gardenjunkpickergirls: refurbishing vintage trailers

Inspired by the recent reality TV show Picker Sisters, we are fans of REAL picker shows. We relate to the thrill of finding something cheep. We love road trips and filling the truck with our unique finds. We love the reaction of your husband’s as we pull in the drive w/ junk. Unfortunately, Picker Sisters is like watching a train wreck. You know you should turn away, but something draws you to it. You try to yell at the TV hoping it will STOP, but they just keep heading straight into a disaster.

Showing posts with label refurbishing vintage trailers. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Laura did No work on the Alma!

Well I did'nt get any work done on the the Alma this weekend, but did manage to do some picking. I went up to Michigan with my good friend Michele, a friend since 5th grade. She actually has an app on her phone for garage sales!!!

We hit a couple of estate sales where Michele found an Elvis 45, In the Ghetto.

One of the best things about picking is meeting new people. On our first stop we met a lady who was in the 1948 Olympics! She was also a professional bowler and a Chicago cop for 20 years.

She must have really appreciated our visit because she was quite the talker!! The best were her stories of chasing "hoodlums" off her property with a colt 45!

I found some textiles and dishes that might work well in the trailer.
I also found another cool website for adventure seekers with trailers!!! They meet all over the country, they will be in northwest Illinois this summer. Check out nationalglampingweekend.com for info.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Info on Alma Trailers

Just found this info on vintagetraileritis
It is hard to find a lot of info on Alma's so I was excited! I am seeing so many trailer redo projects that are torn down to the frame a rebuilt . . . We don't have the time, energy, or strength to do this, so we just have to hope there is not scary stuff in the walls. I am allergic to mold and have spent a lot of time in the trailer without any problems, so I am feeling optimistic, but we will see.

Alma Trailer Co.

William and Harold Redmond and Allen Hathaway formed the Alma Trailer Co. in 1934.

They touted the trailer as the “Most Livable all-year trailer”. It was completely insulated with spun-glass wool insulation, making it cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

It also had a real bedroom that stays made up all the time at the rear of the trailer and a Davenport in the front.

It also has an "improved" screen door that opens out, instead of in, swinging out of your way.

MO

I come from a long line of pickers. I learned from my mom, driving the station wagon around on garbage day looking for stuff others didn't want. She taught me how to search through old barns, and find the items everyone else missed. I was refinishing furniture and polishing silver at a young age, always looking for the diamond in the rough. Her passion grew into a fabulous business, but for me, I am still just a picker who makes a living more traditionally. Many of our trips stem from my business trips that Laura tags along on, or weekend adventures. Laura is more thrifty then I am, we are very different . . . I will always have time for picking, gardening and blogging. I have three blogs, none for money, just to share my interests and opinions. Click on my picture to get to my garden blog. There is a reason I do the driving, do not let Laura fool you- you do not want her to drive! Picking is hard work, not a glamorous Hollywood production. You can call us “the picker girls”, “garden junk picker girls” or “the REAL picker sisters”!

Laura

Picker, gardener, not that good of a driver. . . Is one of the "greenest" people you will ever meet. She uses a clothesline, saves everything, is still cooking with some of the pans we had in our college house in the 80's. It’s not about being trendy, it’s how she lives. . . . OK I need to speak for myself here . . . Mo is definitely the blogger, driver and boss. However, I need to clarify a few things in my bio. First and foremost, I am an excellent driver and have an almost clean record to prove it. Also, my job as co-pilot is equally as important. I am, after all, the navigator through unknown country roads; no GPS in the old pick-up for these gals! I also have to rummage in the cooler and prepare sophisticated hors d'oeuvres. Last, but not least, I'm in charge of tunes. If left up to Mo, all we would be listening to is satellite radio's all Grateful Dead station. Not trendy? Without a doubt. I actually started thrifting and picking to save money. I still do for that reason, but more importantly, I want my surroundings to be funky and meaningful, and am always up for an adventure with my "true picker" sister!

Fender Art - has a long connection to "junk"

No it is not a fender made into a chair, just a fender made into ART! DEFINITION: The Middle English word jonk, ancestor of junk, originally had a very specific meaning restricted to nautical terminology. First recorded in 1353, the word meant "an old cable or rope." On a sailing ship it made little sense to throw away useful material since considerable time might pass before one could get new supplies. Old cable was used in a variety of ways, for example, to make fenders, that is, material hung over the side of the ship to protect it from scraping other ships or wharves. Junk came to refer to this old cable as well. The big leap in meaning taken by the word seems to have occurred when junk was applied to discarded but useful material in general.