Small-town antique car collector
creates online YouTube following
You don’t have to move to Hollywood to pursue your dreams of becoming a celebrity. Ben Dolloff, co-owner of Dolloff Antiques with his wife, Laurie, created a following on his YouTube channel – where he uploads videos right in his backyard from Murdo and reaches thousands.
“One thing about people in this business, they don’t ever stop,” says Ben Dolloff. “You just keep doing it forever, until you can’t do it anymore. I’m a one-horse operation and there’s always more that I want to do each day.”
Ben runs his antique business out of Murdo, primarily selling online through eBay. He runs two locations with the assistance of his wife, six children, and parents, selling a variety of toys, chairs, glassware, pottery, car parts, and more. Ben says he spends all the daylight he can searching for more parts to sell and fulfilling the orders he receives each day.
Creating a community
On top of his regular business days, Ben travels across the country capturing content for his YouTube channel Dolloff Antiques Garage. He also meets new people and finds new antiques to add to his collection or sell.
“I have a lot of friends around who have the same drive and interest in finding things. It’s a community of people getting together, and they all help one another,” he says.
Sometimes, Ben’s online customers travel to Murdo to buy his antiques. His first YouTube video garnered enough attention to attract visitors from other states and countries.
Scouring the country
Ben travels across the US to large car swaps including Hershey, Pennsylvania, parts of Nebraska, Iowa, Florida, and more. He also looks for half-buried treasures, or as he calls them “rusted gold,” in remote areas and small towns such as Okaton just west on I-90 or hundreds of other similar spots.
“Sometimes I will have a car on a trailer while I’m stopped at a gas station and somebody will tell me they have four more like the car in a field,” says Ben.
These opportunities are exactly what Ben looks for. In life, he says there’s nothing quite like finding a good antique piece. With his Golden West service, he can sell his finds to eager buyers from across the country and around the world.
A past full of passion
By the time Ben turned 5 years old, antiques were his passion. Both his parents and grandfather fostered Ben’s interest in antiques and car parts. Over time, his passion became a business endeavor.
Ben graduated high school in New Hampshire and moved to Murdo. He says it’s the perfect place to find antique cars in great condition while also enjoying the small-town atmosphere he prefers.
Ben hasn’t had any trouble operating his business online and on YouTube from Murdo. From the comfort of home, Ben can upload videos he recorded the same day.
Service better than big cities 
Ben also operates Dolloff’s Antiques as an eBay store, uploading pictures of his new finds each day. He fills his afternoons with shipping orders and taking pictures. He balances his passion with caring for his family, spending time with his children every day.
All of Ben’s work is made possible with his Golden West service, which he has used since he moved to Murdo over two decades ago. Throughout his travels, Ben says his friends’ connections near major cities have been terrible, while he can consistently depend on his connection.
“We appreciate Golden West and all they have done to make everything possible. The connection I have in Murdo is better than many big cities.”
