When it was founded over a century ago, the Minnehaha Grange served as a rural social association. On Saturday, the grange hall had something else to offer: CBD dog treats.
Jay Miller, owner of Lil Munchies CBD treats in Longview, sat behind a table topped with sweet potato chews, liquid drops, and peanut butter and pumpkin treats. The products are intended to curb anxiety and physical pain in pets, and they don’t contain THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.
But Miller has still seen some skeptical looks.
“A lot of people are not hip to CBD for the animals,” said Miller, across the room from hanged Clark County Fair ribbons and photos of grange masters dating to 1906. “They think we’re drugging the dogs.”
Miller’s table was part of the Vancouver Variety Market, an indoor marketplace held at the grange hall twice each month. Items include books, games, antique household goods, pop culture collectibles and handcrafted art. As shoppers mosey through the two-story grange hall, they could be forgiven for forgetting which time period they’re experiencing.
Just to the right of the CBD dog treats were a number of repainted items dating to the early 1900s. Donna Barrow of Portland has made a hobby in the past six months of finding wares at estate sales and recoloring them with chalk.
A century-old wash stand in various shades of blue was priced at $32, and a dark orange typewriter from the middle of the 20th century was going for $30. Barrow said she hopes to save some money to help her daughter go to college next year. But she is more drawn to the simplicity of the craft itself, which doesn’t require sandpapering or waxing.
“I just like stuff that I think I can do something creative with,” Barrow said.
Naturally, the ages of the things being sold tend to correspond with the ages of the buyers.
Ten years ago, Susan Summers of Kalama bought a “Beverly Hillbillies” trivia board game, which she put up for sale Saturday. The game was released around the time the show still aired, and the outer box was worn.
Summers enjoyed watching the 1960s comedy television show and would try to play the game with her grandchildren. But they couldn’t quite grasp it.
“I watched the Beverly Hillbillies a lot when I was a kid,” Summers said. “They didn’t have the facts that I had.”
Her granddaughter Jaycie,10, helped Summers with sales. In between questions about how much a certain item cost, Jaycie took an opportunity to rib her grandmother’s collection, which included an assortment of other things, such as a Farrah Fawcett doll and Louis L’Amour books.
“She says it’s not hoarding, but I think it is,” Jaycie said with a laugh.
Summers previously ran a store in Kalama. Now, she prefers markets such as the one held Saturday.
“There are better conversations, and people are in the mood,” Summers said. “They’re here to enjoy their day.”
