RIP Old Montrose

Is This the End for Texas Junk Company?

The beloved Houston boot institution has been asked to vacate its Montrose location.

By Sarah Rufca Nielsen September 6, 2016

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Texas Junk Company could be closed in Montrose by the end of September.

After over 25 years in business, Texas Junk Company, the quirky Montrose neighborhood shop that sells a little bit of everything—and a whole lot of vintage boots—is closing its doors in Montrose.

According to a post on Facebook, owner Bob Novotney was taking an August respite in Alaska when he received a phone call directing him to vacate his longtime storefront on 215 Welch St. by the end of September. Novotney says he's hopeful he can extend his tenancy through April 2017, but he's preparing for the worst. Regardless, he calls it "the beginning of the end of Texas Junk Company's Houston location." (Novotney did not immediately respond to requests for comment; we'll update if he does.) 

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The vintage cowboy boot selection at Texas Junk Co. is legendary.

For the uninitiated, Texas Junk Company is a picker's treasure trove, a meticulously organized yet unpolished warehouse hidden in the small residential streets of Montrose since 1979. Its claim to fame is a seemingly endless supply of vintage cowboy boots—a sign boasts thousands of them starting at $30—making it a mandatory pre-rodeo shopping destination for savvy Houstonians. The setup has been the same for years—Novotney travels and scours for wares during most weeks and opens the store on Fridays and Saturdays only from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., taking cash or check only. 

What that means is that Houstonians have only a handful of days left to stop by and pay their respects, or get their hands on some perfectly broken in fall boots. (The store's Facebook page is the best source to find out when it will be open, including the occasional Sunday.)

However, it doesn't mean that Texas Junk Company is disappearing forever. Novotney has already started moving his collection to a new location at 121 N. Main Street in the tiny town of Moulton, about two hours west of Houston. So Old Montrose may be disappearing, but Texas Junk Company lives on.

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