The Open Ocean building, located at 522 State St. (along Highway 14 in Lyle, Wash.), still sports the original signage plus a window sign telling customers that this is the home of the Barter Barn / Swap Meet / Saturday Market.
The Open Ocean building, located at 522 State St. (along Highway 14 in Lyle, Wash.), still sports the original signage plus a window sign telling customers that this is the home of the Barter Barn / Swap Meet / Saturday Market.
When the Barter Barn’s doors open on March 4, you won’t see windsurfing boards on the sales floor, even though more than 3,000 of them have moved through the Open Ocean facility during the nearly 30 years that Brian Hinde has owned the building. Hinde moved his sailboard business from Honolulu in 1990, and after a few years in a temporary facility, he purchased the building on the corner of Highway 14 and Sixth Street in Lyle.
Born in Denver, Colo., his father was a military lifer, which meant the family moved a lot, including Hawaii in the late ‘60s. He fell in love with surfing, and it became his passion, working as a surfboard builder and eventually a professional surfer, traveling the world looking for the perfect wave. In the early ‘80s windsurfing arrived on the scene and the sport blew up overnight.
“The first hot spot was Europe,” according to Hinde, “Windsurfing designers are called ‘shapers’. Many of us ‘shapers’ were employed by large European companies to design boards for them. That was how I entered the world of international business, creating dozens of designs for five different companies. My signature must be on tens of thousands of boards all over the world.”
This section of a windsurf board shows the signature of world-renowned board designer Brian Hinde.
Contributed photo
Hinde was also on the ground floor with the sport of kiteboarding, and in 2015 he designed a line of SUPs (Stand Up Paddleboards) that took him to China three times.
On Jan. 1, 2019, Hinde put away his “shaping” tools. He had a plan for his retirement. He would lease the building, to a long-term tenant with a solid business plan.
A few months later, a tortilla factory business was all set to move in. Then COVID hit. Two days later, the dream ended. The plan fell through when lockdowns took place. “I had to come up with a plan B,” he said. “It’s not ideal, but it slows the bleeding a little.”
And so, Barter Barn became a reality. According to Hinde, “It’s a chance for people to add extra income. You can have a yard sale, but lots of people don’t want someone coming to their house and poking around at their stuff. Every storage unit in the country is full. Why pay to store something when you can sell it?”
And as far as the official name — Barter Barn? Swap Meet? Saturday Market? “Any and all of the above,” said Hinde. “Barter Barn seems to be the catchall name that stuck.”
A display of items for sale last year at the Barter Barn.
Brian Hinde photo
Starting March 4, the Barter Barn will be open every other Saturday until May, then most likely every Saturday, and finishing the season with a few Holiday Bazaar-type Saturdays. Then it will close for the winter.
“In our first attempt to get people in the door, we tried lots of different things, to see what worked best. And we let the vendors, those who came and set up regularly, decide the hours and days we would be open,” he said.
Hinde cited several reasons to shop at the Barter Barn. “Who doesn’t love a bargain? A lot of people like to go to flea markets and Saturday markets. Everyone likes to save money.”
If a person is interested in selling their goods and services, Hinde has several reasons to consider it.
“If you’re not using something, you can sell it. You don’t need to sell on eBay. Nobody is getting rich at the Barter Barn, including the guy who runs it. I get to wash the windows and sweep the floor,” said Hinde. “You can usually tell who owns the business; that’s the guy sweeping the floor.
The main sales floor at the Barter Barn, in what used to be the Open Ocean’s display floor.
Contributed photo
“You get to sell your product in an organized environment, helping out the supply chain shortages, and maybe make a couple extra bucks.
“If you’re an artist or crafter, you can expand your market and have a platform for your work. Tables and floor space are provided; you pay $15 for a table and keep all the money you make; we take no percentage, unlike some other local sales venues,” said Hinde.
What’s in the future? What would he like to see? A variety of goods and rotating items, fresh produce in season, new vendors and displays to keep things fresh.
For more information or to sign up as a vendor, call Hinde at 509-281-1656.
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