A life salvaged

During this time of year with Easter approaching, people are looking forward to their own resurrections which will bring about new beginnings.
One of these new beginnings came about when a Pine Prairie native salvaged the pieces of his life after he got injured offshore and began salvaging through antiques to open his own business inside Sylvan Lavergne’s Furniture and Appliance building on Ville Platte’s Main Street.
“I guess I didn’t have any plans in life,” Jimmy Catoire said. “I worked offshore all of my life. I got hurt offshore, and God gave me this opportunity for this business.”
Before getting injured, Catoire worked on the rigs for 13 years as a pipe fitter, a structural fitter, a welder, and a welding superintendant.
After his injury, Catoire was unable to go back offshore. So, he fell back onto things he enjoyed doing while he was growing up. “I’ve always collected a little bit here and there, and I love to redo furniture,” he said. “I grew up doing carpentry work too. I worked for Joey West, Lance Johnson, and all of those carpenters back in the day.”
Because of his carpentry background and fondness for collecting items, Catoire got involved with some business partners who led him to getting into his current endeavor in life.
“I had some partners who did this line of work, and they helped me through it,” he said. “They showed me how to do it and what was valuable and what wasn’t.”
Working in his antique shop is a change of pace from working offshore but has its similarities. As Catoire explained, “I guess it’s in the same category because, when I worked offshore, I dealt with the people because I was a boss. I guess it’s the same thing working here but in a different atmosphere.”
That is where the similarities end because Catoire described running his own business as being more overwhelming and stressful than working offshore. “It’s a lot more stressful because I always have in the back of my mind the question of do I have enough things or do I have good things,” he commented. “It’s just that thought of not being able to make everybody happy.”
The items Catoire has in his business come from a variety of places, and this variety has led to him discovering the most enjoyable aspect of the job.
“A lot of people bring things in, and people come and tell me they have things,” he said. “I go out to look at them and buy them. I also go to storage unit auctions and things like that.”
He continued, “The most enjoyable part of it is not knowing what I’m going to find. I find all these things, and I never know what I’m digging in especially when I buy a storage building that is full.”
While salvaging through pieces that other people call junk, Catoire has come across items that are not found everyday. “I find things like nice glassware, pictures, and bowls that were made in the 1920s and 1930s and looks 10 times better than the things made nowadays. People cherish those things more, at least I do. I enjoy finding those type of things.”
One thing Catoire found draws the eye of drivers who pass down Main Street. It is a big orange Gulf Oil sign. He said, “I found it here in Ville Platte. There was a man who used to own a little BBQ shack about 5 blocks north of my shop. A friend of mine and business partner at the time found it. He and I went and looked at it and purchased it.”
This business method of going into people’s yards to find items has led to Catoire looking into the future and taking a page out of the playbook of the popular television series American Pickers.
He said, “I like to go out and ride around to look for things in people’s yards, and I like to just stop and ask if they want to get rid of their things. Maybe one day I can do my own thing like on American Pickers. They did it, so I’m going to do it.”
“I’m not scared to stop and ask people if they want to get rid of things,” he continued. “A lot of times we get into a good conversation, and they show me all kinds of things in their yards and their sheds. Everyone wants to get rid of some kind of junk they got.”
In order to venture into the future with his business, Catoire will again need to pick up the pieces. “I lost my vehicle because I went through a bad time in life,” he stated. “I’m planning on getting my ride back and going do just like on American Pickers. I’m going to travel all over the place and go from yard to yard.”
Picking up the pieces and salvaging through goods has led Catoire to find what is most rewarding about dealing in antiques. He concluded, “It’s very rewarding because it’s God’s will. That’s what He wanted. I don’t give up either. I wanted to sometimes, but it would almost be like me telling God I’m not going to do it. He’s the one who gave all this to me.”