MUNCY - Chuck Wheeland can take old wood or metal and use it to create barrels, signs or other decorative items.
It's an art form that he now has taken to a new level with his newly opened business, Chuck's Country Crap, 100 W. Water St.
"Most of this stuff is made by me or other craftsmen in the area," he said as he stood in his shop which opened in mid-August.
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MIKE REUTHER/Sun-Gazette
Chuck Wheeland in his Muncy store, Chuck’s Country Crap, which sells antiques and primatives, such as decorative barrels.
Wheeland has long enjoyed making things, but for the most part his creations would end up in his home or be given away to family members.
It was after he began getting responses from people who saw his works online that he decided starting a business might be a good idea.
When people would see his crafts on Facebook, they'd ask if he had a store, explained Wheeland's girlfriend, Penny Sines.
Fact Box
Chuck's
Country Crap
100 W. Water St., Muncy
546-0776
Mon. to Thur. - 11 a.m.
to 5 p.m.
Fri. - 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sat. - 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sun. - 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
"He had a dream," she said. "He always wanted to do this, so I said, 'let's do it.' "
Added Wheeland: "Everyone always told me I should do this for a living."
He said he wanted to introduce unique items at reasonable prices.
He uses "whatever he can" as far as materials for his work.
"What I try to do is take something old and build with it," he said.
Customers can walk into his shop, just a block from the heart of downtown Muncy, and find candles, milk cans, window shutters, signs.
Wheeland said he especially likes his barrels, but the shutters have been very popular with patrons.
Nearly everything in the shop is made by Wheeland or some other local person.
And as Sines put it, everything is "reasonably priced."
"It's a lot of one-of-a-kind stuff," said Sines, who noted she grew up in the crafts business.
Wheeland said most customers can find something to their liking.
"If you don't like what you see the first time you come, you might see something you like the next time," he said. "The merchandise is always changing."
The building at the corner of West Water and Market streets formerly housed a tattoo parlor and before that a restaurant. For many years, a laundromat was at the site.
Wheeland said he did a lot of work, including painting to get the inside of the building ready for displaying his wares.
He hopes to have his shop around a long time.
