Nestled within a small North Main Street strip mall sits a store with an eclectic mix of merchandise from an unusual source.
Owner Mike Walsh spoke to Scope News about how his interest in buying abandoned storage lockers led to his decision to open up the shop earlier this year.
After more than two decades in the restaurant industry, including a lengthy stint in management, he said the long hours and unpredictable schedule left him burned out. Inspired by a popular reality series, he decided to shift gears and embrace a new line of work.
“I always watched the TV show ‘Storage Wars,’” he said in reference to the long-running A&E series following a group of investors who purchase the contents of storage lockers.
His interest in the show as well as his own history of buying, selling, and trading prompted him to take a chance on his first locker.
“My mom always had garage sales, yard sales,” Walsh said. “It was just big thrifting. And I’ve had an eBay account since like 2000. I think eBay started in like ‘97, ‘98. I’ve had it almost since it started.”
He had a lot of experience buying and selling various items, particularly trading cards, but was not sure what to expect upon purchasing his first storage locker.
“I started doing some research,” he said. “I found out they were online. You didn’t have to go to the live auctions like on ‘Storage Wars.’ So I bought my first one in Greensboro for like $150.”
He said it was “loaded with video games,” and his success continued with other lockers containing valuable items ranging from gold to guns.
Pretty soon, Walsh said he was confronted with a new dilemma: how to sell all of the items he was accumulating. He did the best he could on eBay, with yard sales, and by traveling to a flea market in Salisbury. In many cases, he ended up donating his purchases to Goodwill.
“It was just a lot of work,” he said.
Ultimately, he decided that he needed to open a store and opened his doors about two months ago.
Walsh stressed the fundamental difference between his shop and a typical thrift store stocked with donated items their original owners no longer needed.
“This is stuff people are trying to save,” he said, motioning toward an array of items on display — including a World War II-era military jacket.
Although operating the store by himself has been a daunting task at times, he said he has enjoyed creating his own schedule and getting to meet new people every day.
Walsh’t & Found, located at 627 North Main Street, is currently open Tuesday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and closes later on Friday and Saturday. Walsh said he is considering expanding his hours based on customer demand.
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