03/17/2024
I sure do miss the old junk stores that used to line the streets of small towns. I miss the smell of old books, aged leather and rust mixed together. The sound of the squeaky old wood floors and stair cases leading to room after room of what most people saw as useless junk. I loved the aesthetic of yellowed, handmade lace draped over worn chiffarobes that smelled of moth balls and cedar bins filled with those old iron skeleton keys. When I was little, they were always so fascinating. I think I associated them with magical wardrobes, secret rooms with princesses locked away by the evil queen. Seeing primitive wood working and carpenter tools remind me of my grandfathers.
I guess I loved junk stores so much because I saw so many different pieces that were a part of a better time. I'm sure the ones who used those tools and spun that lace didn't think the times were very good at all. They worked and worked hard. They may not have worked 12 hours shifts in a factory or a hospital or in an office cooped up crunching numbers under artificial light but they worked until their hands bled and their feet cracked and their backs broke. They earned every penny with blood sweat and a lot of tears. The work ethic that generation had is something I envy. To be able to make myself work like that.
Modern junk stores have transformed into brand new items bought in bulk from foreign manufacturers. They won't last long enough to be in an antique store. Even the cast iron pans in these junk stores are made out of the country. The tomato gravy just ain't the same cooked in that junk. Everybody wants "up cycled" furniture that looks all "chic" and "posh" and "boho". They take an early 90's dresser, slap some chalk paint on it and sell it for $400. I'm happy they can turn a profit but where are the junk stores that sell handmade furniture from earlier in the century? Nah, they just aren't the same.
What about you? What memories did those old junk stores bring to your mind? What has been your favorite find in a junk store?
Please share this page with your friends, family and neighbors. I'm just a girl who loves Junkin' and making a dime. I think I am more excited about finding junk to post than I am making any profit.
