SIDNEY – Ed Lovett amassed a trove of vintage items from his approximately 20 years of collecting including glassware, designer plates and salt and pepper shakers, and now he’s opened a store to peddle his wares.
Lovett and his fiancee, Ruth Kies, opened Junk Rescue Hut in downtown Sidney in March. The store specializes in used furniture, glassware and vintage items among its wide range of offerings.
“I’ve been in collecting for years,” Lovett said. “I thought, well, why not try to open a store and try to sell it and rotate it and everything.”
Kies and Lovett both retired last year from their jobs as forklift operators, giving them an opportunity to pursue business ownership. The Sidney couple had no previous experience as entrepreneurs but have enjoyed the experience and the opportunity to interact with their customers.
The name of the business comes from the idea that people like Lovett appreciate old items.
“One man’s junk is another man’s treasure,” he said.
Lovett’s collection has grown substantially in the past five or six years, he said, mainly purchased from estate sales.
“I’ve always liked vintage stuff,” he said. “That’s what I started collecting mostly.
“I’ve collected them off and on over the years. I’ve got a storage unit about full of it.”
Lovett likes vintage items because of the way they’re made. He appreciates the handcrafting and the details on old furniture along with the quality of the older items.
“I used to be in a frontier club years ago,” he said. “I’ve always liked the homemade stuff and all the vintage tools and stuff like that.
“The old furniture is all solid made instead of this prefabricated stuff nowadays.”
Junk Rescue Hut is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday at 225 E. Court St. in Sidney. Shoppers also can be accommodated on Saturday afternoons by appointment.
For more information, visit the Junk Rescue Hut page on Facebook.
