A Few of Your Favorite Things


I know I do a lot of talking twice a week about the stuff that interests me-- and which I always hope will interest you all, too. You folks have joined me on antiquing trips, and thrift store adventures, and the occasional garage saling extravaganza... I blab about the stuff I collect, and the things that tickle my fancy.

But today I thought it would be a nice opportunity to hear from you dear peoples, and find out the things that are near and dear to your hearts.

What are some of your favorite things? The terrific find that made your day? The heirloom item you'd never part with? The great deal you got?

And are you a flea market maven? A veteran thrifter? A garage sale junkie? All or none of the above?

Is there any topic here at The Thrift Shop Romantic that you'd like to see in a future post? A collectible item you think readers should know about? Or a particular post topic you've enjoyed in the past and would like to read more about?


I appreciate that you folks have so kindly indulged me in my thrifty decorating obsessions. And today, I just thought it would be nice to find out the sort of things that make you happy-- that bring cheer to your rooms, that contain special memories, or that make collecting fun.

The comment capability doesn't require you to have a blog site, or anything, to participate. There's even an anonymous option, if you're more comfortable with that. (Spammers, however, will have their comments deleted, because Spam is not so tasty.)

Anyway, I think we can learn a lot from each other. And I can't wait to hear from you!


Have a good one!

23 comments:

Karlene said...

I will indulge in this and answer that it is all of the above...There are so many things that I can not part with...family heirlooms and hand me downs that bring great memories to mind...love the good feelings...
Thanks for letting me express myself...Karlene

redrhiannon said...

Gosh there are so many things that I love....vintage toys, vintage pyrex, sewing notions, bottles, americana...the list can go on and on....The thrill of finding something beautiful to me at a thrift store has to be equal to what a anthopologist feels when the finally get into the tomb or find those dino bones....I LOVE It! lol Thanks for sharing your loves and finds with us too. I enjoy your blog tremendously.

Jenn Thorson said...

Karlene- Excellent-- and thank you so much for sharing, too!

RedRhiannon- I totally agree with you about the archaeology parallels to thrifting... It does seem like uncovering buried treasure sometimes. Thank you for reading!

Short and Sweet said...

I love the thrill of the hunt and I faithfully go to garage sales and estate sales. I have many great "finds" but I really treasure the heirlooms that have been passed on to me. I have a baptismal gown that my mother wore in 1914, I wore it in 1948, my daughter wore it in 1980, and my grandson was baptised in it in 2007. I also have a family watch (very feminine on a delicate chain) that my grandmother wore for her wedding in 1913. Of course my mother, my daughter and I all wore it for our respective weddings as well.
Thanks for giving us the chance to share our thoughts.

Jenn Thorson said...

Short and Sweet- Oh, the gown must be lovely-- the styles and designs around that time period are particular favorites of mine-- delicate and elaborate. It's terrific you have such things that you've been able to share and hand down through your family. And lovely that your daughter wanted to carry on the tradition, as well.

Da Old Man said...

I really enjoy looking through stuff, at flea markets and yard sales. My favorite find is a bunch of National Geographics that are about 100 years old. They are not particularly valuable.
My favorite heirloom item is a bit unusual. I have a rare handgun that was passed down from my grandfather. I doubt it even works any longer, but it came with a few stories.
I also like shiny stuff, which is kind of weird.

Jenn Thorson said...

Da Old Man- Ah, not weird-- you just have a lot of layers. :) It's nice you have not only the handgun, but the stories to go with them. Make sure you tell them to "the spawn" so she'll have the history, too.

Serena said...

I go to flea markets, garage sales, and thrift stores. Probably my favorite is the flea market, where similar-minded folks are all congregated in one place. Can't beat the energy in that atmosphere! My most favorite vintage find was on eBay, if you can believe it. It was for an old nursery lamp in the shape of a plastic rabbit. The funny thing was, it was garish and didn't work at all, yet I won it in a bidding war and ended up paying more than $60 for it! People I've shown it to think I was nuts! LOL! One man's junk is another man's treasure!
I love your blog, and it is a weekly must-read for me. Your personality and humor really shine through and make reading your posts very enjoyable. Probably my most favorite subject you covered was about creating gift baskets from thrift store finds. Brilliant idea - takes the whole reuse, recycle way of life to a whole 'nother level! I'd love it if you would do another post on more gift baskets and ideas in the future.
Keep up the great work!

Melanie said...

All of the above! I love auctions, flea markets, rummage sales, thrift stores, you name it. And I love reading about your adventures in these places, because you get to go to them a lot oftener than I do. :)

I like the archeology/thrifting analogy as well.

There are so many things I am interesting in or collect, the list would go on for pages. Pyrex, anchor hocking forest green, old buttons, vintage jewelry......vintage or antique lighting fixtures and lamps, tools. Gosh it's endless!

Melanie said...

BTW, love today's picture. Looks a lot like some of the lamps I used to collect that I no longer have room for.

Jenn Thorson said...

Serena- The way you describe the flea market reminds me of how much I enjoyed going to them, too-- and soon that season will be upon us! Regarding your rabbit lamp, you KNOW, given my own lamp addiction, I would always support someone in a lamp purchase. And hey-- someone else wanted it, too, so how "garish" can it be? (Kitschy is fun, anyway.)

Thank you, too, for the suggestion on the gift basket post. I will definitely try to integrate those as I get toward the gifting season.

Melanie- Ah, what a great list of goodies! You must have a blast looking for all those things when you're out adventuring. And thanks regarding the lamp-- that one is one of my very favorites-- I got it at a Red White and Blue thrift store which isn't around anymore. I was sorry to see it go!

Anonymous said...

I would choose a thrift store over the other venues, although I love them all. Auctions are fabulous, IF I can sit down and be warm at the same time. There is nothing quite like bidding on a box of junk, not knowing what is hiding down inside of the box. It was fun reading about the "hunt"; feelings that so many others share with me.
I have my eyes peeled for toys, Disneyana, linens, cats, certain samplers, framed art, BOOKS, Beatrix Potter, Peanuts, Ronald McDonald, old puzzles and games, glassware, Victoriana, postcards. Need I go on??
I enjoyed the times that you taught me about a certain artist or antique. I got more information from your little lessons, than I do if I try to read a whole book on the subject. Pictures help too. If you show me a bowl and say, "This bowl is "whatever" and then show me the mark on the bottom and give me a little history, I have learned something valuable and I may start a whole new collection!!

Anonymous said...

quilts, bowls, tables, signs, vintage fabric, aprons,lamps, books, vintage purses with "scenes" on them,and even more all catch my eye!

Jenn Thorson said...

Andrea- Wow, you have a number of varied collections-- I knew about the Disney items, but didn't know about Peanuts, Ronald et al. I'll see what other artists or items I can dig up that might be of interest. Often, I'm limited by not knowing very much about a certain item myself-- or finding it unmarked. Ah, the challenges of thrifting!

Tami- Oh, I love those vintage purses with scenes, myself. There were so many interesting purses made over the years.

Rosemary said...

Hi there,
Just stopping by to say hello.
Love your beautiful things as usual.
I have a Hallmark ornament collection that I have had since I got married. Not sure I could part with that, or my Halloween collection.
Happy Spring,
Rosemary

Janelle said...

At the moment, most of my finds come from yard/estate sales (the season's starting back up!) and the thrift store around the corner. I love, love, love auctions, but here in Virginia, it's very hard to find a good estate auction. The auction houses here cobble together three or four estates and auction them off in their drafty, smelly barns. I much prefer an auction at someone's home, where you wander around the yard and poke through the boxes, and buy a slab of pie from the church ladies' group. We had those kind in Ohio, but not here.

Things I look out for: china cups, saucers, mixing bowls, planters, from the 1930s-50s, esp. anything from the potteries in East Liverpool and Wellsville, Ohio, along the Ohio River, near where I grew up. I'm also drawn to old prints and drawings. Old globes and maps, too.

My favorite posts are the ones where you analyze an old cookbook or magazine page by page and make funny comments. You always crack me right up!

I also like hearing about your hunting rips, because so many of the towns you visit are places I know, and it gives me that pleasurable homesick feeling. I like your blog very much!

Jenn Thorson said...

Rosemary- Hey there! Ah, yes, indeed, I know you would be a lost soul without your beautiful vintage Halloween decorations and... oh... a LOT of glitter for your lovely crafts. :) Happy Spring to you as well. I need to pop by and see what you've been up to.

Janelle- Oh yes, I love those kinds of auctions, too. They're not as common here in the city, but in some of our suburbs one of my friend's coworkers does very very well. I didn't realize you collected the Ohio pottery too-- that's amazing! I will definitely think of you when next I'm in East Liverpool!

WonderlandShoppe said...

I love your blog and follow it regularly. The pictures are lovely. The stories are beautifully written. I would love to visit your home and could see sipping on hot tea. You have a victorian feel in your style which is my most favorite atmosphere. One thing I have in my mind (even visually) to find at a thrift store or shop is a big crocheted table doiley with the pineapple pattern in an off white color. I know I will stumble upon it someday soon.

Anonymous said...

WonderlandShoppe- Ah, yes-- I haven't spotted the pineapple patterned doilies at a thrift yet either, but as you say... it's really only a matter of time. Eventually EVERYTHING shows up at the thrift store. :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks for opprtunity to share - it's amazing reading other peroples' stories ....

I'm a thrift store junkie (my fave one around the corner from me!). Current obsessions are long 1970s chains; 1980s chunky chokers; heavy rings and signed pins; head vases; my entire wardrobe; art; furniture; vintage purses - especially ones that have "Made in Canada" inside (a reminder of the days when fashion & accessory manufacturing actually happened here!). I also look for Japanese ironstone, vintage silk scarves, lamps and coffee table books. Oh, and gifts for people I know who will love what I find! Gee, that's my life!

Thrifting for me is all about the thrill of the hunt and finding beautiful and/or functional items that fit into my life - it's a true lifestyle. When people stop me in the street to ask about my outfit I share the news and encourage them to try it out!

I do the dumpster dive or sidewalk pick-up thing when the opportunity strikes - it hurts to leave fab items on the curb (needless to say my storage unit is full of forgotten chairs from the 1950s-60s!). My best trash finds: 2 camel-back Barrymore loveseats and a lovely brass table from Florence!

love said...

thats really beautiful. I wish there were more thrift stores in my area. I'm actually trying to find vintage victorian style teacups and saucers for my wedding favors. I went to an antique mall yesterday and somehow ended up spending almost 70 bucks on a really pretty water jug, and 15 teacups and saucers! is that thrifty?

Jenn Thorson said...

Grunge Queen- Thank you so much for your terrific response. Given the things you list, you must come away some days with huge bags of stuff-- all very possible items to find regularly at thrifts! Forgotten chairs from the curbside are my favorites, too-- it's amazing what people put to the curb.

Love- It sounds like a lovely idea-- the teacups and water jug. I hope it makes the day special. (And given the amount of items you got for your money, I'd say you did pretty well. About $5 a teacup? For an antique mall, that's excellent.

Susan@The Cozy Chickadee said...

Hi, I'm new to the blogging world, and your blog is really cute! My mom "made" me shop at thrift stores in Jr. High, when it wasn't cool to do so, but I secretly loved it (never told anyone!). Now I go weekly, and always find cute things to repurpose into something else!
I especially love old paper ephemera, although you really have to get that kind of stuff at antique markets.
Check out my blog, which has a few pics of stuff I've put around my house, and stuff I've made with the old paper ephemera.I'm also gearing up for yard sale season, yay!