Sunday's are made for rest.. and antiquing! Ever since we've been on the search for a house, I've also been on the hunt for antique and vintage furniture. I plan looking for potential items that I can refurbish on my own when the weather gets warmer (ps.. it's sleeting currently and we have about a 1/2 inch of ice). But for ready to use items in our apartment are top on my list right now! Walking into an antique mall can be VERY intimidating.. I mean which way do you start? How do you know you visited everything? What happens if you find something? Well hopefully today I want to try and answer these questions for you and give you some tips!
Disclaimer: I am in no way a professional thrifter I just enjoy it as a hobby. All opinions are my own.
1. Wear comfortable clothes |
most likely the mall will be in a large warehouse and you will do a lot of moving around. Wear sneakers or closed toe shoes, in case anything would fall while searching through shelves and piles. If it is winter, chances are there won't be that much heat in the warehouse, so wear layers you can easily remove.
2. Be prepared to purchase large items |
It's always better to be prepared then to be stranded. If you plan on purchasing large items like furniture, make sure you have the right means of transportation to take it home!
3. Always bring cash |
Even though some places have atm's or credit card machines, make sure to take cash with you. It's always a good to have the green paper to try to get prices lower or possibly even not pay taxes.
4. Take pictures of things you like |
You don't want to purchase the first thing that catches your eye, but with everything you are looking at you might forget about it! Take pictures of the item, tag and aisle you saw it in.
5. Use a small cross body purse |
The aisles will be small and you may have to get in small places. Last thing you need is for your purse to bump over a display of vintage china. You shouldn't have to carry a lot in your bag, so the smaller the better.
6. If you aren't absolutely sure you want it, leave it |
If you are hesitant about buying something, then you should leave it. You will know right away when you find something it's meant to be. Make sure if your purchase is something like furniture, check it out completely before buying it. Remember there are no returns on antiques and everything is sold as is!
Hope this list helps for you next adventure! Good luck on your hunt
I have only been into antique malls a couple of times. I always love what I see, but I never find anything that I don't already have and couldn't live without. :( I love these tips though! :-)
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