Antiquing 101 Part 1 (Beginning a Collection.)

 
Via: Etsy


If you know me personally, you know that I'm a hoarder (ha) collector. As a child, my parents constantly took my brother and I to flea markets, and antique shops. I remember sifting through items, listening to my dad explain what it is, what time period it was from etc. Its pretty neat looking at antiques, and thinking about who previously owned it. Its interesting imagining the stories and history these things may hold.

Step 1:  Finding what you love.
When I'm looking to purchase antiques, I try finding items that I aesthetically love, and serve another purpose. (Rather it be an item you can decorate with, worth money, or re-use.) What's the point of collecting something that is just going to sit in a box??

These are the things I currently collect:
  • Vintage Avon perfume bottles (looks gorgeous on a vanity, and if you clean and sterilize them you can re-use them as containers.)
  • Vintage Gold pins (Also look beautiful and chic on a vanity.)
  • Vintage Jewelry (Not only look great in a jewelry chest, but can easily be re-used to dress up an outfit)
  •  and most recently, vintage pyrex & tupperware.


Step 2:  Finding what you need.
One of the best things you can do, is scour your home, and look at what is missing. Do you need a new table? Is your bathroom counter top a little bare?

I'm in desperate need of tupperware, and when I looked up the prices, my jaw dropped! I know Tupperware is good quality, but $15+ per each container definitely does not fit in my budget. And personally, I really haven't found any that I absolutely loved? A quick search on pinterest led me to this beautiful shade of jade<3

 




 Its vintage, not currently made anymore (It will be unique), good quality, AND I can find pieces in thrift stores & flea markets starting at a $1 a piece.

Pyrex baking dishes are another thing I really need.

Quick Story: My reason for purchasing vintage pyrex:
One day, while I was cleaning my oven, I accidentally moved the dial to turn on a burner. I had not realized it was on, and one of my new pyrex dishes was sitting right on it. My son was sitting on the floor playing, as I wiped around, and (God only knows why) I picked up my son to take him to our bed room. As I was leaving the room, the pyrex dish exploded (because the burner had heated it up). Shards of glass flew everywhere! It MELTED into my carpet, melted our linoleum... Thank God I had grabbed my baby and walked out of that room! I literally started sobbing when I realized the accident I had just nearly escaped. God only knows what would've happened... A quick google search explained that pyrex (the ones currently made) are not as great quality as the vintage ones, and explode in high heat :( I will never purchase new pyrex dishes again. So alas, my reason for purchasing vintage...

When I first started collecting pyrex, I just grabbed any bowls I liked and thought were cute. Once I accumulated a few pieces, I realized that while they looked cute separately, they really didn't match as a set! I did a pinterest search, looked for the varieties that exist, and started sticking to one design. I've been lucky enough to find a few pieces, so hopefully it won't take me too long to create my set :-)

 
Via: Etsy



Step 3. Writing it down.
Make a list! Its easy to forget what you're looking for when you're in an eclectic store. Jot down items you are in need of, items that you want, and maybe even diy! There are so many things you can do to re-use items. The internet, ehem pinterest, is a great resource to finding ideas and inspiration. The one tip I can offer? I make sure it matches. All of the bottles I purchase? Are mostly gold and clear. The pins that I find? I make sure they are a gold color, and dainty. When I have a collection that is coherent, I find that I'm more willing to decorate with it, and use it.


So what do you collect? What do you look for at antique shops or thrift stores?

Next post in this series: Part 2 Shopping for Antiques.



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