Thrift and Vintage Shopping

Do you look at alternative shopping sources for you home decor? Checking out local thrift and antique shops can be quite fun. You never know what treasures you might find. I feel that having unique pieces makes a home interesting and not the same as all your friends. I have about four shops that I visit throughout the month. I find it interesting that the Goodwill’s in our area buy home goods from Target at a sale price and then resale it for almost half the original. I’ve gotten some new Target rugs that were such a bargain. So, don’t be squeamish about stepping into a thrift shop, think of them as a curiosity shop filled with fun surprises. And if you are concerned about the cleanliness of some of the things, just remember you can wash them and they will be as good as new. So, let’s check out what I have found at either a thrift shop, antique store, and Craigslist.

~ A Note About the Nester ~

When we lived in Vermont, we rented out a booth in a beautiful shop 

that was a converted barn. It was a great business for the owner 

since all the tenants paid a little monthly rent and worked one day a month. 

Someday, I would love to own and manage a little shop like this.

I bought this cute clock recently while the thrift shop was holding a sale. I think I bought it for about $3.00! It was a little dirty and I think that may have been the reason it was not bought. Once I got it home and cleaned it up, I found it is the cutest thing in my kitchen! I had been searching for a clock and I was just about to give up when I found this one. Oh, if you are interested in the yummy Lemon Pie in the foreground, here is the link: Sour Cream Lemon Pie

So, some of you may know that we used to live in Seattle. And they have this wonderful company that hand blows these beautiful candle votives. They are called, Glassybabys. They retail for about $45 a piece. One day I was shopping in Goodwill and was browsing through the houseware shelves. On my second time through, I spied a Glassybaby! Oh my, it was in perfect condition and only $3.00! I couldn’t believe that I found one at the thrift store, obviously someone had gotten it as a gift and had no idea what it was worth. Here is a link to one sold at Nordstroms: Glassybaby

I was on a mission to find two lamps for this sofa console table. And I had decided that I wanted to add a little drama to this table, so I was wanting to find mercury glass lamps. Of course, I was so delighted when I found two lamps at Goodwill. Well, before I could buy them, a couple of shoppers were holding on to them and speaking in Spanish, “Mucho dinero.” I politely asked if they were going to buy it, and they quickly put them back on the shelves. Well, I snatched them up immediately, ok I can be a little intense when I’m on a shopping mission. I really think they would’ve been sold quickly had they not had the bright pink lampshades on them. I love these lamps and the price was not too bad, $12 each. I did have to replace the shades but found nice reasonable priced white ones at Target. Here is the blog post link: Lamps  

By the way, the leaf garland hanging from our entertainment center are pages from a used book that I bought at Goodwill!

I found this yellow enamel pot at an antique store and I love to use it as a container rather than a cooking pot. It is a nice accent and kind of fun to see it as something other than a kitchen cookware. 

We have an adorable shop in our tiny town. Once a month the shop owners hold a fun estate sale in their parking lot. My daughter and I were toodling around the day they had one and we came across this fun vintage table. It was the end of the day, so the shop owner was motivated to sell her goods, so she gave it to me for $30! They have the best deals at this place and I’m looking forward to their next sale in a couple of days!

I found this fun little table at Goodwill. It was originally a mahogany colored table which I covered with white chalk paint. I also, special ordered a glass top to protect it from our beverages, sorry that this photo doesn’t show the glass. The table was $15 and the little pink vase was a couple of dollars. I love the vase and it’s pale pink color. Also, the Ikea Ektorp chair I found on Craigslist for $30. I ended up buying a new slipcover for $29 and tada a new chair! Here is the post: Ikea Chairs

This is a high boy antique that I repainted with chalk paint. I also took off the door and added some fun Anthropologie glass amber knobs. Here is the link to that project: Chalk Paint Project

I had fun searching for vintage Christmas ornaments. I did recently find a ton at the thrift shops. With this project, it is good to always be on the look out for ornaments since it requires a lot of them. If you want to make this fun wreath, here is the link to the project: Vintage wreath

I bought the beautiful white shells at Goodwill. They were in a big ziplock baggie and another shopper wanted them too. I told her that I would like the all white shells and she was happy that I would split the cost with her. I think I bought quite a few of them for $5.00. Definitely a lot cheaper than the ones I saw down at the San Francisco Wharf. 

The grey rug under the sink is the brand new Target rug that I found at Goodwill. At a later date, I found another yellow one that I have near our front door. These rugs clean up so nicely since they are made with Olefin. I was told by a friend that a rug with this material is a breeze to clean up. And I found that she was totally right about this.

Do you know the history of Goodwill?  

Goodwill was founded in 1902 in Boston by Rev. Edgar J. Helms, a Methodist minister and early social innovator. Helms collected used household goods and clothing in wealthier areas of the city, then trained and hired those who were poor to mend and repair the used goods. The goods were then resold or were given to the people who repaired them. The system worked, and the Goodwill philosophy of “a hand up, not a hand out” was born.

Thanks so much for hanging out with us and I hope you have your own fun shopping. Remember to always look through the thrift shop twice, there is a lot to take in and you miss things the first time through. Also, don’t be afraid to view things even if they are dirty. And finally, think outside the box. If a lamp is perfect but it has some gaudy lampshade, you can always replace the shade. Let us know what great treasures you have found, we would love to hear about them.

Cheers,