“Picking” is a new term for a hobby that is gaining popularity because of television shows like “American Pickers,” “Pawn Stars,” “American Diggers,” and other similar shows.  The idea is that “Pickers” visit estate sales, garage sales, flea markets, and antique stores, looking for lost treasures at bargain-basement prices, that can then be sold to the highest bidder. 

One local picker, Jason Machulski, has turned this “hobby” into a profit-generating business.  “Bayou Pickers” was established in 2002, but his love for artifacts and hidden treasures goes much further back than that.  He has been working in the furniture business since 1994, restoring and selling furniture,  and has been an avid garage sale enthusiast for years.  Like Indiana Jones, he is motivated by the search for that one item that unlocks a story or a series of stories.

According to Jason, “Every time I’m out picking, I always end up coming across some relic or piece that brings back memories, especially memories of my childhood, cooking with my grandma, and my parents. I especially get excited about the little things that I find that are more of a personal treasure than a historic treasure.”

The Brimstone Historical Society recently hosted a lecture from “Bayou Pickers” in which Jason informed visitors about the importance of “Picking” within a community.

Picking is not only a way of life but a way to preserve the cultural history of one’s hometown.  “The picking business needs a far more realistic projection of it made to the public, as opposed to the way it’s portrayed on TV.”  Most people don’t realize how valuable the hobby is to places like museums, which catalog rare photos, brochures, and artifacts.  Thom Trahan, Executive Director of the Brimstone Historical Society says: “Sometimes even if an artifact has a very low monetary value, it might be priceless to a community museum, which can use it to tell a story.”

For more information about this program, please contact the Brimstone Historical Society at 337-527-0357, or visit the website at http://www.brimstonemuseum.org.  The Brimstone Museum is located at 900 S. Huntington St. in Sulphur.