No, not that junk in the trunk. The namesake of Chelisa Hooper’s Tipton-based store is derived from how she got her start – by selling the best thrifted items she discovered from garage and estate sales out of the trunk of her car to her coworkers.
Junk in the Trunk, now in a new location at 112 West Jefferson Street, offers fashionable new and gently used clothing, jewelry, shoes, bags, furniture and home decor, all at an affordable price.
Retail comes naturally to Hooper, though it wasn’t her first career. Her father owned a clothing store in Tipton and her mother was the assistant manager at Horton’s for 19 years.
When Hooper began buying entire garage and estate sales, she was working in human resources at a business in Frankfort. With her two-car garage overflowing with thrifted furniture and unique pieces, and coworkers always asking to see her latest finds, she found herself with a trunk full of thrifted items that were eagerly bought. She originally set up a small stand in Kempton and then moved her store to Tipton. After just six months, she found a larger space down the block that would allow plenty of room for furniture and additional home decor.
You can hear the passion in Hooper’s voice when she talks about her store, and she’s full of appreciation and excitement to be part of Tipton’s booming retail scene.
“The Tipton community has been so amazing in the support I have received,” she says. “There is such a strong presence of women business owners here who are so kind and loyal. I am overwhelmed with it and just blown away by how welcoming everyone has been.”
The community, including her customers, are equally excited about Junk in the Trunk. Customers are loving the high-end, antique furniture that Hooper finds at estate sales. She says most of them comment that it’s tough to find sturdy, well-made pieces anymore. Hooper will occasionally upcycle the pieces and make them shabby chic with chipped paint, or will add new knobs and repurpose the pieces.
Outside of sourcing items for the store from estate sales, many pieces are sourced from locals in the community who have dropped their pieces off at the store for either store credit or payment.
Hooper hosts popular Facebook Live events once a week that last anywhere from one to three hours. Shoppers can join these events (either on Sundays or Wednesdays), when Hooper walks viewers through current items. She gives each item a number and the first viewer to comment on the piece with the associated number is the buyer of the piece. Hooper sends the customer an invoice and they have 48 hours to pay it and claim their piece, providing a convenient way for locals and non-locals alike to shop her unique finds.
Hooper says the most rewarding part of owning her business is how it helps people.
“We’re helping families liquidate their estates and helping women feel better about themselves,” she says. “We’re empowering them and helping them pick out the right pieces at an affordable price, from prom dresses to furniture.”
