Pre-Junk Bonanza Trip, Great Junk & Antique Finds in Minnesota

Michele M. and I spent the weekend in Minnesota, making sure that all the details for the Red Shed Junk Bonanza trip were just perfect! We toured 3 hotels, 6 or so restaurants and about 20 antique shops, junk stores and architectural salvage shops. We weeded out the boring-&-not-so-cute and the too-expensive-to-be-fun places and now we will have the best rooms (suites, actually) at a fabulous hotel, the very best seats for our private meals and book signing parties, and the friendliest shop owners (experience "Minnesota Nice") who are ready to meet, greet, wheel & deal with all the newly christened, honorary "Red Shed Girls" who are joining our group. We have just 2 spots left if you want to be in on the fun! You do not have to be from Texas to join us, go to http://www.redshedonline.com/JunkBonanza.html site for details.

One of the highlights of the trip was dinner with Ki Nassauer, the creator of the Junk Bonanza, JunkCamp blog, Country Home contributing editor and JUNK Queen extraordinaire. It was great to eat junk food (ha! appropriate), laugh and have a great "Girl's Night Out". Those donut looking things below are actually onion rings! We look forward to seeing her in September, and she may even have a few surprises for the Red Shed Girls.

We are going to save mostl of the names of the great places that we will visit (and their fun owners!) as a surprise until after the September trip, but we did want want to share just a few of the great deals and interesting items that we saw. WE DO NOT have the items below for sale, these were just some of the asking prices:

This fabulous low double bench was $45.00

Vintage wicker table was $47.00, Chairs were $27.00
This 9 foot bench was $45.00!
Cute black table with crackle finish top , $19.00.

White duck chair with french writing $55.00.

Double corbel shelf $22.00

Hall tree made from a vintage door and vintage mirror $70.00

And here are just some interesting, and beautiful items. This drawers on the cute cabinet were made from fruit crates:

We loved the pedestal on this table. I think the table was around $69.00

Painfully cute as a kitchen island!

Our favorite Secret Store find is below! The secret will be revealed (and published!) after our September trip. This great shop is an underground favorite of dealers in Minneapolis. Like the Red Shed, it has a monthly sale and the entire shop is repainted and reworked with a different theme. Unbelievable finds and GREAT, GREAT prices!

We will visit the famous "Hunt & Gather"

Beautiful, colorful, and interesting booths, lots of collections....something for everyone!

We visited lots of Architectural salvage places. Some, we were afraid they might have to pull a credit report for us to walk in the door. Finally, our search ended at a great place owned by a dear man name Scott, and co-owned by dear circus-dog Ellie. We will also reveal the name of this great place in September.

Great architectural pieces, reasonable prices, lots of hardware and metal salvage for artists.

So you can see why why we love junking and antiquing in Minnesota! We can't wait to get back with our U-haul! (Especially since we left purchases scattered all over Minnesota until we could get back). Just imagine all of the great items that will be for sale at the Red Shed in October!

Keep an eye open for a post with some of the new treasures that will be available for the August 23rd Sale! You will be sad if you miss it!

Valarie