NEGLEY -- Throughout her 20s, Linda Wilson spent much of her time going to yard sales, scoping out

NEGLEY -- Throughout her 20s, Linda Wilson spent much of her time going to yard sales, scoping out bargains and collectibles.
It didn't take the young mother and homemaker long to discover she could make a business out of turning one person's trash into somebody else's treasure.
The 53-year-old Negley woman started buying and reselling old and used items at flea markets and area malls. Next she began conducting her own yard sales. With the encouragement of friends and other collectors, she also wrote the book "Rummage Sale Guide."
About 10 years ago, Wilson, a Wisconsin native, realized she needed more space and a permanent place to house her wares. She bought The Company Store on 7533 Commerce St.
The building, which served as a general store for coal miners, was built in the 1870s and is billed "the oldest company store in the state.
The two-story establishment is jammed with antique furniture, old pictures, vintage clothing, books and various household items that spill onto the porch and the front lawn.
"I call it 5,000 square feet of stuff," she said. "But actually, this place is a dream come true. I love it here. I love being surrounded by all these things."
Things almost turned out differently for Wilson.
College degree
After working as an antiques dealer and auctioneer for 25 years, she thought she might want to switch careers. In the early 1990s she earned a bachelor's degree in human resource management at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pa.
She never used that degree, choosing instead to put most of her energy into The Company Store.
"I have always liked old things, antiques," she said. "This is what I love to do. I can't get away from it. It's what I plan to continue doing."
Wilson also sells antiques at The Antique Emporium in Beaver Falls.
About three years ago Wilson took her business to the Internet, where one of her most popular areas of expertise has become taxidermy. She also conducts a continual sale in the yard across the street from the store. Items there are $1 each.
"I really believe most of us like rooting through stuff," she said. "Everybody loves a bargain. I see that and live that every day. Something that means nothing to you or me might mean something to somebody else."