• Dozens of Shop pages with LOTS of info!

• Events by date listed on the Upcoming Events page!

• Use the Road Trip Map to plan a great Iowa trip!

To list your shop or event email IowaAntiqueNetwork@gmail.com for info.Like us on Facebook.com/IowaAntiqueNetwork We are an Iowa Company.

IOWA

IOWA MAPFeatured places in the

state to fi nd vintage treasures.

page 4

IOWA ANTIQUE

NETWORKYour one-stop shop for all

your Iowa antique needspage 2

LISTEN TO YOUR GUT

A Cherokee woman who listened to her gut and

made her dream a realitypage 5

August 2018Aurelia Star • Buffalo Center Tribune • Butler County Tribune-Journal • Calmar Courier • Clarksville Star • Clear Lake Mirror Reporter

Eagle Grove Eagle • Eclipse News-Review • Eldora Herald-Ledger • The Graphic-Advocate • The Grundy Register • Hampton ChronicleThe Hardin County Index • Holstein Advance • Ida County Courier • Keota Eagle • The Leader • The News-Review • Ogden Reporter

The Outlook • Pioneer Enterprise • Postville Herald • The Sheffi eld Press • The Sun • Wright County Monitor

This wooden washing machine still has the agitator inside. MID-AMERICA PUBLISHING/ERIN SOMMERS

2 • August 2018

One-stop shop offers antiques buyers and selle rs a new way to find each otherBy Erin SommersMid-America Publishing

Mike and KC Constant weren’t looking for new full-time jobs when they launched IowaAntiqueNetwork.com in 2013.

In fact, Mike said, he really just wanted to cover the cost of gas money to leave their Webster City home and drive to the antique stores and f lea markets he and his wife were already visiting.

But with his background in sales and mar-keting – an Iowa native, he lived for years in Seattle and sold ads for the Yellow Pages – Mike quickly saw his small website start to grow.

“It’s grown on its own because it’s a good network,” he said. “I created a need and filled a void.”

Many shop owners he meets will hes-itate to advertise, he said. They want to open their stories at 8 a.m. and close at 5 p.m. and they assume that people will find them. That’s just not how it works, though, he added.

Instead, he tries to explain to his cus-tomers that they need to have their name out there, in a place where customers will find it if they do a search online. About 60 percent of the views of his site come from mobile users; Constant is working to update the website and improving the mobile view-ing experience.

The site is more than a listing of antiques shops.

“You’ll find shops, shows, events and vendors,” Constant said.

Constant has also curated a handful of Iowa antique shopping day trips.

“Spend a day in Walnut, Iowa,” one of the trip descriptions said. “Walnut offers over 15 antique and specialty shops all in one location! Located south of Interstate 80 at exit 46, Walnut is Iowa’s Antique City. The downtown block, located at the south end of Main Street, is a picturesque and quaint set-ting for an afternoon spent shopping. Also check out Robert’s Treats and Treasures on the north end of the shopping district and which offers pastries, breads, and lunch, and Emma Jean’s Restaurant and Bar locat-

ed just north of the Interstate.”Constant likes to see how he can help

connect sellers and buyers. He has a weekly email that goes out to vendors, for example, which lists unique items some are selling as well as the special items others would like to purchase.

Not long ago, he opened his Facebook page to a message that was simply the thumbs up “like” symbol the platform has made famous. Curious, Constant sent a message back to the sender asking if there was any other information she wished to share. Instead of giving a lengthy answer, she sent another thumbs up.

“That’s one of the best kudos I’ve ever had – a thumbs up, keep it up,” Constant said.

He does much of his own marketing on the weekends, when he and KC travel to an-tique events and shops. He said his wife is more of a collector than he is.

“I don’t collect a whole lot unless some-thing catches my interest,” he said.

On the other hand, he said he’s not sure there’s anything KC doesn’t collect.

Though the site started specific to Iowa, Constant has expanded it to include Nebras-ka, Missouri, Illinois, Minnesota, Wiscon-sin and South Dakota. Hundreds of vendors and dealers post their goods on the site, and Constant pulls events from the network to feature on his Facebook page weekly.

He never expected to see the site grow like this.

“It’s used a lot,” he said. “It’s used a lot more than we expected.”

The flags on this map of Iowa mark the location of antique shops, vendors, events, B&Bs and wineries that can be found on IowaAntiqueNetwork.com.

August 2018 • 3

Weekend Junk Warriors

Get in here!

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538 Hwy 18 W., Clear Lake

Open: 2nd and 3rd weekends of each month

THURS: 11-8, FRI & SAT: 11-6SUN: 1-6

vintage, antiques architectural salvage

rescued and redeemed furniture and decor

Opening Soon

Treasure Hunting & Fun Encouraged

The various ways to repurpose dressersOne of the benefits to becoming a skilled

do-it-yourselfer is the chance to embrace projects that can breathe new life into objects that others might designate for the trash or donation pile. Renovating such items can save money and provide an entirely different purpose for the object.

After upgrading design styles or moving, there’s a good chance the average homeown-er has a spare dresser or chest of drawers he or she may no longer use. Repurposing such furniture can make for an enjoyable weekend DIY project.

With a change of color, removal of drawers or a few minor modifications, dressers can be transformed in many different ways. Here are a few ideas to get started.• Television stand: Sand and paint or stain

the dresser to match the color scheme of your living room or family room. Remove the top row of drawers from the dresser to have cubby space to house electronics, such as cable boxes or DVD players. The remaining drawers can hold movie collec-tions, spare remote controls, gaming sys-tems, and much more.

• Serving bar: Paint the dresser in an eye-catching shade and make sure to seal-coat it with a finish that is impervious to moisture. If time or budget allows, attach a piece of glass or tiles on top of the dresser to create a water-resistant, strong surface area. Store various serving glasses and cocktail accoutrements within the draw-

ers. Place a few bottles of your favorite spirits and a decanter on a decorative tray.

• Storage shelving: Remove the drawers from the dresser and turn it into a storage mecca by using stackable plastic contain-ers in spaces once occupied by the draw-ers. Keep craft supplies, collectibles or anything else you can think of inside.

• Kitchen island: Small dressers can be re-purposed into kitchen islands with a few modifications. Install casters on the feet so it can be moved around when necessary. Place butcher block wood or stone on top so you’ll have a sturdy cutting or prepara-tion surface area. Hooks hung on the side can hold frequently used kitchen utensils.

• Changing table: Turn an older dresser into a changing table for a new baby. In addi-tion, add a cushioned pad and some dec-orative trim to serve as a frame that keeps the pad in place. The drawers will keep wipes, diapers, onesies, and other supplies at the ready.

• Bench: Remove the top drawers from the dresser. Add a piece of plywood to make a seat. Use the removed drawer faces on the inside back of the dresser since this area will now be visible. Paint the entire piece or stain it as desired. Fashion a cushion for the seat, and the bench is ready for an en-tryway or wherever you have space.

• Before discarding an old dresser, think of all the ways it can be transformed into an-other useful piece of furniture.

Reclaimed wood adds instant appeal to home projects

Repurposing salvaged wood is a popular trend in the home improvement industry. Not only can using salvaged wood give a home a one-of-a-kind look, but it’s a handy way to incorporate the three Rs of green living into your lifestyle: reduce, reuse and recycle.

Reclaimed wood is often used in f loor-ing, beams, wall treatments, and doors, but it also can be turned into furniture or home accent items. Reclaimed wood adds warmth and historical interest to a home’s decor that newer materials may lack. Al-though finding wood that can be salvaged takes time and some legwork, such efforts can quickly pay off. Many businesses are now devoted to reclaimed timber, which can help make the process of finding and using salvaged wood even easier.

Homeowners considering reclaimed wood may be interested to learn that such wood can serve various functions aside from benefitting the planet.• Match old-growth wood. New regulations

may prevent certain species of trees from being cut down. That means it can be challenging to match old wood in a home, particularly if you’re looking to maintain historical value and authenticity. Relying on salvaged wood items can alleviate this concern, ensuring that you can find rare woods that are no longer available brand new.

• Salvaged wood has character. It’s diffi-cult to mimic the natural age marks and character that older wood may have. In-stead of being raised on farms, wood har-vested decades ago probably grew in nat-ural environments, making the wood both durable and strong. The color and grain of salvaged wood may also be unique.

• Look at objects in a new way. Doors are versatile pieces of reclaimed lumber be-cause they’re already flat and rather large. Doors can be turned into headboards, ta-bles or benches. Staircase or porch posts can be turned into candlestick holders, and wood shutters can dress up walls and provide a place to hang artwork and other wall items.

• Reclaimed wood can be found every-where. Most people do not have to look too far to find wood they can salvage. Check salvage yards, landfills, dumpsters in front of older homes being renovated, or older, unused barns in rural settings. You also can collect driftwood or discard-ed shipping crates.While some reclaimed wood can be used

as-is, some pieces may require millwork, including sanding, cutting, shaping, and finishing. If you do not have these skills, you probably will have to hire someone who does.

The Internet is awash with ideas for put-

ting salvaged wood to use. Get inspired and then find the pieces that will fit your proj-ect.

Salvaged doors, fences, shutters, beams, and so much more can be put to new use.

Check’s Antiques

(608) 326-6014 • 115 S Dousman StPrairie du Chien, Wisconsin 53821

www.checksantiques.comchecksantiques@gmail.com

Celebrating 50 years in business!

Buying & Selling Antiques & EstatesOpen Daily: Mon thru Sat. 10 to 5Sun. 10 to 4 • April — November

Oldest Authentic Antique Shop!

4 • August 2018

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3

4

5

6

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1 Check’s Antiques 115 S Dousman St., Prairie du Chein, WI

2 Weekend Junk Warriors 538 Hwy 18 W, Clear Lake, IA

3 Abel Acres 228 610th St., Alta, IA

4 400 Rustic Station 400 Broad St., Whittemore, IA

5 Backwoods Gallery 1282 Edgington Ave., Eldora, IA

6 Junkin Gal 314 State St., Garner, IA

7 First & Second Vintage 123 First St. NW, Hampton, IA

8 Mojo’s Antique Barn 5135 Hwy 3, Cherokee, IA

9 Little Prairie Girl 206 Main St., Cedar Falls, IA

August 2018 • 5

@AbleAcres2017Able Acres

Furniture RefinishingHome Decor

DIY Workshops

join us on facebook

store hours:T: 1-7 PMW: 9 AM-6 PMTh: 9 AM-5 PMF: 9 AM-5 PMS: 9 AM-2 PM

Closed:Mon. & Sun.

4oo Broad St.Whittemore, IA

50598515-350-0567

From dream to realityJolene Puhrmann listened to her gut and found a way to open the shop she always wanted to have

By Erin SommersMid-America Publishing

Jolene Puhrmann loved to go antique picking with her dad.

The things they bought would often make others laugh. Once, she said, her dad keyed in on a silver service set. Jolene laughed at the set, but her dad bought it anyway.

“We shined it all up,” she said. “He dis-played it in the china hutch.”

Her dad got the last laugh, though. One day, a visitor to her parents’ home asked to buy the set and paid well more than her fa-ther did.

“He said, ‘See, I told you it was speak-ing to me. If it’s speaking to you, it means something,’” she said, recalling the conver-

sation. A year ago, Jolene listened to her gut, like

her dad taught her to do, opening Mojo’s Antique Barn at the corner of Highways 3 and 59 in Cherokee. In doing so, she also fulfilled a lifelong dream.

On a recent, sunny afternoon, she stood behind the sales counter in the shop, greet-ing customers with a smile and small talk. She took visitors on a tour through the building, pointing out her favorite items – a wooden washing machine, which still had the agitator inside, a working phonograph on which she played a Monkees record to test it out and a myriad of handmade items crafted by community members. Those items range from birdhouses to silverware wind chimes to decorative signs.

Jolene initially tried to talk her husband into building a big barn on their property outside Cherokee – she wanted to use two-thirds of the building as a living area, and the remaining third for the antique barn she wanted to open. But there just wasn’t room on their farm to do that, Jolene said her hus-band told her.

Jolene Puhrmann stands with the antique cash register friends found for her in a shop in Cody, Wyo. The cash register still works and Puhrmann uses it at Mojo’s Antique Barn, which she opened in Cherokee a year ago. MID-AMERICA PUBLISHING/ERIN SOMMERS

MOJO’S >> PG 6

6 • August 2018

Unique Decor at PricesYou Can Afford!• Repurposed Furniture• Handcrafted/Upcycled

Home Decor

Join usfor the

Back Roads Junk-It Trail

Oct. 5-7

Backwoods GalleryStoplight Corner, Eldora, IA 641.939.9008

Monday thru Friday 9-5 • Saturday 9-4

Instead, one day in early 2017, he pointed to an empty building and asked her what she thought about that spot for her antiques barn. At first, she brushed off the idea. Then she called up the owner and asked if there were any plans in the works for the building.

There weren’t. “I told her I wanted to do antiques,” Jolene

said. “From there, boom, boom, it hap-pened.”

Jolene had a few things going for her. In addition to the lessons her father taught her about antique picking and old items, she had a background in bookkeeping. That helped, she said.

B u t h e r c h i l d r e n s t i l l q u e s -tioned her decision, at least at f irst. Jolene, though, didn’t hesitate once the deci-

sion was made. “I just jumped into this hook, line and sink-

er at the age of 54,” she said. “It has been the best thing I have ever done. To me it’s not like a job. It’s a hobby.”

A hobby that, admittedly, has taken away from her time to actually shop for antiques. She runs the shop herself five days a week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sat-urdays. Many other antique stores are closed on Mondays, which can make it hard to get out to other stores. Her husband and son have come on board and shop for her, and some good friends do, too, texting her photos of items they think she might like and want to sell.

She has 23 vendors in the shop and another 14 on a waiting list hoping for a booth. When she can’t be there to run the store herself, one of the other vendors will typically fill in for her. Vendors pay her a percentage of sales and she occasionally takes items on commis-sion, too.

In the year she’s been open, Jolene has learned that she still has a lot to learn about what sells and what doesn’t.

Some of her most popular items are rustic and primitive pieces, particularly anything made of galvanized metal or old wood.

“A few gals repurpose furniture,” Jolene said. “I can’t keep it in there.”

Chicken nesting boxes have also been sur-prisingly popular, as have embroidered pil-low cases and aprons.

“I learn something new every day,” she said.

Even better, she said, is talking with her customers.

“I love the people,” she said. One customer comes in regularly to find

cups and saucers, never buying the same pat-tern twice. Each cup goes to a great-grand-child, with a bit of money, Jolene said. Some of the great-grandchildren, especially the boys, might initially scoff at the gift, Jolene said, but they all end up keeping the cups as a reminder of their great-grandma.

She also regularly hears customers exclaim about how their mothers or grandmothers used the items they’re finding in the shop. She enjoys helping customers make those connections to the past.

Jolene said she does wish for one connec-tion to her own past. She was talking with her mother about the shop and her late father.

“I wish my dad was still alive,” she said. “Dad would go picking (for me) every day. I know that dad would be doing that.”

Mojo’s Antique Barn in Cherokee is celebrating its first anniversary this month. MID-AMERICA PUBLISHING/ERIN SOMMERS

MOJO’S >> CONT’D

August 2018 • 7

Furniture Re-do’s . . New and Old Items Shabby Chic . . Rustic .. Farmhouse

THURS:10 AM - 3 PM

FRI:10 AM - 5 PM

SAT:10 AM - 1 PM

Check us out on Facebook or at www.junkingal.com314 State St., Garner, IA 50438 .. 641-529-0392

• 1803 CANDLES AND MELTS •• LEANIN TREE CARDS •• RETHUNK JUNK PAINT •

This booth at Mojo’s Antique Barn always features an eclectic collection of items for sale, Jolene Puhrmann says. MID-AMERICA PUBLISHING/ERIN SOMMERS

Jolene Puhrmann says anything made of galvanized metal is a hot item at Mojo’s Antique Barn in Cherokee. MID-AMERICA PUBLISHING/ERIN SOMMERS

123 First Street NW, Hampton, IA 50441 641-425-0793

Hours: Thurs. & Fri.: 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. • Sat.: 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

Follow us on Facebook

8 • August 2018

1 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

SEPTEMBER 15, 2018 9AM–5PM

ANTIQUE MARKET

(Located at the intersection of Highway 3 & 59 on the North side of Cherokee.)

OUTDOOR SPACES STILL AVAILABLE

(NON-REFUNDABLE)

FB.com/MojosAnt iqueBarn

OPEN TUES–SAT 9AM–5PM

SSEEPPTTEEMMBER 15, 2018 9AM–5PM

ANTIQUE MARKETANTIQUE MARKET

GOTTA HAVE IT

New decorative signs are on display at Mojo’s Antique Barn in Cherokee. MID-AMERICA PUBLISHING/ERIN SOMMERS

Downtown Cedar Falls206 Main Street, Cedar Falls, IA

One of Iowa’s most

UNIQUE & FUNshopping experiences!

A glass bottle turned into a squirrel feeder is on display at Mojo’s Antique Barn. MID-AMERICA PUBLISHING/ERIN SOMMERS

This red and white display is seen at Mojo’s Antique Barn in Cherokee. MID-AMERICA PUBLISHING/ERIN SOMMERS