One Woman's Junk

If it's dusty, rusty or the paint is peeling, it's just the right thing for Julie Speed's collection.

"I like old pulleys," she says, "and farming-related things. I just love the repurposed country look."

But "antiquing runs deep" in Amy Daniels' family, too -- "salt and pepper shakers, quilts, lots of furniture," Speed describes.

So the two friends inevitably "pick" more than they can keep.

"So Amy had the idea to do a little barn sale out at her house. She's lived here forever," Speed says. "And it kind of got bigger than she planned."

Speed climbed aboard, and last fall, the two hosted a sale at the Viney Grove Community Building. They had 35 to 40 vendors and more than 2,000 shoppers.

"It was so exciting, but at the same time, we were losing our minds," Speed remembers. "We had one way in and one way out, so we had massive traffic jams. It was crazy!"

Between then and now, Speed and her husband bought a piece of property near the new I-549 bypass. They've been renovating the barn and old house, and this weekend it will make its debut as "The Junk Ranch." Obviously, "Amy and I have been out junking," Speed says, "and got enough to fill up the house." On top of that, they've invited about 60 vendors, three food providers and entertainment.

Oh, and they have a bigger field for parking.

"We're just hoping the rain stops!"

Speed says shoppers shouldn't expect to see what they would at a crafts fair. Instead, handmade items are generally repurposed items.

"In our house, we have a lamp that used to be a parking meter," she says by way of example. "If it's rusty, if it's got chippy paint, it's going to fit in."

-- Becca Martin-Brown

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