The ‘Junk Doctor’ of Wahiawa: How a Retired Bus Driver Finds Treasures in Trash

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – “It’s a blessing!” says James Tucker.

Tucker, a retired bus driver, is the owner of Lost and Found Treasures Company in Wahiawa. For about a year and a half, his shop has been in a historic 1935 building at 35 Mango Street.

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He describes the shop as a “curio place,” an eclectic treasure trove that truly has a little bit of everything for everyone.

“We have all kinds of neat things,” Tucker says. “We have watches and jewelry and kikaidas—I call them all kikaidas—but there’s just an amazing assortment of fun things for everybody.”

A Museum-Worthy Shogun Treasure

Among the vast assortment of curiosities in Tucker’s shop is a piece of living history: a Japanese suzuri dating back to the 19th century.

“A suzuri is an ink stone,” Tucker explains. “And this ink stone is from 1834. Ink would go here, and the writing implement, the wreath, would go here, and then they would write.”

The artifact has deep historical significance. It features a prominent shogun’s name at the top and is dated 1836 on the back. For Tucker, this piece is too important to sell to just anyone.

“This is something that I want to bring back to Japan,” he says. “This should be in a museum.”

‘Family Archaeology’ and the Healing Power of Cleanouts

Tucker’s hunt for treasures is closely tied to his specialized junk removal business, Junk Force. For him, clearing out estates isn’t just about hauling trash; it is an emotional, deeply respectful process he calls “family archaeology.”

“We like helping people that have years and years [of belongings], and it’s an emotional experience to kind of go through that,” Tucker says. “People have to entrust a lot. There’s a lot of love that goes into what we do.”

When Tucker’s team is invited into a home, they start by blessing the space. As they clean, they carefully preserve crucial memories that might otherwise be lost.

“We save the documents, we save the important pictures, and then we also re-question,” Tucker explains. “We say, ‘Look, you were going to throw this, are you sure you wanted this?’”

Tucker views his role as a “junk doctor.” He works closely with families to help them re-evaluate what to keep, ensuring cherished family heirlooms remain in the family rather than ending up in a landfill.

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“It’s an honor to do that,” Tucker says. “When we’re done, you feel so close to that family because you’ve just gone through everything.”

Thrifting in the Blood

Tucker’s passion for preservation was sparked during his childhood rooted in a family of avid thrifters.

He fondly recalls traveling with his grandfather, who lived on the road in an Airstream trailer.

“When we’d leave Kauai, we’d always go visit him on the road from Texas and Wyoming and Colorado and Arizona and the Grand Teton and everywhere,” Tucker says. “He was always collecting things—arrowheads and things from all the thrift shops. So that’s kind of where it started.”

As a kid, Tucker would hunt for arrowheads and glass fishing floats along the Kauai coastline. Today, he credits the local community for keeping the spirit of thrifting alive.

“I really owe a lot to the community of thrifters because thrifting… is a humbling experience and it’s really rewarding,” he says.

Expanding His Wings

Exciting changes are on the horizon for Lost and Found Treasures Company. Tucker is preparing to expand his Wahiawa shop to the second floor, where he is opening an art and furniture gallery.

“We are stretching our wings and going to be going upstairs,” Tucker says. “I’m opening a gallery upstairs. We have a jukebox, a lot of artwork, and we’re going to be bringing some Koa furniture in there.”

Tucker invites the community to stop by 35 Mango Street to hunt for their own treasures, learn more about storage locker bidding, or simply say hello.

Lost and Found Treasures Company is open Wednesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and during the weekend from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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