Top Tips for Vintage Shopping.

Recently Laura from A Dream Away had a competition on her blog to win a Jack throw and guess who the lucky winner was ....yep, it was me.... It arrived the other day and was the inspiration for this weeks' post. Laura not only sent the lovely throw she made, but also some beautiful sweet smelling lavender bags in dainty florals and a pair of pierced metal hearts....all of which you'll be able to see in the pics:-))
Thanks so much Laura!!

l set up a corner of the family room. The lamp was "dressed" in a new skirt to match. On the chair is an apron l found at the opshop last week.....Frills and hand dyed lace...SO my thing haha!!
Made by Aussie company. missrosesisterviolet.



Remember last week l was going to write some tips on vintage shopping and didn't, well l finally got there.... TA DA!!

1. Know what you love, which prob'ly sounds like a no brainer,  but for years l brought home lots of stuff that l only half liked cos it was cheap or sort of useful, only to be throwing it out months later 'cos l couldn't stand the clutter. To help you decide check out magazines of interest, pinterest and blogs. Really analyse what elements most appeal to you. Make up a moodboard and pin only what you LOVE.  That way when you go shopping, you won't be confused or coerced into buying what doesn't TRULY resonate with you. Styles and trends change but you'll find yourself looking and loving the same type of thing over and over again.

 

2. Know what you need... This might be a physical list, say on your phone, or may be just a mental list. Of course not everything you're after will be sitting waiting for you (though it DOES sometimes happen:-)) but it really helps to guide and prioritise as to where you'll begin looking and on WHAT you'll spend your cash, especially if both time and money are limited. 

 

 

3. Go vintage hunting often.... The people scoring the best stuff are the ones that are putting themselves in a target rich environment most often, and that means popping in to your favourite online auction site, opshop, or weekly market whenever you get the chance. It only takes a short amount of time to have a browse, especially when you get to "know"your regular haunts, that way if there IS a bargain to be had...... you may be in just the right place at the exact right time. Going often also helps us hone our skills, allowing you to SEE what the inexperienced may not.

 

 

4. Be selective.... When buying large core pieces of furniture for your home, it's better to take your time, as these are things that we tend to keep for longer. To buy high quality at a great price can take time so l guess it means being patient as well. l spent more than 12 months searching for "carved" dining table chairs, but eventually found some at the market at a price l was prepared to pay. l've also been looking for a dressing table for over 2 years however the EXACT style l'm after STILL hasn't come up... back to waiting, waiting :-)) 

  

 

And lastly 5. Recognise potential....Sometimes we come across furniture or accessories that people are giving (or almost) away. If it's a style you love but not the colour, fabric or finish, these are the bargains to think about creatively. Here we can let loose and experiment.... try out new paint effects, upholstery, mosaics or maybe turn them into something else altogether.....if it doesn't work out it's no big deal.

 

 

Found a couple of South American religious candles and an empty liquor bottle at the Salvos, bit of a strange mix l guess, but l liked the look of them all together.

 

 

Found another old enamel brooch, pretty pansies.  

Funky frou......... alicya-arteego. via pinterest.

 

 

 

Pretty romantic.....fabulousfifi.

 

 l  hope the vintage shopping tips help, they're prop'ly most useful for those of you just getting into the vintage scene....be warned though, vintage shopping is highly ADDICTIVE:-))

Thanks so much for stopping in here, wishing you all an awesome weekend coming up...l'm working so no market on Sunday....Waah!!

Til next time,

Bron.