It is with great pleasure that I am starting to write a new column in The Mountain-Ear.

I am Pam Oden. I run Pam’s Pantiques, an estate sale/liquidation company. What I do is empty a house and get rid of some unwanted items without any upfront costs. Most estate sale companies charge for this service. I don’t; I make money from selling your items. I am not typical – but those who know me personally know that!

I started my business after 20 years in Boulder real estate. I was tired of looking at the outsides of houses, so I started looking inside! I am a Nedhead, like you.

So this column is going to be about vintage and antique items. I will start with some of my favorite items, but the point of this is to help YOU with your stuff: how old something is, or sometimes what it is, or what it might be worth.

What I’d like to do is to have folks message me about any old objects they have. As well, I will focus on one type of collectible in each issue. Send me photos of your vintage or antique (or just plain old) items, to pamspantiques@gmail.com

If I know about it I will discuss it with you, and maybe in the column. And if I don’t, I will research it. I am hoping to cover in the column everyone who writes in, but you can rest assured I will reply to all emails.

My personal passion is cast iron. Please, do not ever throw away any cast iron, even if you think it’s just never going to be usable again. If it’s cracked, there is an issue. Chips, dirt, rust, scum, etc., are not issues.

Rehabbing cast iron is a process, but it’s not hard. There are a few ways to do it, but the least expensive and most successful I have found is to use lye. Yup: lye. Because of issues with substance abuse, many stores (including ACE) do not carry it. But McGuckin’s does.

Prepare a half lye/half water bath. Cast iron can sit in a lye tank forever. 1 day, 1 year...it will never destroy the iron. Once the object has been through that process, the gunk falls off and you are left with a clean pan... maybe.

Rust is an issue that Lye does not handle best. After a lye bath, my pans go into a vinegar/water bath and the rust comes off...it’s like a miracle!

Seasoning the pan isn’t hard; you just need to be particular about the oils. Do not use cheap canola or other cooking oil. It will burn off quickly and start the ick again. Olive oil is strong-smelling. I prefer to use coconut oil, liquid or solid. Cover the pan inside and out with oil and then remove as much as you can with a clean cloth. Put the pan upside down in an oven at 500 degrees. Watch the pan; take it out after 20 to 30 minutes and wipe it down. Let it cool. Wipe it again – and there you have it: restored cast iron.

I know I make it sound easy and sometimes it can be. But sometimes you need to perform the whole process all over again. I have two pans I am currently restoring that have been in lye and vinegar combined for over six weeks and they still need to go into the lye. (By the way, a lot of people are concerned about using lye. Yes, it’s caustic, and you need to be careful. But do not worry about pouring it down the sink – it’s a drain cleaner!)

I am honored to be a part of The Mountain-Ear.

I look forward to hearing from you guys and talking about the stuff I love to talk about.

Remember to email me at pamspantiques@gmail.com.