Treasure Finding For Your Home

On of my stops while running errands today was a hardware store for some off-white spray paint. Walking back to the car my eye caught the hospital guild thrift shop across the street. With a little free time available, I went right over.

For a total of $3.30 (including 5% tax) I left the thrift store with: a natural wood wall shelf, an ivory ceramic candleholder, a primitive nativity, a glass apothecary jar with lid, a small scarecrow, a white wood plant container with vinyl lining, and three books: Decorating with Fabric Liberty Style, TV Guide Crossword Puzzles, and “The Complete Book of Decoupage Basics.” It really felt great to spend so little and have so much fun!



With a coat paint the shelf will be handy in my bathroom; the candleholder will display nicely with my other cream color ceramics; the nativity will join others in my nativity collection; the apothecary jar will organize some supplies; the scarecrow adds to my fall harvest décor; the plant container will provide handy storage for small items; the 3 books are welcome additions to my décor, craft and hobby bookshelves.

Sources of collectibles and furnishings for enhancing home décor and lifestyle comprise many categories. These categories of sources provide the nest-builder with a wide range of furnishings and accessories. These furnishings might be new, used, antique, vintage, today’s adaptations or interpretations of charming designs from the past, or just outright contemporary wares.

I thought to list all these categories (as I see them) in today’s blog. In future blogs I will share my own experiences in seeking & acquiring furnishings and collectibles for my home, from many of the categories. (I’ve sort of covered thrift stores above, so that’s one down!)

1. Yard sale/ Garage sale
2. Estate sale or Tag sale
3. Flea market
4. Thrift store – such as a hospital thrift shop, Goodwill Industries store
5. Junk shop
6. Antique store
7. Antique mall with multiple vendors
8. Consignment shop
9. Roadside freebie
10. Collectible store
11. Dollar Store
12. Discount stores like TJ Maxx and Marshalls
13. Department store clearance sales
14. Specialty Gift shop/ Boutique clearance sales – 50% to 75% off
15. Museum shop clearance sales, including catalog sales
16. Domestic and Foreign travel shopping
17. Online shopping at auctions like eBay – a great source for some surprising values on everything
18. Dumpster diving
19. Craft fairs and craft shops
20. Finally, foraging the goods in friends and family barns, attics, basements

How many of these categories do you use regularly? From their various posts, it is clear that bloggers are quick to spot a great buy and to snap up treasures for their homes and gardens. My long list of categories above shows that treasure seeking can be an ongoing, pleasure wherever you go.