‘Rusty gold’ aplenty at Picking Pot auction

Nest Egg Auction offers entire antiques store as single lot

CLINTON — If you are a dealer or impassioned collector of so-called “rusty gold,” this auction may be right up your alley.

Architectural salvage materials, antiques, repurposed items, garden decorations, concrete buddhas and giant urns, old canoes, warehouse industrial gears and sprockets and even a Ford F-250 pickup truck will be auctioned off to the highest bidder until May 22.

All this and more are at The Picking Pot Thriftique Store, 301 East Main St. The store has been closed since owner Anthony B. Rock, of Killingworth, died Saturday, Nov. 9, 2019.

While the original plan to hold an onsite auction, COVID-19 prohibits this and the auction is now being conducted via the Nest Egg Auction website, nesteggauctions.com. Bidding will close on Friday, May 22 at 11 a.m.

The shop, open for more than seven years, will be sold in one lot to the highest bidder. This includes the entire contents of the 4,000-square-feet building, in addition to items scattered on the half-acre of outdoor space.

“This is the largest single lot we have ever offered” said auctioneer Ryan Brechlin. “We are selling everything as one lot.”

Brechlin said what makes this auction fun is its uniqueness.

“I don’t think there’s many places like that in this state, for sure,” he said. “A place where you could go and buy an antique door or window, right next to a beautiful Victorian deep well dresser.”

Walking around the property, you can’t help but be struck by Rock’s incredible array of eclectic items he chose for his shop.

From the rusted bicycles — maybe destined to become garden ornaments, to the stack of yellow metal lawn chairs precariously stacked atop each other, leaning against weathered timber and hand railings and vintage Marlboro cigarettes signage. Everything seems to be teetering amid piles and stacks of old wooden doors, window frames and mirrors with peeling paint (for

A concrete Buddha at the Picking Pot Thriftique Store. The entire store is up for auction.

that farmhouse chic décor) and used fishing poles among other interesting finds.

“I think ‘The American Pickers’ call it ‘rusty gold,’ ” Brechlin said about the treasure trove. That phrase is coined by the hosts of the A&E television show, “American Pickers,” a reality show that takes viewers on their cross country search for antiques and hidden treasures.

There are prizes for woodworkers and furniture makers as well. Brechlin added that “even if you had a piece of furniture you wanted fixed up or restored (the owner) was doing the work in the shop.”

With this in mind, all of Rock’s furniture restoration tools and supplies are included in the auction.

One caveat to the buyer: all items must be completely removed within five business days of sale.

This will require a lot of work for the auction winner, Brechlin stressed. He estimated the auction could bring in anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000.

“This is an incredible opportunity for the right buyer,” Brechlin said. “You don’t get the chance to buy an entire shop very often.”

Sarah Kyrcz /