The Search

Once again, I'm on the road,

 searching for one of a kind and hard to find

 items for the shops.

I'll be pulling out 

VERY

early in the a.m.

It's one of my favorite challenges in the business :

putting on my favorite old jeans and hat, work gloves in my back pocket,

comfortable boots

coffee in the cupholder

music playing

On the road again

zigging and zagging cross country

to visit my favorite haunts

and some good ol' boy pickers.

The anticipation is amazing

envisioning the possibilities!

I love scouring through loads of tantalizing old treasures,

and sometimes some pretty strange salvage

(aka worthless junk)

hoping to find those special pieces

  

that 

delight will my senses!

I

am

 always

 expecting the mother lode

that sweet spot where I'll walk into a barn full of breathtaking antiquities

 to sort through

......

each piece more fascinating than the last

......

untouched for generations

each one in pristine condition when I blow off the dust

......

Undisturbed history

just waiting patiently for 

ME

with all the stories buried along with the treasure

......

Ah 

Excuse me,

 I was caught up in the dream again  

OK

I'm back in reality

and I know it's tedious

dirty

heavy hauling

driving for hours and hours

day after day

......

and there are spiders and snakes and rusty nails and 

lions and tigers and bears

OH MY!

(It's just that I don't want you to envy me too much!)

I love to set off on a road trip

with miles before me

good music playing

and

the

dream

 alive in my heart

Wish me luck!

Antiques By Joy
selling at
 Dwell Antiques & Home
Greenwood Village, Colorado
303-795-3454
dwellantiques.com
facebook.com/dwellantiques

Road Trip Again!

I'm off on a

 road trip

 for a week

scouting the Midwest to see what

treasures I can find

for 

you!

Over the last 35 years in this business,

I have heard a million times,

"Ohhhh . . . you have the perrrrfect job!

That's what I want to doooo . . . ."

And

you know what?

They're right!

I DO 

have the perfect job!

I love my job.

I love traveling,

 searching,

 prowling through barns and attics . . . 

buying,

and

meeting wonderful folks

all over the country!

I love the thrill of the hunt

and

the surprise of what I might stumble

onto . . . 

Such a surge of adrenaline when I come upon some

 especially lovely item

 I never expected to find!

Pitter-Pat . . . Pitter-Pat

I love the excitement of packing my bags and loading the gear necessary for a road trip!

Trailer

totes

blankets

packing supplies

magnifying glass

M&M's

magnets

silver polish

bungees

and

a Thule

 on the top!

Hat

sunglasses

Wellies

rain gear

sunscreen

you name it - I may need it on any given journey!

I've been chased by tornadoes

swept off the road in high winds

rained out

mudded in

sunburned

barked at

chased

startled by snakes

tickled by mice

and

followed by strange men.

Or was that "tickled by strange men" ?

(Heck - I've bought antiques from some pretty strange men!)

Hi Mike - not you . . . 

There's a wonderful sense of anticipation as I set out on the road to hunt for treasure.

I have developed a network of friends and suppliers

 across the country

and

come to know a lot of wonderful folks who

share my obsession.

(Guys with 6 huge sheds full of who knows what.)

AND

I recently bought from a gentleman who'd been on the American Pickers T.V. show.

Before I leave town

I make a few calls

to determine who's got some fresh finds

and

plot my journey

accordingly.

It's pretty common for one picker to send me on to another,

so the trail can meander somewhat . . . 

but it's all good.

I may find things at auction or in someone's barn or attic.

There may be some farm sales

or

flea markets

or

junk shops.

You name it, I've shopped it.

There is a kinship among the group

and

I find I can be invited home to supper

or to share a glass of iced tea on the porch

as likely as not.

We may sit late and swap lies

or

keep on prowling by the light of a lantern.

It's always fun.

This trip is extra special

because my daughter 

Kellie

(who is my new partner)

is joining me on the trip.

We'll enjoy the camaraderie

and

kinship

as well as

the

journey!

I'll be back next week with a big truckload 

of sweet antiques for you to see

so

stay tuned!

I never know what I'll find.

I may head out with a desire for French Country

 or primitives

but find instead that I come upon a wealth of industrial chic

or

Italian Florentine and crystal chandeliers!

As the saying goes . . . 

"The worst day antiquing is better than the best day working!"