PICKING PASSION By Melissa Walsh Photos: Yanni
I
f you’ve ever been to a local market you’re sure to have seen the “man in the hat”, six foot two and full of life selling his second hand collectables and loving every moment.
little over winter, but weather permitting I do at least two markets every month. But even if I’m not doing markets that weekend, I’m always out looking.
While most people relax on weekends and sleep in, peninsula picker Jason Richardson is out and about scanning garage sales and op shops to find his latest acquisition. Melissa Walsh talks to Jason about the life of a part-time peninsula picker.
Anybody really, Second hand dealers certainly, and other collectors looking for themselves, or just other people like me that do it for some fun and hope to save a treasure or two and see it move on to a new home. You do see the same people every week. There are lots of pickers who go to the same garage sales and op shops around the area, I met a young guy here a month ago, and he goes to about three auctions or clearing sales every week. As there’s very few here on the peninsula, he travels quite extensively to the city and country areas.
When did you start picking? I started buying in 2012, and bought for six months and then did my first market Easter Sunday 2013. As soon as I sold my first item I was hooked, and have been picking ever since.
Where did you get the hat? Dad bought me the hat at the Warragul Agricultural Field Day. I decided that it would be my branding, and often people do remark that they remember me from the hat.
How long did it take to get into markets regularly? As soon as I started I was completely hooked and there has never been a time that I’ve stopped. You slow down a
What sort of people do this?
Can you make a living out of this? Yes, like any job it takes a lot of work though, and with picking for a living you would also be up for a lot of travel which you would have to factor in.
How do you choose your prices? Once I started doing markets regularly I found an average price between what I had spent on the item and what I continued next page...
E ssence
60 | PENINSULA
September/October 2016