went with the intention of going to church with my family and then visiting with them for the afternoon–what really happened was far from what we planned. We made our way from church to my grandfather’s house. He is a very simple older man who has plenty of history and knowledge under his belt. He has hunted, collected, and hoarded most of his life. I know what you’re thinking–gold mine right? You would be correct. Not only does he have valuable treasures stored inside of his house, he has two barns in his pasture full of riches waiting to be commandeered by two young and eager pickers. Now don’t let me get ahead of myself. Allow me to fill you in on what happened leading up to the pick.
As the tires of my pathfinder hit dirt from pavement, I looked over to see the expression on Chelsie’s face. It was priceless. I thought to myself, “Has this girl ever seen a dirt road before?” It is so natural to me. I grew up on this dirt road–23 years of pure dusty country. We rounded the corners one by one when we finally reached the many acres that belong to my grandfather. We stepped out of the car to the warm welcoming of my PawPaw. He then guided us around to the back of his house. I could see the excitement on Chelsie’s face. It was like watching a small child on Christmas morning–you know the look of pure interest and excitement they get when they see a pile of presents. Well in this case, it was the unknown inventory of two barns waiting to be searched.
My PawPaw was actually very excited to have us there and eager for us to see the many things he had collected over the years. We decided to start the hunt by first getting acquainted with the area. What does this look like? Well, by visiting with his many animals of course! Chelsie had never fed a donkey before so that was a definite
must. As we were walking in the pasture I noticed a large glass object. My eyes met Chelsie’s and we knew we had to investigate this mysterious item. We were both stumped so I asked my grandfather what is was exactly. To our surprise, he informed us it was an old lighthouse light. Who would have thought?! In the middle of a pasture! The next thing out of my mouth was, “Can I have it?!” Of course he said yes and allowed us to load up item #1. We thought we had the perfect day with just this one pick, but it was just the beginning.
must. As we were walking in the pasture I noticed a large glass object. My eyes met Chelsie’s and we knew we had to investigate this mysterious item. We were both stumped so I asked my grandfather what is was exactly. To our surprise, he informed us it was an old lighthouse light. Who would have thought?! In the middle of a pasture! The next thing out of my mouth was, “Can I have it?!” Of course he said yes and allowed us to load up item #1. We thought we had the perfect day with just this one pick, but it was just the beginning.
The next item that he took us to was an old “Phillips 76” store sign. It was a beauty, covered in orange and blue with a slight rust overtaking the sides. Both Chelsie and I were at a loss for words. Our eyes were huge and we drooled from the mouth when we held it up for the first time. It was truly a great find like Mike from American Pickers would discover. From that moment on, it was a race; a race to see what we could discover and a race to fill the burning desire for more treasures.We jumped right into the first barn to continue the search for hidden gems. As we walked in, we saw a huge shelf at the entrance full of glass bottles. When we started going through them we noticed that it was an assortment of old RC bottles, dated Clorox bottles, and a variety of mason jars. Without hesitation we loaded up every single one we could get our hands on. During the gathering of bottles, I noticed a jar filled with water and some type of pink object inside of it. I decided it was worth getting a closer look at, and when I pulled it closer I noticed it was a jar of dentures! I let out a yelp and Chelsie swooped in to calm down the nerves (For the record, I wasn’t scared, it was just a surprise). After thoroughly going through the first barn, we decided it was time to hit up the second.
As we made our way to the second barn, I noticed a kind of gleam in my grandfather’s eye. It was like he knew something I didn’t. He unlocked the door and
climbed over a mountain of different items to eventually dig out a small spot in the back right corner. He then called for me to join him so that I could get a better look at a treasure that was literally buried beneath mounds of collected junk. When I finally made it through the obstacles in the barn, I saw a large log standing upright with a metal contraption on the top. I was clueless and I wasn’t afraid to admit it. I observed with such curiosity that it could have killed the cat for sure. Before I could open my mouth, my grandfather answered the dazed look I had on my face. He informed Chelsie and I that we were face to face with a 100 year old corn shucker. Wow! It was crazy to think that we had history like that right at our disposal before we could even blink an eye. To ask if we wanted to take this item was not needed. We knew we had to have this cool and interesting piece.
climbed over a mountain of different items to eventually dig out a small spot in the back right corner. He then called for me to join him so that I could get a better look at a treasure that was literally buried beneath mounds of collected junk. When I finally made it through the obstacles in the barn, I saw a large log standing upright with a metal contraption on the top. I was clueless and I wasn’t afraid to admit it. I observed with such curiosity that it could have killed the cat for sure. Before I could open my mouth, my grandfather answered the dazed look I had on my face. He informed Chelsie and I that we were face to face with a 100 year old corn shucker. Wow! It was crazy to think that we had history like that right at our disposal before we could even blink an eye. To ask if we wanted to take this item was not needed. We knew we had to have this cool and interesting piece.The experience of picking for my second time was amazing. I love it and I’m so thankful for the opportunities I constantly receive to search and find things that may seem meaningless to some people but are actually worth something to others. Let us not forget the old saying, “One person’s junk is another person’s treasure.” Before you throw something out or decide it has lost its value, call us! You may just be sitting on a treasure chest that has yet to be opened!
