By Kathryn Rice

This is the fifth in a series on Nodaway Countians who have taken repurposing and upcycling to a unique level.

RepurposeTreasuresMiccia Humphrey of Junk Jubilee says there are two facets to repurposing. The first is creating something new from an old item. The second is finding a new way to use an old item. Humphrey’s art focuses on this second facet of repurposing.

Humphrey has taken her love of vintage items and created two craft shows in Des Moines, IA. She began six years ago with one show in a 35,000 square-foot 4-H building. After a few years, she expanded to two shows a year in a 100,000 square-foot industrial building featuring 150 vendors.

In 2017, Humphrey is expanding again. She is adding a third show at the Overland Park Convention Center, Kansas City, KS. Dates for all three shows are: Junk Jubilee Jingles, November 11-13 and Junk Jubilee, April 28-30, 2017, both in Des Moines, IA and Junk Jubilee, July 14-16, 2017, Overland Park, KS.

“I’ve always loved antiques,” Humphrey said. “As a child, we would play in Grandma’s attic which had all the treasures you can imagine. I’ve always been drawn to things that are old.”

After working at Eveready, she decided it was time to do something different.

“It was time to do something I’d always wanted to do,” she said. “I’m not a project person. I’m an idea person.”

Humphrey said she knew there was a market for craft shows.

“Vendors were having barn sales in Iowa. I had a booth of my own besides running the show for the first few. Then it grew.”

It’s a family affair now with her son, Sam, her mom, cousins, nephews and niece helping create and run the events.

Entry to the shows is $7 per day. Attendees may also take advantage of the $25 early bird special that allows Friday viewing and admittance the rest of the weekend.

Humphrey is always looking for strange things to use in new ways. She uses a coffee wheel as an end table decoration and has a serving cart made from barn wood. The man who constructed the cart told Humphrey the barn’s history.

“When the vendor can tell the story behind an item, it just makes it better,” she said.

She doesn’t accept what she calls new vintage. Humphrey says she doesn’t understand why people buy new items that look old and come from big corporations when they can support small entrepreneurs and get the real thing.

Humphrey enjoys the family atmosphere of her shows. She compares meeting with her vendors to a family get together.

“It’s been an incredible journey,” she said. “I’ve met incredible people. I had no experience except my love of old things. I’ve found that if you treat people right then they’ll come back.”

For more information, visit junkjubilee.com or call 660.582.0894 or email junk.jubilee@yahoo.com. Junk Jubilee can be followed on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.