Tag: Primitives

Collecting

Antique Alley – Hwy 11

Big Red Barn Blog

This week, we are in Alabama at the Hwy 11 Antique Alley. It’s a lot like the World’s Longest Garage Sale, but MUCH less hot! It’s held annually the weekend after Mother’s Day and runs from Meridian, Mississippi, to Bristol, Virginia, on Hwy 11. Our first day, we began in Ft. Payne, Alabama, and started south on Hwy 11.

Alabama is beautiful. The morning was crisp, and a little foggy! Once you reach Hwy 11, you’re on the route. It’s very obvious. There are many, many stops with LOTS of vendors set up ready to sell. There’s a little bit of everything from genuine antiques and primitives to toys and new items. Once again, took a morning selfie when we were still very enthusiastic!

This is definitely more of a hunt for items. There are many, many overpriced items. We were shocked by what people were asking for some of the things we were interested in!! But, if you’re diligent and keep hunting, you will find some treasures.

This is a beautiful part of our country. We enjoyed the countryside, old, historic homes, and road side oddities!

It’s always a lot of fun to pick other parts of the country to see what’s different. Cast iron was EXTREMELY expensive the first day. We found a few great pieces, but mostly a lot of items too rich for our blood. We bought some great porcelain hanging lamps, probably the buy of the day and Longaberger baskets, for some reason there are a lot of these in Alabama. We also bought a few smaller porcelain signs. And, a really cool metal Christmas tree to hold cards or photos.

Ft. Payne, Alabama

Day two, we started in Ft. Payne again. We headed north and found some great buys. We finally found some reasonable cast iron to clean and sell, old egg baskets, and Coke trays. We found a lot of old, blue canning jars with the lids.

As you can see, sales are easy to find and generally easy to access. Husband found some great barbecue!

We finished the day in Georgia. We were really tired, but probably hit 50 sales. Made some great buys. Definitely filled the back of the van over two days. Met great people and had some great food!

The highs are obvious! This is a great sale! It’s EASY to follow the route and find sales. No mapping needed once you reach Hwy 11! Prices are all over the place – high to low. If you’re diligent, you will find some great stuff. A few things were less great – some people did not open until pretty late and some prices were really high.

We’ll definitely come again! Happy hunting!!

Jackie

Collecting

Rolling Pins – King of the Kitchen

Big Red Barn Blog

Throughout history, rolling pins have been the king of the kitchen. An early kitchen tool, these were essential for early kitchen baking and cooking. I have been collecting rolling pins for about ten years. Don’t really know how it happened, but I love when I find an unusual one at an auction or garage sale.

Early pins were carved from one piece of wood. The rolling handles came along much later, at the end of the 19th century. Of course, they are used to roll out bread, noodles, pie crust, and more. They are still manufactured today. And, they experienced a resurgence during the pandemic when home cooking and baking was more popular.

Some of the favorites!

The top rolling pin is the biggest one I have. It’s huge. It was probably used in an industrial restaurant or baking establishment. The middle, glass rolling pin has wooden handles. Although you see glass rolling pins a lot, I have never seen one with wooden handles that unscrew. Warm water was placed inside the rolling pin to assist with smooth rolling. I bought the yellow handle one at a garage sale. Although it’s pretty plain, I had never seen one with yellow handles.

The top pin in this group was carved in one piece. I thought the bore holes added a lot of character to this treasure. I bought the Kelvinator at an auction about ten years ago. Kelvinator was an American appliance company selling from the early 1900s. This looks 1940s to me. I had never seen one like this before. I’m sure it was a give away with a new refrigerator or appliance. Who knows, this might have been what started the collection! The last rolling pin was probably used for smaller cookies or pie crusts. I just liked the color and the look.

Although rolling pins are easy to find, one that is unusual is generally more of a treasure hunt. After ten years, I only have twenty or so. It’s still a lot of fun!

Happy hunting! Jackie

Collecting

Picking and Selling Through the Big Red Barn, Oklahoma

Big Red Barn Blog

My husband and I have owned a moderately successful small business for more than 20 years. In the late 1990s, we started a small antique business and it has grown year after year. We started as M&J Antiques, but are known around Stillwater, Oklahoma, as the Big Red Barn or the barn people. I am often asked by rookie entrepreneurs for advice or pointers on small business ownership. Here are a few of the top suggestions.

Be Flexible! The antique & collectible business has changed considerably in the last twenty years. When we started, Fenton glass, Fiesta dishes, and carnival glass, for example, were king! These items fetched top prices at auctions and sales. Now, you can hardly give away some of these items! Change seems to occur somewhat slowly in this business, but it’s important to recognize change in trends and interests.

From the Stillwater Antique & Collectible Mall

You’re Buying for Someone Else. This was one of the hardest things for me. Many items that I really DON’T like sell really well! And, just because I like something, doesn’t mean anyone else will. Which leads to my next tip.

From the Big Red Barn

Research, Research, Research. You cannot spend enough time researching, reading, and investigating business trends. I spend a lot of time looking through EBAY, ETSY, Pinterest and other social media websites to see what’s trending in my business. You need to know what types of items are popular.

Recycling and upcycling are currently red hot. I may not sell your completed item, but I can sell you the base or bones for your project. I am always surprised when people tell me some of the projects they plan for the items I sell. For example, using old wooden ladders to make a Christmas tree, old windows for the tops of a table, and (don’t really know how this turned out) but an old army cot was going to be made into a couch!! Turning an upright dresser into a quilt rack, using a wine cooler for a vase, and making side tables out of old luggage.

We had a sale this weekend at the Big Red Barn in Stillwater, Oklahoma. We had a lot of customers come out to find items for their new projects, search for treasure, and enjoy country life!

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Know Your Staples. There are some antiques & collectibles that have maintained their popularity and price over the years. For example, cast iron, Pyrex, Fire King Jadeite, costume jewelry, and doilies & embroidery. In fact, many items continue to enjoy a steady climb in value.

From the Stillwater Antique & Collectible Mall

Know Your Limitations. People think that just because you’re in this business, you know everything about, well everything. There are many items we almost never buy, because we just have no interest or knowledge. For example, we almost never buy toys, stamps, coins, or ephemera. We also don’t buy heavy furniture, just getting too old. And, one rule of our business is pianos and sleeper sofas are marriage breakers!

Hope I’ve given you some ideas that might help you launch your own small business. It’s very rewarding and fun.

Jackie