Everyone thinks collecting is expensive. Not so! I’m a collector and it’s the foundation of the Big Red Barn. Some of my favorite collections are primitives and rustic decor.
Yardsticks were given away by department stores, hardware stores, the general store, grocery stores, and more. They tell an interesting story of the history of your town or state. I paid no more than $1.00 or $2.00 for each one.
Rolling pins were an important tool for making bread, noodles, pies, etc. For example, my mother-in-law (Cristie’s grandma) had a rolling pin made of a cedar tree that belonged to her grandma. It was used for making many delicious treats and staples for her family. If you look, you can see my Pioneer Woman rolling pin right in front! I love mixing old and new. The large spools were used on industrial sewing machines.
I love seeing the ingenuity and innovative thinking that went in to creating these tools and implements that were used many, many years ago. The biggest crock (in the photo) was used by my grandpa during Prohibition to make beer. This beauty is over 100 years old and is such a family treasure.
You can start your collection at garage sales, auctions, EBAY, thrift stores, antique shops, and more. Start slow with your collection and you’ll be surprised how quickly you get the collecting fever!
Big Red Barn Blog 
Do you use the rolling pins? Are there any in the collection that are off-limits for cooking and baking?
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The one I use the most is the Pioneer Woman (blue flowers), and, yes, I use it a lot. Ceramic or glass rolling pins are better to me than the wooden ones, because the dough seems to stick to the wood. The ones made of glass are really neat because you would fill them with warm water to help with the consistency (thickness) of the dough. I don’t use any of the really old ceramic/porcelain ones, because they are very, very fragile. Really, they’re another collectible that’s pretty inexpensive. Thanks for asking!
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