It’s best to not be in a hurry when you visit this quaint little shop. It will probably take more than one visit to see it all. Even after several visits, you’ll always find something you didn’t see the last time. That’s how it’s been at Ej’s Treasures since it opened eight years ago in November of 1998.

Tucked away on a family farm in the sleepy little town of College Grove, Tennessee, EJ stands for Emy Joe (Bellenfant-Bilbrey) who will greet you personally when you walk in the door of this former grain shed on her mother and farther’s farm. Next door is the building that used to be the hub of business in the area, the historic Bellenfant Implement Company. Joe Bellenfant was a tractor and farm implement dealer who did business around the world. He started selling farm implements when he was only 13, and later became one of the most respected businessmen in Williamson County. Joe passed away in 2001, and now Emy Joe carries on her father’s genes with a shop that features antiques, estate jewelry, collectables, toys, fine china, and well, it would take days to list it all. Ej’s Treasures is housed in a barn-like building that was built in the 1920’s as a grain shed. Emy Joe’s father’s notes can still be seen scribbled on a wooden support pole that stood beside the grain chute. Historic pictures of tractor auctions hang nearby.

Running a business on the family farm seems only natural for Emy Joe. A life-long resident of the Grove, she spent ten years at The Tennessean in their "Newspapers in Education" program and then traveled all over the southeast for Simon & Shuster Publishing, giving presentations on textbooks. When the company merged with another, Emy Joe got lost in the shuffle. Determined to leave behind the stress of the corporate world, she opened the shop.

You won’t find department store prices or mainstream mall mark-ups at Ej’s Treasures and it’s OK if you want to haggle over the price of some of the merchandise. The shop is open Tuesday thru Thursday from 12 noon to 4 pm; and, Friday & Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm. If you can’t make it out during regular hours, just give Emy Joe a call and make an appointment. She can reached at 368-2020 or 210-5700 and you can visit her website at www.ejstreasures.com. Come in, browse, ask Emy Joe to tell you the story of the "Rooster", and relax. The parking is free and so is the conversation. The shop is located at 8455 Bellenfant Road in the heart of picturesque College Grove.