“When most people come in and start looking around they say, ‘“Oh, this reminds me of my grandmother’s house, or my mother used to have this,’” says Margaret Barnes, one of four partners of Pickety Place Antiques and Collectibles. I recently visited with her about this treasured Jacksonville fixture.
Pickety Place has been drawing treasure seekers since 1984. They “picked” their catchy name from the picket fence surrounding the house they first occupied at South Third and Main. Two years later they moved to the present location at 130 North Fourth Street, just across the street from the Jacksonville Inn parking lot. They’ve been satisfying collectors, curiosity seekers and nostalgia buffs there for thirty-three years now.
Margaret has collected most of her adult life, joining the group in 2012. Though there have been a plethora of owners and partners throughout its history, there are currently four partners. Margaret can testify that sometimes our dreams take their sweet time about coming to fruition. She had wanted to open a store like Pickety Place in her home town of Sacramento in the early 1970s. Her brothers cleaned out garages and houses, keeping the good stuff and tossing the rest. They collected a warehouse full of saleable merchandise. By the time they were able to consider following through on the storefront plans, problems collided, and she moved nearer her sister in Oregon.
When eBay came along in the mid-90s, the collecting bug bit again, but it wasn’t until 2012 that she was finally able to achieve her goal of buying and selling from a brick and mortar establishment. Margaret is especially drawn to textiles—delicately embroidered tablecloths and pillowcases, old quilts, dresser scarves—samples of a different time when more women enjoyed needle arts and spent long hours crafting beautiful accents for their family and home.
Alice Gibson takes the prize for having been with Pickety Place longest. She’s been there since the beginning and loves her work. Her tastes are eclectic and run the gamut, but she specializes in western art, vintage prints, and art pottery. She enjoys following the trends, loves getting to know her customers and expanding her knowledge of the business.
Jim Freeman is a partner having been with the gang for five years. He brings a business and marketing background. Jim is as eclectic as the rest, but his specialty is ephemera, which means items of a temporary nature such as paper goods.
The fourth partner is a couple, Steve McGowan and Tanja Salma. Steve has experience in retail buying and marketing, and is enthralled with all things involving model trains. Tanja is former owner of a vendor mall and also enjoys buying and selling linens and anything with age that catches her fancy.
All items for sale are those of the individual partners. They often buy, but don’t accept consignments. Recently the crew at PP did some major rearranging, brightening up the front window with brilliant, colorful glass and art pottery. They also streamlined the walk-through, making it easier for shoppers to linger.
When the Britt concert season begins, life in Jacksonville kicks up a couple of notches, and they occasionally entertain a wandering celebrity. Take the time Boy George’s sound crew came to Margaret’s rescue when they overheard her muttering about a malfunctioning speaker. Local gal and TV and movie celebrity Lisa Rinna stopped by for some vintage clothing one afternoon.
Margaret is the monthly voice for Pickety Place in her column, “Speaking of Antiquing,” in the Jacksonville Review. Recently she wrote about the treat of collecting model trains. The day her article published, a man in his 80s visited the store. He just had to see the trains and then went on to share about his childhood set.
The heart of Pickety Place lies in the memories resurrected by a leisurely wander through their varied offerings. Tables and benches are available outside the store for a place to rest and people-watch. Margaret added, “You never know what the people are going for. It just depends on who walks through the door. You just kind of have to have a little of everything.” A little bit of everything is exactly what they stock. So, have yourselves a merry browse, rouse fond memories, and find just the right piece at Pickety Place Antiques and Collectibles.
Featured image l-r Steve McGowan, Tanja Salma, Jim Freeman, Alice Gibson, and Margaret Barnes