Store that left its bumpkin inventory outside is closing

It’s the store on East Douglas where people always wonder how the owners can leave their “junkers’ paradise” merchandise outside day and night.

But the area in front of Country Bumpkins, which sells primitive and garden decor in College Hill, is now clearing out, along with the inside as well, as the store will close at the end of July.

Cyndi Jackson is closing the store to care for her husband, Ernie, who has a degenerative bone disease in addition to other medical problems. Ernie Jackson made much of the furniture that was for sale at Country Bumpkins but had slowed down in the past few years as his health worsened.

Business has always been good, Cyndi Jackson said, and she had not planned to close.

“We just had our annual yard sale just prior to this decision, and we did absolutely amazing,” she said. “He took a fall in front of me, and I had an epiphany.” The fall happened on July 1, and since then, the contents of the store have been discounted, until there’s not much left, Cyndi Jackson said.

The store opened in 1998 at Central and Oliver and then moved to 3543 E. Douglas in 2001.

“It’s been a long, long run,” Jackson said.

“Mostly Ernie made everything until the last two years, three years, when milk paint and chalk paint came onboard, that designer paint, then we started buying repurposed furniture and redoing it. He had slowed down at that point.”

The store also carried consignment items over the years. Its most popular item was the Home Spice potpourri that Cyndi Jackson made and sold out of a huge tub. The store still smells of its buttery fragrance.

Country Bumpkins will close July 30, and Jackson hopes people will come by for a hug even if they don’t find something to buy among the remaining items that are now 50 percent off.

“That’s not to say I’m done. I’ll probably still do craft shows and whatever little adventures I can come across. I just won’t have a brick and mortar. I think I’m going to change it to the Bumpkin Retreat to say this is where the bumpkins went.”

Jackson says people can find her under Country Bumpkins and Cyndi M. Jackson on Facebook.

Oh, and how about leaving so much of the inventory outside? How did that work?

“We’re blessed,” Jackson said. “We’ve been here all these years, and I’ve literally had maybe three thefts.” The first happened one Christmas Eve, and Jackson figures somebody just “needed Christmas,” because a small chair and Christmas tree were taken.

A bicycle was taken another time, and then a shiny trombone piece that Jackson thought would make a cute planter. She’d had a suspicion that one would go when she put it out, and it was stolen that night.

“That’s pretty good for all those years.” The reason the Jacksons left the stuff out: It was a calling card for “junkers’ paradise.” It was just fun.

This story was originally published July 16, 2016 at 9:21 AM with the headline "Store that left its bumpkin inventory outside is closing."