Treasure Abounds at Black Bear Antiques Are you searching for elusive vintage baseball cards, early 20th-century tools, handcrafted Amish furniture or a giant bronze black bear? If you are driving on the Georgia Mountain Parkway 515 through Ellijay, the giant bronze bear is hard to miss, but you can actually find all of these things and thousands more at Black Bear Antiques and Interiors on Old Orchard Square in Ellijay. With more than 50 dealers and 20,000 treasure-packed square feet, this amazing venue attracts discerning collectors, bargain hunters, and a growing number of creative DIY types who can look at a dark old granny cupboard and imagine what it can become with a little paint. “We have something for everyone and any budget. Our inventory includes a wide array of elements, small and large, that can work with a range of different decors and tastes—not just cabin or farmhouse styles,” affirms Lynn Asher, longtime manager of this time-honored 12-year-old business. “And we are not just for the ladies. We allow and encourage husbands to come on in and browse,” she adds smiling. 18
“We have knives, old tools, a couple of sports memorabilia sections and some booths which feature items that are especially for men and man caves. The assistant manager, Jacob Padgett, is our resident coin guy. Not only does he help to grow existing collections, he eagerly assists in creating new ones for young collectors. This isn’t the type of assortment that visitors can just breeze through. Often, someone will step in just to check us out or pass some time and end up spending several hours or a whole day milling around looking at all the merchandise.” In addition to the vintage items and cabin/farmhouse accessories, Black Bear offers a popular selection of Amish-built log furniture, distinct, locally handcrafted pieces, and wood slabs for the do-it-yourselfer. Some of their repeat customers say that they’ve furnished most of their homes with items that they’ve found here. In addition, their dealers work hard to keep their booths stocked with the items that customers are looking for, often trekking, tracking, junking and picking across the country for those coveted harder-to-find
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primitive and rustic antiques and other unique and unusual stock. Accordingly, they go to estate sales, buy boxed lots and sometimes dig through a lot of junk looking for the best pieces and great deals that they can then pass along to customers. “Our dealers do a phenomenal job of keeping their best-selling items in stock, especially considering many such items become discontinued. They go the extra mile to find comparable pieces to keep the more discriminating customers coming OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020
