5 Short-cuts and Tools for Cleaning Thrift Store and Flea Market Scores

The main pitfall that comes with thrifting for vintage finds is the grime, dirt, dust, and stains you have to clean up. I hunt primarily in Florida flea markets where a good vintage find is usually caked in filth and grime!  Here's are tools and tips I've learned over the years for cleaning your scores:

1. Test the Stain: Bring a magic eraser, cleaning cloth, and other portable cleaning supplies with you when you thrift and test an item to see if the stain or mark can be removed. If it won't budge, leave it.

2. Let Goo Gone Sit: Goo Gone is a god send for removing the gooey residue stickers and tape leave behind. It works best when you pour an ample amount on the offending goo and let it sit for a few minutes before you wipe it off.

3. Magic Eraser Damage: A Magic Eraser, whether off brand or name brand, is an amazing tool for getting a vintage item to shine like new. The friction can remove stubborn tape residue goo gone won't, but be careful! It can remove the paint from porous surfaces, so test it gently before you scrub away.

4. Give Them a Bath: Many items are so filthy they'll need a few long soaks before you start scrubbing to get them really clean. Don't use too much soap and soak them several times, replacing the dirty water each time before you get into the grooves to tackle the rest of the filth.

5. Leave it Behind: We tend to want to bring home every "project" piece when it's free or next to it. I've learned to leave almost every project piece behind. They're time consuming and often end up cluttering the house for weeks before I get to painting or deep-cleaning them. If you bring one home, get to work on it as soon as you bring it into the house. If you can't dedicate time to it, leave it for the next person.

Favorite Cleaning Tools: I love magic erasers, goo gone, and any brand of cleansing wipes. I feel bad using the wipes but they're convenient when you're dead tired but want to clean your finds fast. They're portable for cleaning finds on-the-go, too.

Final Tip: I get all of my supplies from the dollar store and they last me for months. I don't spend more than four bucks at a time. You don't have to spend a lot to clean your scores, you can even get creative with what you have around the house. All you truly need is a rag and warm water. Retro items are typically scrubbed clean but leave some patina on those antiques, it's what tells the story and draws people to the item!

How do you clean your thrift finds? I'd love to know your techniques! 

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How to Find Thrift Stores Around the World While You're on Vacation

I'm frequently asked where to find the best thrift stores in the world- all over the world. I'd love to help, but I don't even know all the thrift stores in my own city (Jacksonville, Florida is the largest city in the USA landwise. We have dozens of Thrift Stores, and I love it!) I don't have encyclopedic knowledge of all the thrift stores in the world, but I know exactly how to find them!

Here are the tools you can use to find thrift stores and places to hunt for vintage while you're on vacation, too:

Google: Simply google "thrift stores" plus your city's name to yield plenty of results.

Phone Map/GPS: Type in "thrift store" for easy cruising to your nearest stop.

Yelp.com: search for "Thrift Stores", read reviews to find highly rated ones.

Thethriftshopper.com: Just type the zip code to find thrift stores in the area.

Yardsaletreasuremap.com: map out a yard sale itinerary wherever you are!

Craigslist: Search for yard and estate sales in the city your visiting.

Asking Locals: Ask around, most are willing to share their favorite local thrifts.

Next time your on vacation, use the handy websites above to check out the thrifts in the area. And of course, always keep your eyes peeled for good flea markets and thrift stores as you drive along. That's what I always do!

What aps, websites, or tools do you use to find thrift stores near you or thrift stores when you're on vacation?

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Flea Market Supplies: What Do You Pack For a Thrifting Trip?

I love shopping at flea markets here in North Florida. You can score vintage for less, get some exercise and sunshine, and pick up fresh fruits and vegetables all in one trip, all year long! Summer flea hunting can be especially brutal in the scorching south, so I make sure to pack right to maximize my time spent outdoors at the flea markets.

Flea Market Supplies :

Newspaper: To wrap up glass finds.
Vintage thermos: For cold water or mint tea.  
Bento Box. For healthy snacks if it's going to be a long trip!
Scissors: They come in handy!
Tape Measure: To see if something will fit in my car, house, or store booth.
Shopping bag: I may carry one on my shoulder and use another as the "liner" for my market cart. The back-up bag I carry will hold finds if the cart fills up! The others hold finds in my trunk. 

I also pack plenty of ones, fives, quarters, and loose change. Don't forget your sunglasses and a hat to protect you from the scorching sun!

What do you pack with you for a flea market or thrift store hopping adventure?

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Master the Art of Yard Sale Shopping: 5 Tips for the Best Finds and Prices

I love yard sales, and not just because the vintage hunting is good! You can find necessary household supplies and tools for far less than retail price, and more importantly, make valuable connections and friends in your neighborhood.  

These are my Top 5 Tips for yard sale hunting that will help you yield the best finds for the best prices. Leave your own tips in the comments!

1. A Quick Stop Never Hurts...

Your spouse is about the punch me in the face for instigating this, but oh well, let me get you in trouble and suggest you pull in for a quick look anytime you see a Yard Sale sign! Just don't buy everything in sight and make it quick so your spouse and/or kids don't mangle you.

2.  Search Yard Sale Keywords Ahead of Time.

Search for Yard Sales on Craigslist and in your newspaper. When you search on Craigslist you can hunt for keywords like "mid century modern", "mod", "furniture", and "estate sale" to find a sale that suits your needs. Bonus: Yard Sale Treasure Map is a nifty tool that will hunt for the sales near you and help you plot an itinerary too!

3. Don't Be Afraid to Negotiate for Good Deals.

Haggle! Many people host yard sales because they desperately need to unclutter, they want that stuff gone!  Engage with the seller and be polite and you'll usually encounter little resistance. Don't insult their prices if they won't go down. There's always the next sale.

4. Network and Make Friends.

This beautiful Mod Hunting post from last week happened because I met Becca of The Vintage South at her yard sale. The finds above were purchased from someone who once owned a vintage shop here in town. I have her number and we'll definitely be exchanging tips and merchandise soon!

5. Pay attention to the area.

Historic areas are good places to hunt for yard sales rather than fresh new subdivisions if you want vintage finds. Watch trends and think of what the people living in the area would have to offer at their sales before you hunt.

As a busy person, hosting and attending yard sales gives me an opportunity to meet my neighbors. I love peeking into their lives via what they have on display on their lawns. I enjoy it when they provide a glimpse of my city's history. One of my favorite yard sale finds is a vintage Jacksonville, Florida poster. It's a look into my city's past and I couldn't have found it anywhere else but in my historic riverside neighborhood.

I even discovered what lies within a famously quirky neighbor's house because of a local magazine I found at a yard sale!

Have Fun for Better Finds: Enjoy the hunt and have fun while yard sale hopping and you'll yield better finds and prices! A positive attitude shows, it makes people want to give you better deals! What are your yard sale hunting tips?

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Mid Century Modern Thrifting Tips: Be a Mod Swag Pimp

Funny Story... I scored amazing mid century modern swag at a yard sale. Becca, the sale's host, surprised me with a comment wishing me luck selling her wares. It turns out she's a blog reader and a neighbor. Her blog The Vintage South reflects an enviable mod collection. I had to steal her Secret Ninja Mid Century Modern Hunting Skills! I'll let Becca take over from here!

How do I find all my Mid Century Modern décor? (or “awesomeness” as I like to think of it)….basically I hunt for it. Like most, my hunting grounds consist of local auctions, thrift stores, estate sales, craigslist, and eBay. Here are some tips to make the most out of each venue:

Local Auctions – I love a good auction! They're fun, and great for people watching while scoring deals. You can visit www.auctionzip.com to find auctions near you. This site allows you to easily search by distance and view the details as well as pictures online.

TIP – Bring cash with you. Usually a discount is given on the buyer’s premium (most auctions charge a buyer’s premium, normally around 13%, on top of the auction price) if paying in cash, plus it is a great way to stay within that pesky budget! Also stay late; some of the best deals are at the end of the night after the crowd starts to thin out.

Thrift Stores – Great scores can be found anytime, but I do have a few sweet spot times that I like to go to the thrifts. If you can’t make estate sales, maybe due to an 8-5 work schedule, try thrifting on lunch. My favorite days to go are Thursdays and Fridays; go early while all the dealers are scouring the estate sales.

TIP – Don’t forget to look on the highest and lowest shelves or behind things. That is usually where I find some of the nicest stuff that has been over looked by everyone else. Also chat with the cashiers, sometimes they can tell you when and how often the shelves are restocked.

Estate Sales – If there is a particular item you want…go early and wait in line…especially if it is something popular (and Mid Century is so hot right now). I have shown up at an estate sale three hours prior to opening and been third in line. So while you might think it is little crazy to show up so early, there are other people that will. It all comes down to how bad you want it.

TIP- Don’t be afraid to call the company running the show to ask questions. The worst thing they can tell you is that they don’t give out that information. I have even asked for (and been given) information about where a particular item was in a house as I walk in the front door.

Craigslist – I find the best way to tackle Craigslist is with a smart phone. Almost all smart phones now have an app which will search craigslist for you based on your criteria; and some even search multiple cities. I personally use CraigsNotifica which is made for the Android. Now if you don’t have a smart phone there is a site called www.crazedlist.org which allows you to search multiple regions as well.

TIP - If you see something you like at a reasonable price and fear competition, shoot off a quick email to the seller and offer more than the asking price. It doesn’t have to be WAY more but sometimes that makes you stick out of the sea of emails.

eBay – Everyone knows about eBay, but have you tried searching for misspellings or used general descriptions? I have seen Bertoia chairs go for song because they were only listed as wire chairs; and some Heywood Wakefield pieces listed as Haywood Wakefield.

TIP – If you see an item that you like and it doesn’t have any bids; try contacting the seller to see if they will change the listing to a BIN (Buy-it-now) price. I would give them a decent offer and see what happens, this can allow you to get something at a price you are comfortable with and not have to be disappointed if it sky-rockets in the last five minutes.

Hey, it's Van again! As a fellow mod collector and lover, I'll definitely incorporate Becca's tips so I can score more mid century modern treasures. I'm sure you'll find Beca's top secret mod hunting tips useful, too!

Where do you score the best mid century modern treasures?

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