We at Junk Nation Review pride ourselves on a guys view on junk and salvage. We have recently questioned one of our friends and he gave such wonderful answers, we didn’t want to change a thing. His history is richer in junk than most and his story is of triumph and courage. We would now love to introduce you to our good friend Yeyas!
“My full name is Mario Benitez Cooremans,
AKA…Yeyas!”
“Yeyas is and has always been know as one, or all of the three below….
A rebuttal spin off of a Hotel in Lima Peruwhere all is military straight and proper,Yeyas is my Dancing name,A nickname of a Diva named Dorelia.
Yeyas Antiques & Oddities was started in the Ganglands of Wilmington California
One Table, One Bridge, One Doorknob, One Dream (will elaborate later here) not even knowing that those times bad as they were would surface again as my Junk career in Texas.
Yeyas has been open for about a Year now:
I worked for an Auto Supply Co (Dads Shop) for over 15 years in Texas after Calif. Became a Manager for A Chevrolet Dealership for 10 years, became a Realtor in San Antonio Tx for years and soon found an Old Tire Shop Garage in Downtown San Antonio where Yeyas was Born.
The future plans of Yeyas is to keep inventing our self in a very different and unique way that keeps the audience and followers waiting for the next day!
As a business plan I would have to say that even I would not jump to invest if you would layout Yeyas plan in front of me as an invester. When you really look at it…
The Plan
Buy a Historic Outdated Building suited for a Garage.
Update and bring building to Code.
Buy lot next Door.
Create your hours to match the average working person.
Tues-Fri 10:30-5:30pm and Sat – Sun 10:30-3pm
Fill the entire area with Junk mixed in with Aviation, Carnival remnants, throw in a few plants, buy out Concrete foundries, turn down any Antique that seems conventional and last but not least, Burn the boat and know that there is no going back!
My favorite thing about this is having 6 Saturdays and a Sunday.
Everyday is like a Saturday. We are blessed.
My favorite piece is an Old 8 X 10 photo of a Mariachi sitting in front of an Old Building Downtown holding a Bottle, he’s right there at rock bottom. The value in dollars is not there, but you know what, I would not sell that for anything.
Things to share
- With only a few pieces being sold under a bridge to support by outlandish lifestyle Dream of eating good and sleeping indoors ( I would Dive in Dumpsters and layout a few found treasures (Junk) in front of my lavish outdoor living quarters (my rock bottom years of living under the bridge) and oddly enough would frequently sell my goods to Impulse Junkers as they made there way back to their paradise.
I remember that it did not take my but one incident of my losing my most prized posession which was a very ornate door knob from what would have had to been part of a Castle and my vision was to build a unique house made from Junk from all over.
(Sounds Hokey, but you know what, it kept me off the drugs and locked me into the years ahead knowing that eventually I would be able to turn such a knob and be able to lower and raise the temperature if I could only get on the other side of the door this knob would be on.)
That started a pattern for my schedule. I would sleep from 6pm-10pm, stay awake and quard my little junk until all the Drunks and crackheads would knock out usually by 1am that’s when I would get up and go junking until about 5am. I would sleep again until 9am. Wake up get ready, eat shower and Open up my Under bridge sidewalk junk Table until 5pm. On Weekends I would work from 10-3 average and you know what, These are my hours today.
-I walked across to a Body Shop in California and was finally given a job sanding the inside of this sweat box, Grinding the rust off an Old Airstream Travel Trailer which had been rusted from a fire years ago.
With only a papermask and water from a warm hose I remember thinking to myself that I had started a path to coming out of my slump. Here it is all these years later and I am grounded by the Airstream sitting in my Downtown lot. So many people will not get the reason why it sits there.”
One of our favorite pieces from Yeyas store!
Please feel free to connect with Yeyas Antiques Oddities on Facebook and on his website. We hope he has made as much an impression on you as he has us!
Junk salvation! Cool story and blessings to Yeyas!
This story is real and heart felt, nobody could say it better than Yeyas himself. It made me cry and rejoice all at the same time! We love you Yeyas!
Coquille
Thank You! You are an Angel for putting this all together, I am very fortunate to have such great friends in this Beautiful Junk World!
Does anybody have experience with vintage airstreams? or know where I can look?
I love my vintage airstream! I practically live in it!
I love Yeya’s! Mario makes ma laugh and always has the coolest stuff. Your story touched my soul….. You have come a long way my brother! I’m happy to call you friend!