Hot Sam’s is a sanctuary to find inspiration.
“Life is a journey. The destination is not the reward, it’s the adventure”.
Meet the Keepers
Bobbie “Jake” Hood, Kathy Sakry and their dog Alley-Oop are the keepers of Hot Sam’s, a 10-acre antique junk yard along I-35 in Lakeville with many oddities.
Jake uses his passion for old rusty discards and creates magic out of them. The giant 24 foot guitar was made from a hot tub that came from the Vikings training camp. It rests on a trailer that can be moved to different locations for lease options.
“My mission is to give people a smile. There is a saying that people are more attractive when they smile”
In Memory of Gladys Hood
After coming home from the service, Jake Hood the now owner of Hot Sam’s antiques opened the shop in1985 with his mother Gladys Hood. He wanted to create a little bit of Heaven for his mom that had taken care of her husband with brain damage, and her elderly mother who didn’t speak english. After they both passed on, she and Jake created a place to sell her antiques. He wanted his mom to be happy. Kathy Sakry shares more about Gladys and a clearer picture emerges of this strong woman. She once raced cars, breaking the land speed record at Daytona Beach in 1956 for Nascar Powder Puff.
“It has became a labor of love,” Kathy Sakry says of this whole intriguing place. She’s the significant other of Jake Hood, who, along with his mother, Gladys Hood, 35 years ago transformed a field with a two-car path into Hot Sam’s Antiques. Nine years prior to that, the business was located in Burnsville. Gladys passed on in December 2010.
Inspiration DESTINATION
Hot Sam’s has gained popularity as a place where professional photographers shoot clients against the eclectic props. People tour the grounds like they would at a hollywood set. Local groups, schools and residents rent out the pieces for theatrical productions and events.
And you might find Barry, a retired laser cutter turned artist, back in the woods among all the junk working on his latest sculptures—painting a giant sunflower or building an oversized motorcycle.
