Pickers Paradise & Pretty Pickins Party Room
Mahopac resident Jamie Buccellato has always had the desire to open her own business. The past three years, she’s achieved that goal—twice.
Owner of Pickers Paradise and Pretty Pickins Party Room, which are right next to each other, Buccellato has provided Mahopac residents with two stores along Route 6, though they have very different purposes.
Pickers Paradise opened in 2015, offering vintage merchandise, antiques, home décor and a wide variety of other items that might catch someone’s eye. Buccellato likes to repurpose furniture and bring new life to it, rather than seeing it thrown out.
“I’ve always had a love of stuff,” she said with a laugh.
Buccellato had family members that were involved in the junk removal business and they kept bringing her stuff that she would then help them sell on Ebay like collectibles and antiques. It got to the point where the collection of stuff became too much for Buccellato to store in her home so she decided to open a storefront.
During that time, Buccellato said she’s shocked at some of the items people try to get rid of. But she loves finding how one person’s trash can in turn become a treasure for another household.
“I like the nostalgic of vintage items that maybe have become obsolete,” she added. “It’s nice to see that they still exist somewhere.”
The most valuable item Buccellato has ever come across was a clock from the 1800s, which she sold for a solid price. She is able to determine what a price should be with the help of the Internet, making appraisals easy. While she doesn’t focus much on consignment, she will sell items online for customers and collect a commission fee.
On the other side of the storefront is Pretty Pickins Party Room, which is a completely separate entity and allows Buccellato to work with children, a passion of hers.
The party room is a fun place for kids to host their birthday craft parties, including paintings, jewelry making, tea parties and creative imagination. The room can hold up to 30 guests and is also available for local crafters to hold their owns classes.
“My love for painting, I was hoping it’d be infectious on maybe a young child or letting them experience their creativity,” she said.
Going forward, Buccellato doesn’t plan to be done yet. After going back to school for her masters in education, the next business she wants to open is a pre-school.
“I definitely like building on businesses,” she said. “Just keep building something.”
