New shop goes retro

On a rainy October morning bits of history beckon from within the warm, cozy confines of 1889 Salvage Co.

Treasures of the past, including photos, rusty tricycles and kerosene lanterns, wait for a discerning eye to discover the beauty of days gone by and give old things a new home.

Owner Gina Campbell opened the business in the 1910 Lloyd Building on North Monroe Street in early September.

“I’ve always loved old things, history and the past – to me it’s intoxicating. New things never appealed,” she said. “But I never really thought of myself as an entrepreneur.”

Indeed, the 1990 Eastern Washington University graduate earned a degree in communications with a broadcasting minor. Campbell worked at local television/radio stations for several years and worked in the technology industry in the Seattle area for a time.

She spent eight years with Visit Spokane before taking the helm of First Night Spokane for a year.

Her passion for vintage goods remained a constant. She shopped garage sales, thrift stores and flea markets, bringing home everything from bits of lumber and feed sacks to empty picture frames.

“I was never a huge collector,” she said. “But still, you get to that point where you don’t need anything more, yet you still like to look and find.”

What to do?

Campbell tiptoed into the industry by renting space at various local shops, and during the summer she participated in a few flea markets and antique/collectible shows.

The thought of opening her own business intrigued her, and when the historic building on North Monroe became available, she took the plunge.

“I’m turning 50 in January. I thought, ‘If not now, when?’” she said.

The front window sealed the deal for her.

“I love that window!” said Campbell. “I’ve always wanted to be a window dresser.”

She teamed up with her creative partner, Jamie Flannery, who makes furniture from salvaged lumber. In addition, Campbell said, “Jamie is a master picker. He has secret sources for stuff he doesn’t even tell me about.”

The store has a retro industrial vibe with captivating displays in every corner. Metal school lockers, wooden ladders, pillows made from grain sacks, even a ’50s-era Barbie Dream House vie for attention. A large metal playground slide – a Flannery find – dominates the back of the shop near a collection of vintage clothing.

Pigs abound. She and Flannery went to an auction and walked away with 15 wooden pigs.

“We’re going to give some of them wings and paint them for the holidays,” she said.

Her husband, Connan Campbell, caught the collecting bug. He went to one of his haunts and returned with a picture – a nude on black velvet.

The fledgling shop owner wasn’t sure what to think.

“We can use it for the frame,” her husband said.

Instead she hung the picture up on opening day. It sold immediately and they even had a waiting list in case the first buyer didn’t come through.

Campbell laughed. “One person’s tacky is another person’s masterpiece.”

Helping shoppers find hidden treasures is what the proprietor enjoys most about her business.

“I love picking out something that someone values enough to buy – that’s addicting,” she said. “The nostalgia part of it is great, too. Like when people come in and say, ‘Oh! My grandma had one of these!’ ”

She calls black-and-white photos “recycled relatives” and displays them throughout the store, often using them in new ways – like affixing them to an old wooden ladder.

“I’m giving them another chance at life. They’re not going to get thrown away.”

In addition to the retail store, Campbell offers decluttering services and vintage staging for weddings, parties or real estate open houses.

Glancing around the store she said, “I always thought this was just a hobby, but you get to the point in your life when you’re willing to take a risk to do something you really love. For me, this is it.”