I love junk. Old junk, new junk, pretty much any junk; I can’t get enough.  My wife says it’s a psychological issue that probably needs therapy. I believe it’s just a hobby or maybe even mild obsession at worst. Or at least that’s what I tell myself when I buy something else I don’t need.  In fact, it has taken me days to finish this post because I am currently looking at a 1977 Mercury Marquis wagon on Craigslist. After I looked at that car, which I have no need, I spent 20 minutes trying to convince myself that I do REALLY need it. So yeah, maybe it is a psychological issue.

I don’t think any of my junk is, in fact, “junk”. Webster’s defines junk as “old or discarded articles that are considered useless or of little value.” The way I see it is everything I procure has value. If it didn’t have value, it would be trash. I don’t buy trash. Sometimes that value is staring right back at me. Sometimes it is hard to see by most. Sometimes that value is in the potential of the junk. In the past, I took offense to someone calling my stuff junk, but now I embrace it. My life’s motto might as well be “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure.”

I don’t have a favorite type of junk per say, but usually I gravitate towards mechanical or Americana type items. I am a gear head at heart. Anything with an engine gets me excited. I grew up idolizing automobiles. At 14 years old, the idea of being in complete control of a 4000 lb hunk of metal on an asphalt road was my idea of freedom. I could go anywhere (until my curfew, of course) and do anything with a car. So from that age until now, hot-rodding cars has been a hobby, err, obsession. I fully believe that spending countless hours in my dad’s shop turning wrenches and modifying these automobiles is what led me to where I am today.

While I collect junk because it’s an obsession (a healthy obsession remember?) I also sell it. I am not a hoarder. For every piece of junk I buy, I sell something else. Hoarding is not healthy and I do not ever want to cross that line from obsession to unhealthy. If I don’t think I can sell something for at least what I paid, then I do not buy it. What better way to buy more junk than to make money selling junk?

Anyway, I was encouraged by some friends and family to chronicle my quest for more junk. I want to entertain you with my stories and perhaps persuade you to acquire some profitable junk in your life. I want to hear your thoughts and your stories in the comments below. Thanks for reading!