Oh, what a nice drive to North Georgia The Savvy Picker had on her recent trip. With the new grass vibrant green, the pear trees bursting with white blooms, the Forsythia and Jessamine aflame with yellow, and the cherry trees showcasing myriads of pink petals, it was a colorful journey that felt a little like riding through a giant Easter basket. Especially when the rain gave way to sunshine, and a rainbow arched across the sky like an enormous handle!
(TheSavvyPicker.com)
Because Elberton lies between my home on the coast of South Carolina and the North Georgia Mountains, I decided to swing by and check out some of this city’s thrift and antique stores. Google led me to Hunts Antiques, located in an old red homeplace with a couple of outbuildings and a lot of Southern charm.
Excited to explore this first stop, which promised to be interesting, I had an exercise in patience when I found the front door locked. Beneath the OPEN sign, however, was a handwritten note instructing folks to call the proprietor. I dialed the number and the gentleman who answered the phone promised to come right up and open the shop.
He was just two doors down.
While waiting on him, I noticed a real estate sign in the yard. So, the first thing I asked the proprietor when he arrived was if he was moving out. He told me that he was. On April 9th, in fact.
At this point, I was mentally rubbing my hands together in glee. Antique dealers who need to move usually give amazing deals! But as I stepped into the interesting old building full of stuff, I didn’t find price tags on any of the items. Instead, I had to negotiate with Mr. Hunt (I presume) on every treasure. And he wasn’t at the Everything-Must-Go-No-Reasonable-Offer-Turned-Down point yet.
One of the first things I was interested in was a gorgeous salt glazed stoneware pitcher! Unfortunately, it was not within my budget. But Mr. Hunt (I presume) must have noticed my eyes light up when examining the beautiful old pottery because he immediately asked if I liked pottery. I assured him that I did indeed. He then removed a box from beneath a table and pulled out an absolutely stunning salt glazed stoneware pottery wine cask. Hesitantly, I asked the price. Seven hundred dollars!!!!! I actually think the piece might be worth it. But not to The Savvy Picker.
As always, however, I did find a few items priced low enough for me to turn a profit when selling: a slag glass ashtray, a brass crane, a blue and white teapot, an iron lizard, and a piece of cobalt slag glass cullet.
I left Hunt’s Antiques with a small stash of treasures and a one-of-a-kind shopping experience I was glad to have had. And as a bonus, there was a Salvation Army Thrift store just one minute away, so I was able to stop in there for just a minute and snag a nice stack of books and a French mug!
As I continued my drive through North Georgia, I passed a couple of other cute antique stores that I was disappointed to discover were only open on weekends. So if you are in the Elberton area or up for a road trip, go on a weekend to explore these other shops.
Remember, if you want to visit Hunt’s antiques, you’ll need to show up before April 9th! Who knows, maybe as the days tick closer to his move date, Mr. Hunt (I presume) will be willing to give even deeper deals. You might even snag that salt glazed wine cask for $675!
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