Imagine a dimly lit room with antiques dated back to the 1400s filling every inch of the place. That’s Country Treasures.
Driving back to Oxford after a holiday or weekend trip, the road home seems never-ending. Ripping down the highway makes it easy to miss the antiques and resale shops on the side of the road.
Todd Bradley is the owner of Country Treasures.
It’s about 15 minutes from campus right next door to the Dollar General off Highway 6. The store made Oxford its home a little more than a year ago.
The pottery, sports memorabilia records and many other antiques would fit perfect in many dorm rooms and apartments.
“I’ve been around antiques all my life. I’ve always liked them,” he said.
Bradley said his love of antiques, history and people is what drove him to open shop.
Not only is Bradley a store owner, but he’s a singer/song writer. Behind a door in the corner of his shop leads to a studio.
Tommy Hood is Bradley’s neighbor and friend. Hood and Bradley share the piece of property and have been buddies since they both opened shop.
“I do the antiques. He does the music,” Bradley said. “I do the music, too, but I’m more into antiques.”
When the shop isn’t busy, Bradley spends his time recording music covers. His style is a mixture of county and bluegrass gospel.
“I’m trying to get up to 60 songs so I can go do my thing at some little cafes and pubs,” he said.
Over the past year, Bradley has come across a great deal of treasures, including signed baseballs by Stan Musial, an American Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1969.
Hank “Hammer” Aaron’s baseball is also a jewel of his. Hank broke Babe Ruth’s record of 714 home runs in 1974 and is considerably one of the best baseball players of all time.
Bradley said he wishes he had more students stop by his shop because he thinks they would find interest in his Ole Miss collectables, such as his signed picture of Archie Manning.
“They really don’t know I’m here,” he said. “Everybody comes down this road so fast.”
Manning is a former American football quarterback who played in the NFL for nine years, also playing football at Ole Miss with two of his sons, Eli and Cooper Manning, following.
Bradley’s favorite place to be in his store is behind his desk. He’s always either watching TV, making sales or talking to his good friend of six months Charles Rasberry.
Bradley and Rasberry met a few months after Country Treasures opened. Their friendship blossomed over time.
“I’m a business; he’s a business man,” Rasberry said. “We sell and trade old stuff to each other all the time.”
He feels that it’s important to rescue antiques. Bradley is somewhat of an antique superhero.
“I find and buy treasures in different places that I can save,” he said.
Perhaps the oddest thing he owns is a little old lady’s ashes. He’s not sure who she is. When he was buying a few thing two months ago, he saw a cool box and purchased it.
“I didn’t even open the box [because] I bought a bunch of things from a guy,” he said “I opened the box, and here these ashes are numbered and labeled.”
He said he’ll keep her safe in a corner until he finds her family.
“I don’t what else to do with her,” he said.
For anyone looking to sell, buy or just talk about antiques, Bradley said he thinks Country Treasures is the place.
“People will come in with any and everything,” he said. “I love it. Some days, I don’t see a soul, and other [days] I’m talking to 10 people at once.”
Over the past year, Bradley has bought stuff out of the back of people’s trucks and made new friends. If you’re thinking about paying the shop a visit, be ready for a friendly welcome from Bradley and his best buddy of five years, Scrappy.
This story was submitted to The Daily Mississippian from an advanced reporting class.
