An antique fainting couch that folds out to a double bed or a loom that was once used at Billie Creek Village are just two of the interesting and unique items offered at a new business located in Bloomingdale. Last June, Vanetta Paquin and Bob Patton were able to snatch up the building located on Main Street they had been eyeing for some time and begin the first step towards opening their own trading post.

Bob was coming home from work when he saw the "For Sale" sign on the building so he went straight down and bought the place. It took some time to make the building safe, but they were able to open their doors to business the first weekend of the Covered Bridge Festival. Bob and Vanetta say they weren't really ready to open, but they opened their doors a little early because they had so many curious folks coming by wanting to look around.

Bob and Vanetta have been buying all sorts of interesting items over the past four years at auctions and sales both locally and as far as Montana, South Dakota, and Arizona. They said their variety of items is wide open, including antiques, collectibles, primitives and tools, along with some that are described by Vanetta as odd and unusual.

Bob and Vanetta have named their business "Teal Trading Post" and hope to expand at some point in the near future by adding a small grocery store. Bob and Vanetta both said they don't intend to put in anything big, just a small grocery to meet the needs of people living in and around Bloomingdale. Bob even mentioned that at one time, the building housed a grocery, but not since 1961.

Bob is a Parke County native and has worked as an auctioneer. He is the father of four children, three of whom are grown and one who attends Turkey Run High School. One of Bob's sons serves in the United States Air Force stationed in Hawaii and previously served in combat during the 1993 Persian Gulf War.

Vanetta came to Parke County from Arizona where her family lives. Vanetta describes herself as a "Jill of all trades" and has two children who live in Oregon and Montana. Vanetta said that she and Bob have been best friends for a long time and decided they could not live without each other. Vanetta said she really misses the mountainous regions, but the beautiful hills and valleys of Parke County fulfill her longings for the mountains.

Teal Trading Post is located on Main Street in Bloomingdale and is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., or can be contacted by telephone at (765) 498-2470. Bob and Vanetta have put a lot of 16 to 18 hour days just getting the place ready, but they really enjoyed so many people stopping in to see what is going on and to see their excitement at the prospect of a new business in town. Both Bob and Vanetta are proud of Bloomingdale and the people who live there. They said they are anxious to serve the people they see every day in their community, not just the faces of tourists who they may only see once in their life. They invite everyone to come in and see what they have to offer.