Jarred Eklund said he has always been a collector. That collection spans sports cards, mostly baseball, model cars, sports clippings and memorabilia as well as other, newer fancies.
He met his wife, Shaquita in Lincoln, Nebraska, even though she was from Watonga. For a time, they ran a food trailer in Lincoln. Then came the pandemic and they sold the trailer.
Jarred spent some time going through his collections and researching them during the lockdown year. He discovered some of them were quite valuable.
Shaquita, too, is a collector. She loves collectible dolls like holiday and specialty Barbies, with serious nods to vintage chinaware and newer toys that will quickly become collectibles, like Paw Patrol or certain Legos.
From their love of collecting and their desire to share that love with others came a new shop in Watonga – Shaq’s House of Collectibles.
It will open July 3 at 11 a.m. at 120 S. Wikoff, next to the old Big Five office in the grocery store shopping plaza.
The shop will be open Tuesday through Saturday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
But it isn’t just baseball cards.
There is a corner full of Americana decorations – especially appropriate for the Independence Day holiday. There is a large grouping of signed and unsigned Connie Sebourn watercolor prints, many depicting scenes of the spirituality that shape the state and the artist. Make sure and see the items the couple make themselves, like woodwork items depicting holiday scenes and resin creations such as coasters.
The couple hope to expand their space so that they can exhibit more art, especially that of local artists.
Then there are the Funko Pops, kind of new kids on the collectible block. And there are toys that are meant to be played with, like the boxed Lego sets. What collectible shop would be complete without Pokémon Cards? These items are very reasonably priced so that play doesn’t have to break the bank.
The shop is more than just a place to look at, find and purchase collectibles, though. Jarred is looking forward to having folks come in to visit, share their collecting passions, and buy, sell or trade them.
As for Shaquita, consignments are high on her priority list. She understands that as families mature and the children become adults, they may not be interested in maintaining the family heirlooms such as fine china. The tableware can be displayed in the shop so that it can find a new home with owners who will adore it as much as the family that purchased it new.
No matter your collecting passion, it can find an outlet at Shaq’s House of Collectibles. The couple is looking forward to having visitors come in and share the love of the quest, stories of what they have found and the loss of the ones that got away. Maybe it can be found among the full, shiny shelves in the shop.
A wall covered with groovy old album covers decorates one side of Shaq’s House of Collectibles in Watonga. As the owners Jarred and Shaquita Eklund put it, ‘Ther’s notheing like it in town’.