J M
By Appointment
Penn's Woods
717 332 5050
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How we got here....
I must have been born with a treasure hunter inside me, although I never new it until I was well into my thirties. One day it just sort of hit him, and boy did it hit me good.
I was on my way to Chambersburg to visit a few clients and after that I was hoping for an easy afternoon. It was early spring and I was leaned back in the seat of the old Crown Vic, enjoying the ride through the Pennsylvania countryside.
I was about half way to my destination and can vaguely recall seeing a large sign up ahead that read "yard sale."
I don't know if I blacked out or got taken by aliens or what, but the next thing I remember is being out of the car and walking strait across somebody's front yard, toward a row of tables that were overflowing with just about every kind of stuff imaginable.
Another cardboard sign with big, black, uneven letters scrawled across had been propped up against one of the tables informing me, "Everything 4 Sale!", and slouched in a wooden chair on the opposite side of that table
sat the man who I figured was there to do the selling.
Our eyes met, and we both nodded to each other as a greeting. He didn't speak a word, not yet at least, but I could feel him watching my every move as I faked an interest in a few of wares.
Most of the stuff for sale was the usual, yard sale mix," of out grown clothing and worn out toys and the fact is, I was trying to decide how long I should stay before I wasted anymore of the day, when I noticed an old rusty sword leaning against the end of one of the tables.
I don't know what it was about that beat up old hunk of metal that got me to walk over and pick it up, but the second I had the sword in my hand, the guy from the chair had somehow zipped was around the table and was standing next to me saying, "Sure is a beauty,.... ain't she Mister?"
I nodded as if to agree, but thught to myself the sword looked like it had left its better days far behind in the very distant past.
I remember the fellow saying something about it being the "real deal?" and that the rust and dirt caked over it had been left there on purpose to preserve the patina. According to the seller, the sword
had been found in the ruins of an abandoned farm near the site of where a not so well known Civil War battle
had taken place.
Its funny, I still recall how he used his fungertips to cross his heart and swore his story was true. then everything gets blurry again and all I remember after that were a few random words like peanuts and cracks in the road, and even something that I still think sounded like, "it happens sometimes with a bee sting".
I recall thanking him, then my mind goes blank once more my minds goes blank until I'm back inside my car.
First things first, I reached back to check that my wallet was safely tucked away in my left back pocket . That's when I notice the rusty old sword, lying across the back seat of the car
A couple days later, after a little research, I realized I'd been had. But the funny thing about it is, even though the sword was really only a cheap fake, I still believe the price I paid for it is probably the best ten bucks I've ever spent.
The box had been opened and the treasure hunter was free. I bought a few books on identifying antique swords, and started carrying them with me wherever I'd go. Soon my interest in swords got me thinking about other things. Things like the accouterments and insignias worn by the soldiers who fought in the Civil War.
It wasn't long before I developed an interest in other weapons, before I knew what hit me, I had begun investing in a collection of guns that dated back to the days of the Old West.
My thirst for knowledge has never been fully satisfied, in fact, somewhere along the line, it must have become contagious, because soon my entire family was infected. My wife developed a fascination with lightning rods and weathervanes, while our children began collecting things like old movie cameras and various works of art. In time, my interest in weapons led me to Japan, where I instantly fell in love with the amazing swords of the Samurai.
Like anyone who suffers from this type of affliction, my love of antiques has caused me to make my fair share of mistakes, but as I see it now,
mistakes are just another step we must take when learning new things. I can say for a fact, some of the most valuable lessons I've ever learned, were paid for by my mistakes.
......If you asked me to sum up in a few words how all of us at Picker's feel about our jobs? Well that's easy........ ...........who ever dreamed working could be this much fun.......without breaking the law.......
about our shop
Hello. Yes,the store is open.... well, sort of. Please excuse this mess, we've still got tons of stuff to put together. I'm afraid it's going to be a while before we can get everything set up just the way we want it, but you can check out some of the great old pieces we've put together so far. When all this work is finally done, our shop will feature some of the finest decorative antiques and collectibles you'll find anywhere.
Our weather vanes and lightning rods are true works of art, and sure to spark interesting, entertaining conversations among family and friends for years to come. Our collection of authentic hanging oil lamps are more than functional, their soft, glowing light can fill your rooms with a beauty and charm that transcends time.
Oh, and one of my favorites is our stock of rare, reclaimed antique hardwood and barn lumber. From the gorgeous grain and texture of hand-hewn chestnut, to the deep, dark beauty of age cured claro black walnut, these pieces of incredible wood offer you an opportunity to create your own one of a kind treasure.
All, our reclaimed hardwoods come with a certificate of origin featuring history and photos; ( when available) so you'll know where these gorgeous boards and planks actually came from and how they were used. Oh, and then there's our Civil War and Old West collections, featuring some great militaria as well as antique firearms by makers like Colt and Remington and Scott, just to mention a few. We've even started setting up our small but very impressive collection of real Japanese Samurai swords. Some date back as far as three centuries.
We have Lionel Trains.... Yellow Ware. Graniteware.... Vintage humidors and other related pieces for the cigar lovers out there and so much more.
I couldn't be more proud of the items we have here at Picker's Treasures and I hope you'll take a few minutes to see for yourself....... by the way, if there's something you've been looking for, but just can't seem to find, please tell let us about it. It never hurts to ask and we might know just where to find it.
Thank you for visiting. I hope you'll come back soon, and remember, ......... "At Picker's, if we didn't fall in love with it in the first place, it would never have made it into our store................... JM
Picker's Treasures
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