About Us

Courtney, Jeff and Max

Welcome to Pittsburgh Pickers! My name is Jeff Bender, the man behind the scenes of this blog. I own and operate an online vintage home décor shop, called CJB Collectibles, with my beautiful wife Courtney. Check us out above.  I almost forgot to mention Max, our Golden Retriever — although he is a lot larger now!

We started CJB Collectibles as a fun way to hang out with each other and try to start our own business. It is definitely our dream to have a house on the hillside, both operating the store from our home.

Just like our marriage, the store has become a perfect fit. Courtney has an eye for trends and knows what customers are looking for, while I am a writer and history buff who likes to take photos on the side.

I am 27 years old, working, picking and living in Pittsburgh, PA. I was born and raised in Akron, OH., but moved to Pittsburgh for college and never looked back. I graduated from Washington & Jefferson College with a B.A. in English and then graduated from Eastern Michigan University with a M.S. in Integrated Marketing Communications. I work in public relations for a state organization.

The one thing that I regret in life to this point is letting things rush by me. I feel that much of my life has been a blur and very few moments have been enjoy in the present. That is why I decided to dive in the world of antique and vintage décor.

I want a slower life. I want to spend time with my wife and I hope that our store on Etsy will turn into a brick and mortar store. I hope that I can live on a hillside overlooking the beautiful rolling hills of Pittsburgh, and never miss another moment of my life.

You may be wondering what this blog is about? Well, this is the place where I share my picking experiences, provide the history of some of our items and what to look for when picking, and how to successfully sell on Etsy.

Getting away from the technical stuff, I enjoy hiking, fishing, watching penguins games, cooking huge Italian meals, watching baseball (especially the Cleveland Indians) and hanging out with family.

You can find me on twitter, facebook, flickr, and etsy. You can also email me at cjbcollectibles@gmail.com

Thanks for reading and feel free to contact me with any questions.