The Vintage Bazaar

This week I found myself having trouble finding something to write about, until Professor Kramer asked me about garage sales in class. Sure I love thrifting and finding hidden stores full of treasures, but garage sales are more my mom's style. However, the garage sale idea got me thinking about an event I attended in the fall of junior year of high school, that was a mixture of a garage sale, consignment shop, and barbecue party into one, called The Vintage Bazaar. The Vintage Bazaar is a New England event that runs twice a year during the spring and fall, and sells anything every thrifter and antique seeker could ever want, with over 170 venders. It contains independent artisans, resellers, food trucks, live music, and family activities. Did I mention this is all held outside, on a beautiful farm?

I went with my mom, and although we didn't buy much, it was fun regardless. We went on a beautiful September Sunday, and marveled at the salvaged furniture, vintage clothes, and homemade crafts and jewelry. The stands went on for ages, and we could constantly hear the welcoming music and smell the heavenly scent of food trucks. The entire area was decorated as well, with lights, flowers, pumpkins and straw, and garden decor. There was even a giant garden and plant area, where you could get lost in a small magical world that felt like the Secret Garden in real life, or be normal and buy a plant or two. We explored for hours, drank homemade lemonade, bought dainty earrings and stared in awe at the amount of incredible finds people had, ranging from mugs to rugs and vanities and dresses and paintings and photographs.

These kinds of events are everywhere, you just have to look a little for them. My mom had always gone with a couple of her friends, and decided to take me one time. They moved their location from a farm on Massachusetts' north shore to a farm in Southern Maine, but I don't doubt that it is just as incredible. If this is the kind of event that you think you would enjoy, I recommend googling "antique fairs" "flea markets" anything along those lines. However, these things can be hard to find, or only happen a couple times a year for a weekend.

This particular event requires purchasing a ticket, either beforehand or at the door. While this is a place that had a multitude of things being sold, some old and reused, that doesn't necessarily mean it will be super cheap. This was the kind of place that was just as much about the experience as it was about the commodities being sold. Just looking at the variety and uniqueness of everything with my mom was fun and inspiring. It was something we had never done before, and I definitely plan on going back some time. Although I know none of you are from Massachusetts or Maine, more information on this event is below, if you are interested or want to know more about an antique fair in general in case there are similar ones near your homes.





http://www.mybazaarlife.com/#&panel1-1
all images from website

Thrifting from the Other Side

As you all know by now, shopping at thrift stores means shopping for things that aren't new necessarily, objects that could have been used a hundred times before, or clothes that could have been someones favorite shirt before they outgrew it. I'm sure many of you clean out your closets and rooms once in a while, to get out the old to make room for new, or to just de clutter.

Now that I have become such an avid and frequent thrifter, I started to think about all the times I gave clothes and books and objects away to good will. My parents have been doing it their whole lives with our things we don't need anymore, and they end up being in nearby places. Sometimes when I am out thrifting I run across a sweatshirt or shirt that has my town name on it, and I wonder who's it used to be. When I thrift and make something old into something new, I imagine what it was used for before it became mine. For instance, the kind of person that went to the Bruce Springsteen concert or Dave Matthews concert and gave their shirt to Salvation Army. Or the cool vintage Penn State clothes I have, how long ago were they students? Who owned the unique wave necklace, and why did they give it away? Maybe I am just crazy and over think, but I find it to be so interesting to think about. So when considering my own donations, I always wonder who will get it next.

Thrifting is a fun past time, and one that to me never gets old. But donating is a key aspect of this. Not just clothes either, but anything you would throw away otherwise (besides actual trash). For example, I love to find books and even shoes or bags at thrift stores, so I always make sure to find books I am done with or shoes that don't fit and give them away in case someone like me comes along later. Even pieces of furniture or decorations that are just taking up space, try to bring them somewhere that they will be used and appreciated again all over.

Some of my favorite articles of clothing are from thrift stores, and an old article of mine could be someone else favorite thing too. It is a strange cycle to think about, but a rewarding one. Nothing is going to waste, in more ways than one. Make sure that if you do end up thrifting one day, consider cleaning out your room for things you don't use or need anyone, you will probably surprise yourself with how much you can get rid of. Ask yourself, when was the last time I used this? Will I need it in the near future? Do I even like it anymore? Does it look good? After these questions, many things end up going in the donation pile. These are just more reasons why thrifting is beneficial in so many ways; things are not going to waste, you can be directly helping someone else with your donation, and you get to clean out your closet to make room for whatever you want to fill it with.

                                          source
When it comes to donating, keep an eye out for bins placed near churches and other community oriented places to drop bags off inside, or you can bring the objects directly to the place you wish.

Finding a Beauty

Children love many things; playing outside, eating candy, getting piggyback rides, and of course, fun shows and movies, like Disney movies. I grew up watching princess movies with my cousins, wishing I could live under the sea like Ariel or go to a ball like Cinderella, and while it might seem silly, it is something I always hold close to me.

While on break last week, of course I went thrifting with my mom, 1) because it's a fun way to spend time together, and 2) she's the greatest thrifter on earth. We went to the Salvation Army across the border in New Hampshire, our favorite place, which is huge and very organized, making it easy to find great things. So as we began to shop, I quickly went through the mens shirts, women's jeans, and sweatshirts and ended up with a decent amount of clothes. However, my mom takes forever, looking at dish sets and furniture, so I decided to look around a little more. It was then I realized I had never looked at the movie section at Salvation Army. I always check the books, but I never checked the movies, which is strange of me to do. Going through the books, I didn't find anything that stood out to me surprisingly, but when I got to the movies section I was blown away. They had so many options ranging from romance to horror, and everything in between. Suddenly I stumbled upon something amazing; a Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast no less.  If you don't know a lot about Disney and their movies, they only release a movie for a small amount of time, and then that movie goes back in the "vault", meaning they are unable to purchase for a while. Basically it is impossible to get Disney movies anywhere unless they are released for a particular reason, and even then you have to act fast.

                                            (sorry for the glare, dorm room lighting is rough)
I have been collecting Disney movies for a couple years now, and my mom managed to find a couple on eBay and what not. Yes it seems nerdy, but Disney movies were my childhood, and I'm sure many of you can relate. The Little Mermaid is my absolute favorite, so I had to get that when it came out, and I also own many others like Aladdin, Cinderella, Peter Pan, The Lion King, The Jungle Book, and a couple others. So, when I stumbled across a good quality Beauty and the Beast DVD for only $2.99, I snatched it right up. I was also super excited about this because the new Beauty and the Beast that is coming out reminded me of how I hadn't seen the original version for years. Basically this was a complete treasure to find. Thrift stores can give you these objects that you would never find at a regular shop like Target or Walmart. It was like a blast from the past; I could remember watching Disney movies with my cousins all squished on the couch, singing along to the music. I could do it all again, for only $2.99!

Moral of the story, thrifting has the potential to surprise you, as it surprised me. It gave me a piece of my childhood back, so I can always have it now. In my opinion, you can never be too old to watch Disney movies, and from now on thrift stores are my first place to check to find more.

Spring Break Survival Guide

Thrifting can be a confusing process for many people. Now that spring break is upon us, I hope some of you will try it out! I think everyone could use a survival guide of some sort on how to go about a thrifting experience.

1) Like I mentioned in a previous post, find someplace to go! It can be locally near your home, or if you are going on vacation look around you! Sometimes thrift stores in vacation spots have incredible stuff from people that live there, and often times it is full of expensive or higher end objects. Thrift stores and consignment shops are everywhere, and some are better than others, so don't get discouraged if you go to one and it isn't what you hoped for, or nothing there appeals to you. Try somewhere else, sometimes it just takes a little bit to find the best!

2) Next is obvious: shop around! A good thing to know is that thrift stores are usually bigger, and  somewhat resemble a Marshall's or something of the sort. A consignment shop is usually smaller, and has more unique things like jewelry or records. Once you are in whatever place you end up, start looking around for whatever you are interested in. For me, I look at jeans, t shirts, sweatshirts/sweaters, and books mainly. Some bigger places, like Savers, have huge book collections and shelves full of household items that are always unique. Big thrift stores are full of everything, but a good example of how to differentiate between thrifts and consignment is that thrifts are usually are stocked with things like team apparel, whereas consignment stores might have more funky stuff, like the necklace I described earlier or this cool shirt that ended up in Maine from Santa Barbara. However, this isn't something that is set in stone; thrifting is always surprising and unexpected!

3) Look at the prices! While everything at these places is discounted, some places are more expensive than others. For example, I have found that consignment stores are more expensive than thrift stores, and Savers is more expensive than Salvation Army. Every time I go thrifting, there is almost always a sale of some sort going on, usually by tags. For example, some days yellow tags are half off, or pink tags are $3, and so on. This is another major way to save money!

4) Make sure you also look at the quality of something. Sometimes I grab a plain t shirt, just to see it's a brand Target sells for pretty cheap anyway, so I would rather pay just a little bit more for something I can get brand new. Thrifting is kind of a guess and check system in that way. Check thing for rips, holes, stains, and other things that could potentially ruin the object. Also, when you look at the things you are potentially buying, sometimes you can find extremely nice things, like high end purses, nice jackets, high quality jeans, and vintage clothes that aren't made anymore. My mom loves collecting unique finds that aren't made anymore that are high value.

5) When you go thrift shopping, make sure you bring cash with you, because some places only take cash. Another thing to consider bringing with you is a bag of things you want to donate to the store, and sometimes the store gives a discount to those who do!

While these steps are things I find basically necessary to thrift, it is completely up to you! If you have a way that works for you, or once you go you find that something works better, please share! I am always open to new ways.

Happy thrifting!