The Savvy Picker travels around the southeast looking for antique and vintage treasures to fill her online and brick-and-mortar shops. Recently she returned to North Georgia, where she stopped in at H&M Trade on her way out of town.
If you’ve ever watched Storage Wars and wondered what rooting around in someone else’s storage unit would be like, you can find out in Clarkesville, right here in the North Georgia mountains! All you need to do is stop in at H&M Trade and step inside.
This shop is run by a young couple and offers a unique concept.
The proprietors travel to different states and purchase the contents of abandoned storage units just like they do on Storage Wars! They’ve even worked with an auctioneer from the now-famous show.
Upon stepping inside, I was greeted with stacks and piles and shelves brimming with an amazing variety of stuff! The first thing I homed in on was a vintage ginger jar. It didn’t have a price tag, so I picked it up and called to the proprietor behind the counter.
“How much is this?”
He answered, “Two Dollars.”
I grabbed a vintage circus-themed tin next (also without a price tag) and asked, “How much is this?”
He answered, “One dollar.”
That’s all it took for me to realize the prices were good enough to start a pile.
Since my first two items didn’t have tags, I asked if anything else did. The answer: No. And I asked if anything was less than a dollar. Nope. Not really.
At that point, I understood the system. I held up cool things, he called out prices, and I either put them in the pile or back on the shelf. It was a take-or-leave shopping experience. The prices are already low. No haggling involved.
I ended up purchasing three vintage ginger jars for $1 to $2 each, a handful of plate racks for $1, some brass ship bookends for $3, and a couple of other items.
Probably the best thing I picked up was a stack of Louisville Pottery plates for $5. These generally sell online for $20 or more each online.
My time was limited when I stopped here, but I’m sure if I had more time to dig around, I’d have discovered even more treasures.
I understand the inventory turns over quickly here, so you’ll probably want to put H & M Trade on your list of places to stop by whenever you’re in the area.
While there, the proprietor handed me one of his wife’s business cards. I loved the slogan on the back “Come on and plunder.”
I feel sure this invitation is extended to all of you, too.
H&M Trade, Co. is located at 1403 Historic Highway 441 in Clarkesville, Georgia. Call 706-768-6031 or visit them on Facebook for more information and hours.
Who should visit: People who like to plunder, of course!
Score of the day: Louisville Pottery Plates
Predicted profit on plates: $100
Re-seller takeaway: When there’s a lot of good stuff in a shop and no carts, always ask if you can start a pile at the register.
The Savvy Picker publishes bi-monthly on Now Habersham. For more great reads and finds, click here. For additional tips on tracking vintage treasures, visit The Savvy Picker website.
