I confess that I jumped at the chance to interview Barb McGowan, the co-owner of Pickers Paradise. My mother dragged me to vintage, antique, and thrift shops from birth. We called the outings “junking” in those days, when you could browse dusty store-fronts and unearth chipped Limoges china from beneath piles of broken frames and discarded egg crates. The uninformed might disdain such gems, but I know better. So the invitation to peruse the plentiful wares at this Walnut Grove staple did not need to be extended twice.
The delightful sojourn started with a wonderful happenstance. McGowan’s afternoon helper, a spunky twelve-year old entrepreneur named Boden, paused his display duties to tell me about his eBay store, Custer Coins. Boden inherited the site from his father and has launched his own line of vintage license plates. A home-schooled Walnut Grove resident and twin, Boden works for McGowan between his other pursuits. Like many Delta natives, he has a keen eye for business and should go far, especially with the knowledge he gleans from his savvy boss. Certainly, his charming smile, firm handshake, and spunky attitude will serve him well.
McGowan and her husband, Robert Bromell, started Pickers Paradise fifteen years ago as a project that they could enjoy with their own twin boys. 
The shop holds a treasure trove of old and vintage finds, from a gorgeous Marty Stanley print (framed at the nearby Side Show Studio) to a plethora of games and camping equipment. Customers can browse to their heart’s content while McGowan keeps a respectful distance. She’s ready with a tidbit or two of information if you ask, though she claims not to know much about antiques. A local appraiser gives advice on pricing, keeping her alert to rare gems and desirable collector’s items.
Most of the inventory falls into a broader market. Like any shop full of memories, Pickers Paradise will satisfy your craving for period memorabilia from the 30s to the 90s, though some items, like a gorgeous violin, clearly bear more worthy provenances. Always part of the business, McGowan’s sons still act as its buyers. She pauses to share a phone full of their photos, all smiles and wide eyes, both patently adoring of their mother.
The shop started in the East Bay area, and has been in its present location for five years. McGowan and her husband retired from an award-winning carpet fabrication business. Yearning for life in the Delta which they both loved, they bought a small farm on Grand Island where Brommell tends to a newly established vineyard and small boutique vegetable crop. McGowan’s eyes sparkle as she talks about her community, good people who quietly take care of each other. “No family goes without a Christmas here,” she vouchsafes. One can’t help thinking that she must have a hand in the making of such magic, but McGowan isn’t saying.
She walks through the aisles gesturing to collections, talking about the pieces, identifying eras, straightening displays. A pattern emerges: What first seems chaotic unfolds as thoughtfully arranged art, beautiful objects once owned by real people, found at estate sales and brought to Walnut Grove for others to buy and cherish. McGowan doesn’t operate on consignment. She buys outright, sells fairly, and willingly meets customers by appointment. “Heavily by appointment,” she stresses, laughing. One gathers that McGowan manages her time in a way which satisfies some inner drive, the drive for family and friendship more than fame or fortune. A neighbor comes into the store and McGowan excuses herself for a few minutes of friendly chat, and then makes a gentle comment about the recent death of his partner after the fellow leaves. Her comfortable confidence and compassion explain the success of the place, perhaps more than its varied inventory and reasonable prices. As with any local business, Pickers Paradise succeeds because its owners care about the community in which they’ve chosen to set up shop.
I pulled away from Pickers Paradise feeling satisfied. I had found a new place to browse for old-time goodies, and had in fact bought a dish for my kitchen soap dispensers ($2.80 and a marked antique piece of crockery). More importantly, though, I had met one more Delta treasure: A kind heart dwelling within a savvy sister, with a smart mind a good sense of style. I’ve only met a quarter of the family force behind Pickers Paradise. I have a feeling that the full quartet might be a wondrous sight indeed.
