What started as a coast-to-coast ride from Maryland to California turned into a lifetime filled with many memories in the Sonoran Desert of southeastern Arizona. Nell Kline, owner of Old Lady Pickers at 64 Erie Street in historic Lowell, found her way to Bisbee when the friend with which she caught the ride to California stopped in the mining town in 1974. “After several days here, I fell in love with the town and the people,” said Kline.
Kline’s career in the thrifting business began many years before Macklemore and Ryan Lewis talked about “popping tags” in their song that paid homage to the eco-friendly cost-saving purchasing practice. And Kline’s roots in Lowell were long established before she opened Old Lady Pickers at its current location seven years ago.
In 1976, she and her former husband bought a friend’s business in Lowell for $800, where they stayed for a couple years. The two then opened their own thrift shop, Kline’s Trading Post, around the corner from where they were, and were there for 12 years….read full story (online subscribers only)