Nothing is too crazy for the men of Tough Treasures in Weurt near Nijmegen. You only have to think of it and they've already had it in their hands! From slot machines and fairground ride parts to boats and airplanes. In their shed they sell all sorts of things that fit under the heading of 'mancave, industrial, vintage, antique and curios'. But they certainly aren't afraid to buy in other items, either, that you didn't actually know someone still had on their wish list. Wondering if they have your guilty pleasure on sale? Then be sure to read on.

For this blog I spoke to Bart (Link) & Erik (Right). Two entrepreneurs where reusing and trading reusable items is almost an acquired taste. Erik says: "My parents were in the antique business, so I've been doing this almost all my life". His own adventure started in 1996 with pinball machines & slot machines that had to be taken out of cafeterias at the time. They then went in a truck to Romania and he took back cabinets and motorcycles there. Later, flowers also went that way and chandeliers came back with them. These came to Erik via Iranians from Russia. "Then for a long time, I don't know how many, I sold those chandeliers."

• Tough Treasures is not a thrift store. But a collection of, carefully sourced items.
• It is the perfect place to succeed for the interior design of your own mancave.
• Bart & Erik sell their stuff to customers all over the world.
• Erik started this business with the idea of each having their own piece in the shed, but it has grown into a mix favorite items of the two of them, with no clear separation.
• Did you know that Colorful Loft Living has this store rated 5/5 stars.

In addition to trading abroad, Erik also stood at the black market in Cuijk for about 20 years. "In the beginning that was a lot of fun, lots of people stood there with antiques and curiosities. But later that became phone cases, shampoos and ointments. Then it actually became more of a bazaar. But before that it was super fun," says Bart. Eventually, this black market in Cuijk closed. "I used to stand there with my parents and we had a lot of German customers there together. Even then I bought everything to do with fairgrounds there," Erik recounted. Among other things, he bought things like carousels, airplanes and cars. In that respect, not much has changed for Erik.

For Bart, the love for this stuff started early, too. Where at home with his father he tinkered with all kinds of things and listened to records. He too used to end up at flea markets. Later he and a colleague started selling old decoration from home. He did this in his barn and garage totaling 55m2, where the name Tough Treasures originated. "I have always done this alongside my work from 2015 and in 2019 I took the plunge, quit my job and started doing this full time." Bart also has a lot of experience with markets, he was mainly to be found in the IJ halls in Amsterdam, the Collectors' Fair in Utrecht, the Jukebox fair in Rosmalen and the Mega Snuffelmarkten in Gelredome Arnhem. "Very occasionally we still do some local markets but we don't do that as much these days because then we are closed here for two days."

Erik wanted to set up a business like the one in Cuijk for himself and rented this shed for that purpose, part of which would be for old building materials. Eventually Bart and Erik met by chance. Erik explains: "I also have a lunchroom and was looking for industrial lamps. These were offered to me through an acquaintance of my son-in-law". They turned out to be lamps from Bart's barn, to which Bart responds, "At that time I was still sitting at home with my little store 'Tough Treasures' and eventually I joined this in the summer of 2020."

Bart had his own part in the Shed with 'Tough Treasures' at the time, and although it was Erik's idea to turn his part into a real store as well, it hadn't come to pass yet. "Erik was so busy with the lunchroom and the construction, that we finally decided to do it much more together," Bart tells us and Erik adds, "We were going to open Thursday, Friday & Saturday but then Bart got sick in 2021 and then we were closed for a while. When Bart luckily got better we reopened on Saturday and shortly after that Friday was added back in. "We were often here anyway to clean up, fix things or pick up," Bart says. Now they are often still out shopping together on Mondays or taking a trip abroad.

"It's also just hearty fun to do it together!"

Bart

Tough Treasures

Meanwhile, the shed has grown into something that really belongs to them together. "About 95% of what's here is ours together, the rest is either mine or Erik's and it's also just hearty fun to do it together!", says Bart. Despite that, you can very well see from whose quiver the items mainly come. "I love the fairground and the circus anyway, I always like that!" says Erik enthusiastically, adding, "But it's always a question of what you come across of course. For example, we just bought a collection of pedal cars," and Bart comments, "I love anything with wheels or anything big! Like a boat, airplane or a truck the other day."

Advertising material is also at the top of the list for both men. For example, Erik says, "When the crisis came and the pubs closed down, because the slot machines had to go, which is exactly what provided most of their income. So from then on we always had billboards and neon. But you didn't always get rid of those very quickly. Until now, now everyone wants a mancave!" Also for their children Bart tells, "Then we get the question if we also have billboards without beer brands for example."

"That little guy was all about ambulances and these doors were used as bed ends!"

Erik

Tough Treasures

What comes out well during our conversation is that people are still very creative. That even the craziest things Bart and Erik resell are still reused. Erik tells me that they once sold doors from an ambulance to a family who used them for a child's room. "That little guy absolutely loved ambulances and these doors were used as bed ends," he says. Even the larger items, purchased on impulse, always find their way to a new owner. Sometimes with the necessary obstacles; for example, they sold an airplane to the Kaaij in Nijmegen. "But that was all just barely possible because the plane was 4.10 m high and most highway overpasses are 4.20 m high."

As if it was nothing, they bought another boat somewhere else. "We stood there, he walked around it and said, 'Yes, I want it,'" Bart says of Erik with a big smile on his face. Eventually, then, the boat had to be rushed back and it had been another adventure to get it to the shed. "Me with my van, big bood behind it and the lights didn't work," says Erik. The boat turned out to be a bit bigger than expected, so it hardly fitted on the front yard of the shed. Well, as you can read, they experience a lot of special things together when they are on the road, so there is no shortage of fun at work!

Although numerous great stories have been passed around about these fantastic purchases, you can also succeed well at Tough Treasures for the "somewhat smaller" stuff. Although furniture is not really present in large numbers, you will come across very nice shelves, shelving units or other sideboards. Which, if I do say so myself, I would love to have if I had a bigger home. But also the crazier, small decorative items can be found in Bart & Erik's store. Much of this furniture and decoration goes to catering establishments in the center of Nijmegen. But also to other entrepreneurs, sometimes spread all over the world.

For both of them, they don't like to throw stuff away. "I don't think it's necessary, it's just such a waste, when all that good stuff gets thrown away," Erik says. Although Bart has instilled this in Erik a bit in the time they've been doing this together. "In the beginning Erik didn't throw anything away, really nothing at all," but says Bart. Now when things lie around too long they sometimes get rid of them, pieces of iron and wood for example. But sometimes larger items are thrown away too: "Like that cupboard last week, it kept me awake all night," says Erik. In the end the cupboard was not thrown away but he sawed out the good wooden planks.