What may not be clear to the casual passerby, however, is the shop’s history: It is a repurposed Greyhound bus station. Before that, it was a gas station.
Now, every nook is decorated in cozy, maximalist fashion with creations made by artists from the neighborhood and beyond.
Collins bought the building in April 2010, six months after the bus station closed. The land across Tennessee Street from the shop, where houses now stand, was just a field at the time, Collins recalled.
“It was a bus station,” Collins said. “There wasn’t anything here.”
Collins said she loves the history behind the building, which she describes as having “good juju” from its prior life.
In the early years, Collins had the occasional customer plop down on the bench outside her store with a duffel bag in hand. On a few occasions, she said, her customers gave rides to these travelers, who had not realized the bus station had moved.
One customer recounted childhood memories of visiting the Greyhound station to receive Christmas presents sent by her grandparents via bus.
Collins also has quite the diverse collection of art. She sells pottery, pressed flower greeting cards, knits made by local artists and friends and recycled scrap metal transformed into statement pieces by Mexican artists.
The store also has mascots: Collins’ cat, Momma, who naps while snuggled up in a heating pad on a shelf; and three curious neighborhood kittens, who sometimes sneak a peek at customers but dash off the second anyone approaches them.
Collins said she loves selling art and showcasing local creations, but the sense of community the store has fostered has been the most meaningful part of her business.
“The best thing about this for me is ... just the people I’ve met in the last 10 years,” Collins said. “[They’re] like extended family members.”
Diggin’ It
507 N. Tennessee St., McKinney
469-952-3446
www.thedigginitshop.com
Hours: Tue.-Sat. 10 a.m.-5 p.m., closed Sun.-Mon.
