Kobey's:
Just a Big Easter Egg Hunt!
by Liz Anderson
MMDigging through Kobey's
garage sale area reminds Carole Kling of what a child
must feel when going on a big Easter egg hunt. She says
emphatically, "I can go through a stack of junk and
find that one sparkling treasure. For me the process
is almost a meditation or some form of stress reduction.
I've never gone home empty-handed!"
MM Carole,
who has been both buying and selling at Kobey's garage
sale area for the past fifteen years refers to her passion
for resale as recycling. She suggests instead of stressing
out when you're short on cash, go through your stuff
and bring it to the swap meet. She says, "There's always
something you don't need. I've always, always made it
during the most stressful times of my life by selling
at Kobey's."
MM Reselling
her belongings has additional benefits as well. "Recycling
is my favorite thing because I feel I can't really make
a mistake. I'm a kind of gypsy at heart, so buying and
selling is in my blood. In a sense, Kobey's gives me
the opportunity to do what I love without the guilt
because I always know I can resell things. I don't worry
about if I made a great choice or not because, regardless,
someone else will always come along and want it."
MM Carole
keeps what she calls a "dream book" of interiors and
objects she's cut out of design magazines. Over the
years she has accumulated a house full of great "dream
finds" including dramatic mirrors, leather jackets,
jewelry and interesting candelabras, but cites a leopard
print rug as one of her favorites. She elaborates, "I
recently redid my new condo in purple and leopard. I
wanted a leopard rug for a long time, and I finally
found a fabulous one at Kobey's. I hand-dyed it myself
to match everything. I've dyed clothes before so why
not a rug?"
MM She adds,
"My thing with Kobey's is I never limit myself when
I'm shopping anymore because if one thing bothers me
about a piece, I know I can always change it. The prices
are so reasonable it doesn't worry me to do that. I
antique, I paint, I spray. I mix and match things. If
you study the interior design magazines you get an idea
of antiques and things and what's worth what. I trust
my intuition more now because I've developed an eye.
You might find something messed up or broken but if
you recognize it as special, that's where the treasure
part comes in." M
MM Carole
explains she prefers Kobey's over thrift stores because
you can quiz the seller about their merchandise, often
finding out the history of a piece. She says if she
knows it's something wonderful, she'll sometimes pay
more for it. One of those finds includes an authentic
hand-painted three-piece mirror from a Spanish gypsy
caravan for just $40.
MM "I've
traveled a lot," Carole remarks. "My favorite country
was Morocco. The whole country was like one big swap
meet. It's known for its bazaars, or 'Medinas'. It's
full of colors and smells. It's so old and exotic, it's
almost like being in a James Bond movie! Ever since
that trip I've been fascinated with that kind of culture
and it's exoticness. Kobey's has a lot of that."
MM Besides
refinishing, reselling and working at Mazi Boutique
in La Jolla, Carole is currently studying Ayurvedic
and meditation at the Chopra Center for Well Being in
La Jolla. Although her life may seem full to capacity
she concludes, "I'd like to see the swap meets of the
world!