the container came and im a happy camper...only a couple of things broken and it got here right before our big february sale....

some of the  new   pile of  drawers   we just got.....  we love cubbieholes....

waiting

THE WAITING GAME.....we  have ordered a big pile of  desert primities  from  TURKEY...  they are on the water  now  and  heading  for  customs in virginia.....  we just  got  told  it will be intensively   searched by customs.... the  pile is about  a half a semi...including    150 olive oil jars....very breakable, not insured,  
our  customers  seem  so   interested in this....i ordered  from   my  couch after  talking  dh into it....  i ordered  from pictures   ....the   connection  was  nice  even tho   the main man   spoke no  english....  my hope is  to  be able  to  sell  lots of this   to other dealeers....  i  realy like wholesale  and am  trying  to   get it  going again.....
in this new world where most of my antique  knowledge is  now   worth little....and  the  wonderful   group of   antique  dealers i used to sell to  are long  gone...

junking in rochester

im  loving  INDUSTRIAL......WE HAVE  SO MUCH....  cant say  its selling   real well  yet but  i like putting it  together and  love the look.. im  buying as much  galvanized, sink, and  metal as i  can  find...  SAP BUCKETS, wash tubs,horse tanks, junk art,
          locker baskets, license plates,
old  buckets,old  gas cans, metal  drawers,metal carts,STEEL TOOLBOXES... VINTAGE OLIVE BUCKETS, HUGE  cupolas, and  big  tin  letters  made out of old  barn roofs....

we are in a  junky   mode  around  here....

dec...2012

we are still painting a lot...love this  blue...i saw it on pinterest...mine  is  white first, a sloppy white....then a  bit of  aqua  then  a bit of  light  blue....a little  wood  shows  thru...
.
issues this month..
..2 NEW WORKERS...s happy and  excited....
 JONS IDEA  of  custom work has   been a  big   deal all year......... i have fought it   and  tried to keep  him in  line....but his  theory is   GIVE THE WOMEN WHATEVER THEY WANT..i guess  this was  marshall fields  motto   a long time ago  so  maybe hes on to something....
.  ive always  been  cash and  carry and take it as is or leave it.... so this is   all  hard  for me..
IMPORTING A  PILE  FROM TURKEY..... MY NEW PROJECT....CANT believe i talked dh into it... getting  100+ big wood bowls,100+ olive oil jars and 100+of those neat olive  buckets and some doors   ...the  sender doesnt  speak english.....    so we will see!!!!
 WE GOT   SOME  TV COVERAGE....  a south bend station   came and  filmed us  about  small business and  made in indiana....it was  on the news  this week...
mostly im on  facebook  but i miss  this  blog...  it  just  doesnt  feel like  many  are on here  and i dont have the time to do it  right....  facebook has  been   great for us tho....

us at work....

customers

THIS WEEK IN  CUSTOMER STORIES....  we do  get the neatest people  in   the store...
ONE, a neat  chicago  junk  guy.... told us about  his  dad  who also was in the  junk  business, and  still worked   at  92  he  said  just put  me in  my  pens[depends] and let me  get out there....
and  TODAY...  a  fun  girl  said  she  brought her  husband  once....to  the  yardsale last  year,  and he MADE HER PROMISE       that  she would never  bring him to  green oak again.....

gads....some have   been  coming   for over  30  yrs...  they  mean s o much  to me  besides  money,,,,and i  DO  love their stories..... 

all about the junk

this summer  has  been all about THE JUNK....THE INDUSTRIAL....METAL...GALVANIZED..buckets, pails, drawers, boxes, ladders, car parts,carts, wheels etc etc eetc......We are loaded  with it....  .dh  says  im  getting too popular with the junk  guys....  they are bringing me  lots and lots....ITS  MOSTLY OUTSIDE   and  im  calling it  the JUNK GARDEN

i have some customer  stories.....
a lady comes in and  wanders around  for a long time and  buys a little  ...at the end  she  comes up and says  ...this is always my therapy....nice... then  she  says   i need  to    stop  after     seeing my son in prison.... 

.....a guy....  i heard  this was a quirky  place.....  i took  that as a compliment...
...2  times this week....  mothers  bringing  their  kid in  to  return  stolen  merchandise...  so  awful  and  touching.... i  feel so  bad  for the mothers...
....many  have shared  horrible   health reports....  deaths reports,  tears....

   i love the ones  who have  been  coming  for  20 ...even  30  yrs....  ,....and i love presents.... my  buddy  from  bangles  brought me a georgous /takky  necklace...she knew i would  love it... another  brought us   cannas...another   a hosta...
...
when im  dirty and working,  like most  of   the time... the  new ones  take me as an overworked   worker... 
dh is  getting tired ...im  still   crazy about this   whole idea....  so many   things  to   explore...

. and i like that we are a  good   place to come  for a  good time... like   when  they  bring ther  friends.... maybe for the  free  cookies  and a visit  to the pink  room....   

around the store MAY 2012