2/21/09

VINTAGE SECRET ENTRY #2

The Sale Barn in Kelso, Washington. Kelso is the city in which the original Fringe Vintage was founded. The flagship is owned and run by Mader, and is located at 408 S. Pacific Ave. If you are in the area and want to pay Mader a visit that is where you can find her.

I am severely exhausted from our visit to the Sale Barn last night. All in all we kind of struck out--the auction was moving slowly--and I ended up going home with only a few small treasures. Due to my exhaustion I am mostly going to allow the photos below to speak for themselves. Briefly though:
The Sale Barn is an auction house in Kelso (deep in the heart of darkness) that has been there since forever. It is literally in a barn that is falling apart and stuffed to the rafters with old stuff and stuff from estates that the auctioneer and his family regularly buy. The place is heated buy an old wood stove near the entry. If you want to go pee you go in the outhouse. If you are hungry there are candy bars, ice cream, popcorn, beef jerky, and other concession snackies. The auctioneer wears a cowboy hat and boots and sometimes lets his kid play with the mic. The kids no good at it. Old women sit around knitting quilts and things while they bid on bags of jewelry or trinkets or china. There was a man walking around with a pretty green bird on his shoulder. Almost everyone there knows one another by name and profession. I was number 437, and Mader was number 487.
The auction sometimes goes till as late as midnight. Last night we were done at around 11. Then we went to Sharie's for milkshake and delicious food. Mader almost threw up because she drank her milkshake too fast. She was very Goth, dressed in all black with a small button on her lapel that read "don't bother me".

Best place for boxes full of random vintage goodies: The Sale Barn.















<3 fringe vintage
open everyday

3 comments:

tinyredhands said...

Take me with you next time!

Danny503 said...

Whoa, your Ma is ALL biznass with the stoic glare and curt button. Very legit.

I'm telling you, dude. You have to hit that spot I was telling you about in North Portland. It has it all: drunk Vietnam vets, Third Reich memorabilia, geriatrics in moto-wheel chairs with lap dogs, Boxes upon poxes of knife like weapons, ninja stars, VHS porno, Bootleg vhs tapes, and an obesity rate that leave your head spinning. They also have pretty great jewelry and accessories. If you forgot the details and want to go, write my blog account's email.

Great blog by the way.

joey said...

i didnt know places like this existed in this world. what a lovely world it is.