Shadburn Collection to be sold April 24-26 in Corinth An extraordinary single-owner collection of country store, barber shop, petroliana and bank memorabilia, plus primitive tools and other items will cross the block April 24-26 in Corinth, Mississippi.
EXCEPTIONAL SINGLE-OWNER COLLECTION OF COUNTRY STORE, FILLING STATION,
BARBER SHOP AND BANK ITEMS, TOOLS AND MORE TO BE SOLD ON-SITE, APR. 24-26
Absolute auction will be held in Corinth, Mississippi, by Taylor Auction & Realty, Inc.
(Corinth, Miss.) - An extraordinary single-owner collection of country store, barber shop, gas station and bank memorabilia, plus primitive tools and other items will be sold at an on-site auction April 24-26. The auction will be held on the property of the consignors – Mrs. Jannice Shadburn, who amassed the collection with her late husband, Joe; and their daughters, Nan Nethery and Dana Murphy.
The collection comprises about 1,500 lots, gathered by the Shadburns over the course of many years. The couple traveled by car to 49 of the 50 states (they made the drive to Alaska in 2002). So much was accumulated that they had to construct three buildings (one measuring 40' x 80') on their property in Corinth. Soon they were known as “The Building Antiques Museum and Service Station.”
“Joe and Jannice enjoyed years of collecting a variety of unique items second to none in the mid-South,” said Benny Taylor of Taylor Auction & Realty, Inc., which will conduct the sale. “This is a rare opportunity to own part of a massive and diverse collection, offered in its entirety at absolute auction.” In an absolute sale, Mr. Taylor noted, an item is sold to the highest bidder, regardless of price.
Mr. Shadburn began the collection as a hobby and as a sideline to his lifelong work as an area machinist. For about 14 years he worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority, a 74-mile drive each way. He'd keep an eye out for items on the side of the road for sale – things other people might mistake for junk. At first he looked for Speas vinegar jars and King-Kutter tools, but over time he branched out.
“There used to be a community sale in Corinth twice a month on Monday nights,” Mrs. Shadburn recalled. “We'd go and Joe would sift through boxes of stuff and maybe buy just one razor, or one tool. He had a keen sense of what was rare and collectible, and he never met a stranger. He'd see something in somebody's yard, stop the car and go ask them if it was for sale. He was always looking.”
Joe and Jannice became known in the area as collectors. They went to estate sales, yard sales and antique shops. They heard about items through word of mouth. And people would call them, too, with items for sale. In 1990, when Joe retired, they hit the road, and that's when their collection really became huge. The buildings were constructed in 2002, with each one serving a specific purpose.
One building has been outfitted as an old-timey filling station, with a vintage Gravity Flow gas pump; old kerosene tanks on the porch; and many rare and antique examples of petroliana, most of
