The thrill of antique shopping

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The thrill of antique shopping
Vintage travel gear seller at the marche Dauphine, Paris | Courtesy Wikimedia Commons

At the Georgetown flea market last summer, I discovered one of my best treasures yet. Following our routine, my aunt and I woke up at the crack of dawn, grabbed iced coffee, and drove down Wisconsin Avenue to the market in order to beat the D.C. heat and score the best finds.

There it sat, on a vendor’s table crowded with dishes, artwork, and records: a fancy, 1950s cream coin purse, donning a beaded green and neutral floral design with a gold, pearled strap. The second I saw the gorgeous accessory shining in the summer light, I knew it had to be mine.

I’ve always loved the thrill of the hunt. Sorting through rack upon rack of pre-owned clothing or scouring heirloom chests may lack appeal and glamor for most, yet the adrenaline rush of finding an unexpected treasure after a dedicated searching effort is truly without comparison.

Everyone should give antiquing a try—whether this be at a local second-hand store, consignment shop, garage sale, or flea market. An excellent nearby destination is Allen, a town just a few miles west of Hillsdale that calls itself the “Antiques Capital of Michigan.” 

Antique shopping is not only good for your bank account and the environment; it’s good for your soul.

 My love for antique items started at a young age, perhaps because I grew up visiting my grandma’s pre-Civil War homestead. Her farmhouse teamed with vintage clothing, letters, and china, and her old barn housed a variety of antique plows and tractors—relics of a simpler age. Something about the old items captivated me; they contained a history and a story behind them, just like all of us. 

 There is value in considering and appreciating the past, and what better way to accomplish this than buying pieces of history to incorporate into one’s life? Antiquing definitely connects one to history and instills a sense of gratefulness for those that came before. Plus, it can add a unique and timeless touch to any wardrobe or room while preventing more items from ending up in a landfill.

One of the best ways to get into antiquing is to discover a particular era that interests you or an item you find intriguing and can collect. Perhaps you are passionate about a certain sport, so I would suggest searching for antique cards with famous players or old pieces of equipment and then framing them to add some personality and charm to any space. 

Maybe you enjoy cooking or baking—why not look for a vintage cookbook (like Betty Crocker) and try out a recipe? Plus, old cookbook covers are typically a pretty pastel, so you can elevate your cooking space’s aesthetic while being simultaneously pragmatic. If the book hails from the 1960s, I would suggest the additional purchase of a Jell-O mold. 

Some of my favorite things to thrift for include vintage clip-on earrings and necklace sets. I love the intricacy of the designs, and I think they add a classy touch to any outfit—Jackie O anyone? I also enjoy finding Victorian era postcards and repurposing them for greeting card covers. Your recipient receives a beautiful card, and if you attach the postcard with photo tabs, they can take it off the cover and read the eloquent century-old note, too. 

Some may argue that antiquing is time-consuming and rather unhygienic, but many antique stores and flea markets organize and clean their items. Even so, antiquing takes grit, but that is what makes it so rewarding in the end. 

So the next time you come upon that quirky little antique shop or a local flea market, take a peek: you might just discover a prize and learn something about the past or even yourself.