Confessions From a Picker

We hear it all the time, "You all are like those guys on American Pickers."

Yeah, not really. I guess the only similarity would be is that we travel all over to find some awesome treasures for the shop. We have picked some of the same places. And we pay for 99% of the finds we bring to the shop.

We don't have a crew that goes out and scouts picking locations. Most of our leads are from referrals, some phone calls to our shop to see if we buy antiques, or Grandpa Picker sets up some picks for us. 

Real picking could make it on one of those "dirty or dangerous job" shows. I chuckle just thinking about some of our stories.

We have been to good and bad picks. We have crawled across barn beams 20 feet off the ground to get to little rooms packed full of treasures. We have put our hands through walls as we were trying to maneuver our way around piles. We have been prepared to run into snakes or other critters. Knock on wood, no snakes have fallen onto us yet, I get the heebie jeebies just thinking about it.  We have been in immaculately clean places where the finds could go straight on the floor. Though there is definitely a good amount of cleaning, some little repairs, and some complete overhauls. We never know what the actual pick is going to be like.

Sometimes, we go to picks and the seller ends up being too attached to things. And that's ok, we understand. There are occasions where all the "junk" has already been put in the dumpster and the not so great stuff is still in the house. But we always remember, "One Man's Junk, Another Man's Treasure." So, note to seller's let us take a peek before it goes in the trash. But, we'll still take a look after too.

But through the many long and laborious days, we have met some amazing people and we have found some pretty cool stuff. I would still take a day of waking up at 2AM to drive to a pick, spend the day in dirt, cob webs, melting in 90 degree weather, to find the goods, rather than continuing on in the rat race. 

Here's to many more days of picking, the memories to be made, and the people to meet!

~Jess