“When we bought the place, it was an old storage barn,” with sagging floors, vintage electrical wiring and an attic full of old wood, Carol said. She and Ed saw its potential, immediately put in an offer, sold their home in Milford and set off to enjoy a rare facet of the business in Waynesville. Their private residence is on the same lot, just outside the business door.
They fixed up their home and then turned attention to the general store, putting in new walls, floors, an electrical system and insulation.
Carol and Ed, a collector of Coca-Cola memorabilia, started there in deciding what merchandise to offer. They added John Deere items, and eventually the back room evolved into the toy section, with reproduction tin toys, items from other collections and books. The upstairs contains additional Coca-Cola items, glassware and lamps, and assorted craft supplies. Outside the store are hand-blown glass gazing balls in a kaleidoscope of colors.
Another area merchant gave the couple valuable advice as they headed to trade shows and market places to buy the store’s stock: Don’t buy anything. Just pick up catalogs and take time ordering, they were told, Carol said.
The Red Barn is patterned on similar businesses the couple visited in their travels. They mention two on their Web site as inspirations — Berdines Five & Dime in Harrisville, W.Va., and the General Store in Jefferson, Texas.
“Our goal is to be where you can find what you can’t find in a big-box store,” Carol said.
The two are active in Waynesville civic affairs, assisting and serving on boards for downtown activities and art festivals.
Much was learned from early months of trial-and-error, they said. Jars of penny candy sat for months, but they found a steady market for gourmet food items they now stock, Carol said. Reactions of people who come in run the gamut, they said.
“We’ll get the antiques people in here, they turn around and go,” Ed said.
“Others say, ‘This is a really neat store,’ ” Carol added.
The Red Barn General Store is located at 229 High St. Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, and Monday by chance. For more information, call (937) 897-3885 or visit redbarngeneral store.com.
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