I am a great appreciater of old things–whether it’s old towns, old buildings, old roads or old belongings.
There is something about the air I breathe when I walk into a 150-year old church that I just can’t smell anywhere else. There is something so sweet about stepping on an often-trod wooden floor and hearing the squeak that has accompanied a thousand footfalls throughout a dozen generations.
So much of what is manufactured these days is done so with built-in obsolescence in mind. The explanation is this: Yes, it’s going to wear out or break or be updated soon and yes, you should just go ahead and get another one when the current one breaks. At the risk of sounding like an old fogey let me just say that they don’t make stuff the way they used to.
While I was growing up, my maternal grandparents owned a huge barn full of antiques, whatnots, furniture, books, dishes, tools, clothes and shoes. It was called Mike’s Second Hand Store and it was located along the side of a lonely highway in Onamia, MN, way up north. (Where 60 degrees below zero is considered by locals to be a bit brisk.)
I have so many happy summertime memories of disappearing into the dusty, dimness of that huge barn and spending hours roaming the aisles. Grandma and Grandpa Michaelson let us grand kids select little treasure whenever we visited which never failed to create a delightful agony of choosing.
The dust and the memories and the treasures. They all conspired together to make me a life-long lover of oldness.
You can imagine my joy then, when I took a little drive around Clovis, NM on vacation last month and discovered a couple special stores that transported me straight back to the air and the aura of Mike’s Second Hand Store. (The only difference was that I had to pay for the treasures I chose.)
The first store was called the Shoe String and was filled with so much variety it would have taken me hours to see everything. Here are a few shots.
(By the way: Does anyone know what that red machine is in the last two photos? I was pretty well stumped by it.)
I continued to walk down the largely deserted main street . . . 
and found another store called Bullet Bob Has It.
It was chock full of many more old treasures to view.
If I had the kind of house that would accommodate this, I would love this old chair. Look at the character and creativity in it.
A covered wagon next to an old bottle of soft drink? Makes perfect sense when you’re in a second-hand store.
I walked a few more steps down the street and happened upon another store called 2 Shabby Divas. Despite the fact that it was all new stuff and way out of my price range, I still gave it two thumbs up for the creativity of the merchandise and for the fact that the wood floors squeaked when I walked on them. Squeaky floors always earn extra brownie points in my book.
My mini tour of the town ended at the railroad track. There is something so evocative about a railroad in a small southwestern town.
I was a happy woman as I finally made my way back to the hotel. Life doesn’t get much better than an afternoon of dust and memories and treasures.
On a health note, I am feeling somewhat better today, although still weaker than I would like to be. I know recovery doesn’t happen overnight so I’m trying to be patient. Thanks for your prayers and words of good advice and concern.
My friend Jan and I had a booth in an antique mall, and we just LOVED shopping every week in other stores and garage sales to get merchandise. Every Thursday evening we went to an auction with truly lots of JUNK,,,which we adored. We could bid low because we weren’t in it for the money (and dealers would need to bid 50% lower than what they’d price items.) Lots of times we’d be bidding on a box of stuff just to get a couple of items. WELL, now my house looks like one huge antique booth filled with treasures and collectibles and junk. UGH!!!
Mrs. Pam,
I can just imagine the fun you and Jan had in your antique mall days. Sounds like I would have enjoyed being right there with you!
Yes, I’m with the others – that is a cream separator. I spent many times with my aunt and uncle in the barn as they took the milk and put it into this “contraption.” Love those stores and the items in them. You talked about going into the old barn and the memories – Several years ago I worked in the Grain Exchange Bldg. in downtown Minneapolis and at that time worked for an attorney{s}. When a file would close I would take them down into the basement where many vaults were. No money in them, but just storage of various things and it was fun to look at the stone walls and the dates some had written on them – early 1900’s. I can almost see the clothing on those men (and women) as they rummaged down there.
Sharyn,
Oh my. Just hearing the words Grain Exchange Building made me want to jump right in the car and go see it. I would have loved to have been in your shoes and puttering around downstairs in the basement. I’m jealous!
I love old stuff too and I enjoyed your tour of NM old stuff! I also have fond memories of grandpa’s old barn store. There’s a store here in WI that I have gone to occasionally and it smells just like grandpa’s old barn–brings tears to my eyes when I walk in there. Scent is a powerful memory re-kindler!
So thankful that you’re feeling some better. Praying for full strength to return. Love you!
deb
Deb,
You’re right about being scent being powerful. I’m glad you have been able to find a “smell-alike” for Grandpa’s store!
Hope you’re feeling better soon. I’m thinking the red machine is a cream separator. Love your photos!
Anonymous,
The cream separator label seems to be the prevailing theory. I would never have guessed it in a hundred years. Glad you enjoyed the photos!
Enjoyed your pictures. Praying for your healing.
Thank you, Ann. You’re a dear!
I think it’s a cream separator. I have one that was in the barn on our Century Farm until the barn was torn down. My friends think I’m crazy for keeping the old stuff. Can’t help it though, being raised by parents & grandparents who lived through the Depression, their mantra “you might need it someday”. Glad to hear you are feeling better, still saying prayers.
Karen,
A cream separator it is! I’m sure a place called Century Farm would have been chock full of all SORTS of treasures!
So glad you like old things….that’s why you like me, right? (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.)
I, too, like old things and squeaky wooden floors. Reminds me of childhood forays into the 5 & 10 cent store (in NJ we called it the five and dime…tough talk). For years I wanted to purchase an older house, because of the nooks and crannies. Unfortunately, they also had old furnaces, unpaved basement floors, windows that needed replacing, etc., so (my husband’s) wisdom prevailed and we bought a newer house.
There’s something about antique and collectible stores that speaks to me of my childhood visits to “the old homestead.” My father’s cousin lives in a house that was begun as one room by his 2nd great grandfather. It’s been added to higgledy piggledy, and “the fancy room” has been preserved back to my great grandparents’ time.
Let’s re-frame your thinking about not getting things in those stores for free. If you think about it, most things you’d buy there would only be “for show.” Instead, you took pictures that you can view and show, and you don’t have to dust them!
So glad to hear you’re on the mend. Please continue to take care of yourself.
Jan,
So many things to love about your comment. . . the “old things,” line, the tour into the old homestead and the fancy room in the back, and re-framing my thinking about not getting things in the store for free.
I love how you bring a fresh perspective and a smile!
The red contraption….could it be a coffee grinder? Did you look down inside of it?
LeeAnne,
If it WAS a coffee grinder, it would be great for grinding a lot of coffee!
Glad you are on the mend. . . . 🙂