Every Tuesday is thrift day for Elizabeth of @ElizabethsOldMaple, and this week she had one mission. She is building a really big vintage tree in her living room, and it needs every vintage ornament she can find to fill it out.
Her plan was Goodwill first, then Salvation Army, then a day styling her antique booth for Christmas. She walked into Goodwill with a full cart in mind and a sharp eye for anything shiny, old or cheap.
Busts, Baskets, Antlers And A Cart Full Of Maybes
The center carts were out, which is where she likes to start. The first thing to catch her eye was a set of busts at $4 a piece. She thought they would look pretty painted white and asked whether people still like them.
Next came a basket with a leather handle at $4. She pictured it hanging off a door with florals tucked inside. She also stopped at a pair of fake antlers, some plastic frames that were not vintage but had been $10 each originally, and a double-sided flag marked “as is.”
She picked up a vintage book stand for $3, where the books rest along the side, and passed over a very retro item someone had once tried to sell for $14. Then she found the first thing that made her gasp.
“Oh, A Plate Rack. That’s Cool.” The $2.99 Find She Had Always Wanted
Tucked in a crowded aisle was a vintage plate rack priced at $2.99. “You put some big platters in that. Yes, please,” she says. She later calls it her favorite find of the whole trip.
She says she has always wanted one of these, and she likes that this one simply sits on a counter. Her kitchen is very small, so it may not be the most practical piece she owns. Still, she plans to keep it out for a while and show off her Thanksgiving plates on it.
Not everything made it into the cart. A big wicker vase at $7.99 was nice but not her style. An industrial laundry cart at $29.99 was cool, she says, but she does not have a huge laundry room. A pretty piece that looked Victorian was marked either $7.99 or $10, and she left it behind.
A Real Ship Painting For $5 And A Corner Shelf For $4
She found a ship print that she thought might be a real painting, and after a closer look she decided it was original art. At $5, she figured the frame alone could be rubbed and buffed to look better.
A small vintage corner shelf, priced at only $4, caught her eye next. She thought it would look great painted. She also spotted a pillow she called absolutely gorgeous at $2, a little table at $9.99, and a vintage tray with coasters for $6.
That tray taught her a small lesson about thrift pricing. The original $4 sticker was still on it, and the store was selling it for $6. She says it is a shame when people leave price tags on things they donate, because the shop ends up pricing around them.
Hunting For Ornaments With Old Kmart Tags And A Cardinal From Target
Then came the Christmas aisle, which is where she usually finds vintage ornaments. She skipped the Christmas glasses because she already has plenty. A Mrs. Claus shelf sitter and a Santa that looked like a Barbie caught her attention, and a teddy bear reminded her of the Ralph Lauren look.
She noted that teddy bear decor is extremely popular right now. The bear she was holding was definitely vintage and cute, so she decided to take him home.
Ornament bags are where she digs the most. She found some with old Kmart packaging, pearl-colored ones she was not sure about, little cardinals from Target, and a beaded one marked handmade in India. She only buys a bag when there are enough good pieces inside to justify the $4 price.
A vintage wreath stamped made in Hong Kong tempted her, but a bunch of the bulbs were broken, so she left it. Then she spotted a little vintage sleigh ornament, still in the back, made in Taiwan. “That’s adorable,” she says. It is going on her kids’ tree.
The Final Haul, A $2 Bear And A Corner Shelf Turned Playhouse Pretty
After the store, she set up her finds at her antique booth, working out where the book stand, the little shelf and the new mirror display would sit. She even brought in two vintage doily angels she had meant to keep, since her mom said they did not match her home.
When it was time to show the final haul, she had to leave a big bag in the car. The shelf was $4, and she says it will make a good display piece for her booth or her home. The French-style basket with the leather handle was also $4, and the ship art was $5 and original.
The little vintage bear cost $2, and she says it reminded her of the popular Ralph Lauren bears. She does not like to chase trends, but she is happy to experiment when the price is very low. She plans to put him on a tree in her house.
The corner shelf got a coat of white spray paint and now sits in her kids’ imaginative playhouse area. She says it has been a hit.
Her Thrifting Rules You Can Borrow
A few habits come through. Check the underside of a piece for a maker or country mark, since “made in Hong Kong” or “made in Taiwan” helps date an ornament. Look inside bags for a few good pieces before paying for the whole bag. And only follow a trend when the price is tiny.
She also reminds shoppers to look at the shelves in the middle of the store, where carts hide the odd treasure, and to be ready to walk away from something that is not quite right. She left behind a broken wreath, a laundry cart and a vase and still came home happy.
The antique shop tour she had promised got pushed to a bonus video later in the week, and she says there is plenty more Christmas decorating on the way.
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