MINGO COUNTY, WV (WOWK) – Gary and Margaret LaFever are turning their collection of antique salt and pepper shakers that’s more than 40 years in the making into a museum.

Their collection includes over 12,000 unique sets of shakers and 500 cookie jars. They said the reason they’re pursuing this is because they ran out of storage, and wanted to share their passion with the world.

This all started when Margaret was a child. Her mother had originally started the collection, and after she passed Margaret found that she had caught the bug.

“Well, my mother had the collection of salt and pepper shakers. I just like finding them, that’s the beauty of it really. It’s not so much having them, as hunting them,” said Margaret.

Their massive collection ranges from all 50 states to Looney Tunes characters to just about any character or theme you could imagine. The shakers tell a story of art, history, and culture, just not in a medium most people are used to.

The LaFevers travel the country, hitting every thrift store, antique shop, and even salt and pepper shaker conventions along the way. They also have friends who are on the lookout as well, saying that one donates around 100 at a time.

Now, they’re getting ready to share their collection with others, hoping to find like-minded people who get just as excited as Margaret does when they see a unique shaker. But her excitement is tough to match.

“Well, I get excited, no doubt. I just think I gotta have it, I gotta have it. I’d just like for people to enjoy them as much as I do. My mother really enjoyed hers when she had them,” said Margaret.

The LaFevers have set up a GoFundMe page to help speed along the construction of the museum, which will be built on the same land she was raised on in Merrimac, just outside of Williamson. If you’d like to contribute, you can check out their page here .

Funds raised also go towards acquiring display cases that match the themes of the shakers and cookie jars. It will also go towards making sure these antiques stay in the best condition possible.

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Gary said they’re hoping to begin construction over the Summer, with plans to open this Fall. Nothing is set in stone, but the LaFevers intend to have a $2 to $3 entrance fee to the museum and add an ice cream parlor to help fund operations.

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