Junk Shopping - Tip No. 2
There is one refrain I hear constantly from the people who know me, "How do you find that stuff? I go to the Goodwill, the Salvation Army, yard sales, and I never find that stuff.". This remark is often accompanied by a look that says "you must have other places to shop, you just won't tell anyone about them". Sometimes it is even accompanied by a verbal, "come on girl, tell us where you really find the goodies". Sorry everyone, but we do shop in the same places but we shop very differently. My personal observation is that it is not where you shop, but how you shop.
Tip #2 - How to junk shop. Most experienced junkers combine necessity shopping with the treasure seeking. Necessity shopping needs no tips. You know what you need so that's what you look for. My taste in clothing and accessories still does not match my budget, and probably never will! The majority of my exterior wardrobe has been second hand since 1970. Finding home office supplies like notepads, printing paper, index cards, etc. can save me $20 to $50 a month. The same for many housewares, business display items and other continuing expenses.
Looking for an antique, art piece, vintage designer label, or other treasure discarded as worthless, that is a different type of shopping. For this type of shopping you need knowledge, gut reaction or "an eye" and timing.
Knowledge: If you are a beginning collector or dealer, go to shops that sell the types of items you would like to find. Look at them carefully and if possible, touch them, pick them up and smell them (yes, smell them! certain materials have distinctive odors), get an idea of the texture, the colors, the "look". Go online and research them. Study the photographs and read any relevant text even if it is an auction or store description. As an example, let's say you have decided to collect vintage California dinnerware. When you're looking at three 20 foot long display racks with three shelves each, all piled up with plates, glasses, bowls, etc., it will help to be able to recognize glazes, colors, texture. Narrowing your search to 20 possible pieces is a lot easier than picking up every single one and looking at the bottom for a mark!
The ones who ask questions, go to shows, galleries, museums, read books, do some research, and spend some time learning about their particular love are the ones who usually find the treasures.
Personally, because I love all types of decorative items, my knowledge is thinner on specifics and broader on a greater range of types. I have learned how the base of a 19th century glass vase will look compared to the base of a contemporary reproduction piece; how different types of prints look under a magnifying glass; how the texture of the material, the way it was cut and put together looks on a 1930's day dress; how the hinges, finish, corners of an old box will look; and many more bits of information. In other words, I may not immediately recognize a 19th century ceramic bowl by it's maker or pottery but I will recognize the age.
My tip here is obviously to spend some time learning about the treasures you hope to find. Even if you just want to shop for "old stuff" in general, you should do some research. What types of materials were used in certain eras? What do the different era styles look like, i.e. deco, nouveau, arts and crafts, Edwardian, Regency? What "true age" signs to look for? What should be hand made and what is fine if machine made?
Gut or "Having an Eye": Look at things that draw your interest. I don't care what it is, look at it! You will often hear a collector or dealer talking about themselves or someone they know having "an eye" for particular items. This "eye" did not come with detailed knowledge and footnotes! The fine tuning comes from years of learning, the origin of the "eye" comes from what literally draws your eye. Most of the ability in my opinion comes from a natural appreciation of the item. People who love pottery usually have an already built in good eye for glazes, types of clay, and design. They may not know the verbage for these things or the technical aspects, but they know that they like it. They find it attractive and it calls to them in a way they can't describe. That is what attracts them to pottery in the first place and that is having "an eye".
If it catches your eye, your inner self likes it and it's affordable, buy it. As simple as it sounds, that is basically how I shop. Granted, there are probably subconscious triggers from the part of my brain storing the knowledge discussed above. I have to give my gut credit where credit is due though. Some of my best finds have been items that were a total mystery to me. Their only qualifier was the gut feeling they gave me. One of the great things about true junk shopping is that you can give in to your gut at a very low monetary cost. You find a bowl that for whatever reason you just love. When that bowl costs $1.99 or less, buy it. Buy what you really love and can afford. So what if it turns out to be a made in China repo? You like it and you've bought a nice home decor item for a great price! Then again, maybe it will turn out to be a nice 1950's California pottery piece or maybe you've hit the jackpot and it's 17th century Chinese export porcelain. Whatever it turns out to be, you are enjoying it, possibly learning from it, and it's easy on the budget.
Sometimes that initial attraction departs quickly when I get closer or once I'm holding it in my hands. Then there are the times it stays even when I don't like it! Some of my best "finds" have been things that I personally did not find especially attractive. I bought a 1970's 1980's southwestern style pottery wall plaque once for $2. There is a photo at the beginning of this post. That era of faux adobe with color schemes in turquoise and pink is just not one of my favorites, BUT it caught my eye for some reason. The quality of the work was outstanding, this was a piece made to last and it was signed. Because of these things, because it caught my eye and mainly because it gave my gut a twinge - I bought it. Researched the name, Vera Russell, found out this was a desirable item with a solid collector base and sold it for $140 at an online auction.
Then there are the times that the attraction stays even though I have no earthly idea what this thing is. My guilty secret is that these are my favorites. I love researching these mysteries and get my money's worthy from the fun of solving them. Invariably I learn something, not only about the item itself, but other bits of interest for use elsewhere or in the future.
Note of warning: If everything catches your eye, this won't work for you. And you probably won't do well at collecting or dealing either - just a quick heads up.
Timing: The early bird gets the most worms at yard, garage, church, school, estate type sales. They do not necessarily get all the worms, so don't blow a sale off because it's been picked over. Excellent finds can get passed over in the initial rush. Sometimes there is such a quantity of stuff that it's impossible to see everything and sometimes people just don't see what's right in front of them. I can not tell you the number of times I've been the last in a group of avid dealers perusing a sale and still found some great stuff. Plus its fun when you're in line to pay and those who were first to shop are asking you "where did you find that?!"
When shopping in thrift shops, if you specialize in collecting or dealing certain items, be it glass, vintage clothing, or snuff boxes, then there will be certain areas of a store you will peruse carefully. My tip here is to not forget the rest of the store. I've found pieces of clothing and accessories like scarves, hats, ties, purses, mixed in with tupperware and books. Found a large old Redwing Pottery jug at the end of a clothing aisle and found some nice framed seriographs sitting on a shoe display shelf. Spend the majority of your time in the section of the store that should have what you are looking for but allow for a careful walk thru of the whole store before leaving.
We are a very nomadic society in many ways. People are no longer grow up, marry, raise children and age in the same house, or even city, they were born in. Most can not move several generations of belongings with them every time they change residences. We are also a throw away society, constantly replacing the old with something new and better. For those of us who appreciate the old, these two conditions provide unending inventory.
When people ask why you love to dig around in all that weird stuff, just tell them that you are helping to save the past and recycling style.
