Monday interview: Fun Junk, Olympia, Washington

Shop: Fun Junk
Location: Olympia, Washington
Owners: Nancy Heinrich and George Tart


I first discovered Fun Junk at their awesome booth at the Sunday Fremont Market. I’d pass my hands over tables lined with disembodied baby doll parts, letterpress blocks of all sizes, piles of faded photographs, stacks of quirky vintage flashcards, brass cow tags, and glass vials. It's a treasure hunter’s paradise, all arranged neatly on long tables for shoppers' enjoyment.

But guess what? They have a whole shop filled with goodies. And co-owner Nancy was kind enough to invite me over so I could interview her and see the spoils laid out for myself. This is absolutely the place to go to find interesting vintage odds and ends for jewelry making, craft projects, and home decor. Honestly, I could write a book about Nancy and the shop, but I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.

Nancy and George like to buy in bulk. Have hundreds of knitting needles lying around? They’ll take ‘em. 400 typewriters? They’re all over it. Thousands of teeny tiny watch parts? Oh my goodness yes. According to Nancy, people have stuff. Lots and lots of stuff. Their job is to find it.


Nancy says that “It’s like you’re a pirate finding treasure.” Once a month she and George drive down to the Alameda Flea Market near Oakland, California, to sell their wares. They stop at just about every town along the way, visiting garage sales and every source imaginable. Exhausting? Yes. But that’s the pirate’s life, I suppose. And the rush of a good find is totally worth it.

Nancy’s favorite finds include vintage Tupperware in easter egg colors, and a clown suit apparently worn by the famous midget clown, Frankie Saluto.

She says she doesn’t really decorate her own home (which surprised me, because her market booth is my main source for my own home décor), but her designer’s eye is evident in how the shop is arranged.

Somehow, she manages to take piles and piles of "junk" and make it all look beautiful. This is her favorite part of running the shop, and it shows.

And as for tomorrow’s treasures? Nancy thinks that anything is possible. Standing in the shop, I had a hard time imagining how my own possessions would ever have the same vintage quality as the items in Nancy and George’s store. Will my grandkids fight over my old high school t-shirts someday? Will they flip over my Kitchen-Aid food chopper the way that I flip for an old hand-cranked egg beater? I can’t imagine it, but I suppose my ancestors never thought I’d spend hours looking through their old photographs, coin collections, and button tins.

Thank you, Nancy, for letting me stop by and explore with my camera! There are tons more photos from my visit -- check them out on flickr -- and be sure to check out the events where you can find Fun Junk. Happy hunting!