COMMUNITY
CHAD PIKE Rancho Mirage
Beatles mural from a long since closed Chicago record store. Though he previously worked in IT security, Pike now focuses on raising his daughters and pursuing his passion as a collector. He documents the origins of many pieces, right down to the magnets on the fridge, and takes pride in preserving the stories behind them. His garage, meticulously kept, serves as a tribute to true originals. “You can’t beat the graphics on some of this stuff,” he said, pointing to one of his favorite oil cans. “Everything now is just made to fall apart. Not a lot of it survives.”
Chad Pike is a lover of nostalgia. A little rust doesn’t bother the Minnesota native. In fact, he relishes it. Pike turned his garage into a vibrant, nostalgic museum-of-sorts, filled with
DAVID IVERSEN Senita
that sits askew, massive and immobile. It was dropped off for my infant daughter, a thoughtful hand-me-down from a young girl who had outgrown the kitchen set. It’s currently holding court next to the mower and rakes, waiting patiently for a strong back or a sudden burst of motivation to move it inside. “I’ll get to it later,” I promise it with the same sincerity I give to the pavers. There are camping supplies packed for a trip I meant to take, photography backdrops from a shoot that never happened and Easter
baskets now on their second holiday rotation. All of it lives in the purgatory of eventually. My garage is a shimmering place just beyond the horizon, right next to someday and when things settle down. But most of my time at home now belongs to my daughter. Her sweet curiosity is entirely incompatible with garage life. It’s too hot, too dusty, too full of suspicious liquids in unmarked spray bottles. The jagged constellation of garden tools half-propped against the wall is the stuff of paternal nightmares. Her
bubble-wrapped world of pacifiers and floor mats doesn’t mix well with loose nails and spider kingdoms. So, the garage waits like an old friend who understands. No judgment. Just a quiet accumulation of almosts, maybes and somedays. I see the piles, the organization
vintage signs, oil cans and Americana collectibles, all authentic.
There’s a half-empty — no, let’s be optimistic — half-full bag of sand slumped in the corner. Some of it spilled out. That sand awaits its destiny to be a key piece in the great backyard paver project of 2023. The pavers that I did manage to lay are already tilting, shifting. I tell myself: It adds character. Rustic. Lived-in. I should learn how to do this before I try it again. Blocking the inside of one garage door, a donated kitchen playset
He has a real bison mounted above a work bench. “We call him Mark Buffalo,” said Pike with a wry smile. A self-proclaimed “picker,” Pike sources his pieces through digging, door-knocking, social media groups and auctions, steering clear of reproductions and counterfeit items that have flooded the online market. Pike’s garage serves multiple purposes: It’s a functional, family-friendly space with enough room for his two young daughters to jump rope, run
or read. It’s also a personal museum that reflects his Midwestern roots and deep appreciation for historical craftsmanship and design. The Minnesota Vikings played their last game at the Metrodome stadium in 2013. Pike is absolutely thrilled to reminisce about the stadium’s trash cans that he used to eat from. Let him explain — it’s not as weird as it sounds.
“This is one of my favorite pieces. When I was a kid, we’d go to the Metrodome and get our dome dogs. People used this as a tabletop,” said Pike excitedly, pointing to the metal plate hoisted high above the garbage can’s rim. “It’s full of memories.” That trash can, original to the Metrodome, found a second life in this Maricopa garage underneath a one-of-a-kind
among the chaotic little time capsules. Each is a pile of paused ambition. One day, I’ll open this
door, take a deep breath and finish laying these pavers. But for now, there’s a baby in my arms and a world that’s just a little too sharp outside.
InMaricopa.com | June 2025
June 2025 | InMaricopa.com
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