how to thrift like a pro
Hello! How are you today???? I made the executive decision today NOT to go to the Long Beach Flea Market. Yes, there are some things I wanted to scope out, but I wanted to take it easy, use my poor forgotten pool and catch up on shows. Plus, I get to blog instead! And what better subject to blog about than thrifting?
Raise your hand if you've gone thrifting before. I'll wait.
If you raised your hand, you know the emotional roller coaster thrifting can bring that often goes a little like this: "I hate everything here, I'm not going to find anything." "Hm... that stone bust over there is really interesting and would look good in neon yellow." "There's not enough room in my car for all my stuff. I guess I need to get a Lugg." (Not sponsored by Lugg BTW).
Thrifting can quickly drain your bank account if you're not careful and have an agenda. But if it's done correctly, you will end up with a house full of treasures that didn't cost a ton of money!!
And for those of you who did not raise their hand and are afraid to try, here is the perfect starting point!
where to hunt
I live in Los Angeles, and while I love the city, oftentimes I find it hard to find inexpensive vintage items. There are some savvy vintage dealers out there who are very good at what they do -- their entire job is to hunt estate sales, spending hours unearthing hidden gems. By the time they hit the vintage stores, they've been marked up. This is the price you pay for the hours it took them to source the item, their expansive knowledge of vintage furniture and decor, and their overhead. It is well worth it for finding that rare item, but buying curated vintage pieces from a dealer will leave you bankrupt.
Unless you have a ton of time and can take a break from your schedule to visit an estate sale, my next best recommendation is the RoseBowl and Long Beach Flea Markets. They are a step between the estate sale and the uber expensive vintage dealer. Yes, prices can be a little marked up but you will see the same pieces nearly double the price in a store, so take your wins where you can!
I love the RoseBowl Flea -- it's a great way to spend the day, get some steps in, get out of the house, talk "interior design" with interested parties who actually like it as well (sorry if I've talked your ear off in the past), and get ideas. And it's not the only flea in town -- there is also the Long Beach Flea and the lesser known Ventura Flea. Long Beach has better prices, but less selection and competition. However, that does not mean you won't find something special.
If you're going to go to any of these fleas, here are my tips in terms of logistics:
Get there between 6:30 and 8AM. There is no need to show up at 4:30 in the morning to snag a good deal. Vendors don't often start setting up until closer to 6, but there are still those die hards that get up at ungodly hours (read vintage dealers). Plus, it is still cool outside, great parking and not a lot of foot traffic to contend with.
Bring some cash but also know that most vendors take Zelle or Venmo. You will get a better deal if you pay cash and it also helps keep you on budget if you know exactly how much you spent. For example, I often give myself a $100 limit. I can buy a nice painting, a pot or even a little chair.
Layer up and forgo the traditional purse for an economical fanny pack or really roomy pair of overalls. I prefer wearing a wide brimmed hat over sunglasses. Sunglasses limit your field of vision and you will miss those little corners of your eye where the good things hide.
make a list and budget
Now I am going to admit something that is contradictory to this next paragraph. Before a few months ago, I never created a list. I had ideas of what I was looking for when I went thrifting, but I wanted to leave myself open to the universe and just get everything I thought was interesting. That's how I ended up with too many chairs and now have to figure out where everything goes... Being open to the flea market gods is an important element to thrifting. However, do you know what's even more important? Keeping a budget and not being a hoarder.
So make a list AND a rough budget. You must realize if you come across a piece that is extremely rare or just irresistible, you might have to increase the budget slightly. For example, I am willing to fudge a budget if I come across a pristine burl wood blanket chest, but I am not holding my breath. Speaking of... do you know of any burl wood blanket chests??? I can't stop thinking of it! Let me know in the comments below.
When I go to the RoseBowl, I make 2 or 3 passes on each aisle. I first seek out the big, showy things like sculptures, fun chairs, case goods, paintings and make a note. If something really catches my eye, I ask the vendor the price and note it in my memory. If the price is within your budget and it's on your list, BUY IT. You heard me. BUY IT. Do not play games. Do not pass GO. And if it's too big to carry, take a picture of the booth number and collect it later. You will regret not snapping it up.
On the second and third passes, I refine my search, ask the vendors questions and get their cards if I like their curation but can't find anything I like on this visit. There are those vendors that seem to have an excellent eye and really curate their spaces. And then there those vendors that just collect everything and hope something sells. You can always reach out separately and let them know if you're looking for something special. And if you visit every month like me, you can build a report with the vendors and perhaps get some good deals if you are a repeat customer.
On these additional passes, really start digging into the collections and the smaller items. There are always little dishes and fun books to snap up that don't cost a lot. You'd be surprised how handy little dishes and small decor items really help layer a space and dress up bookcases. Little knick-knacks fill in those spaces and give everything a more styled, curated look. Plus, you can often buy a collection much more cheaply from the same vendor vs. buying each piece separately a la carte. In fact, if you find a well curated booth, try to spend of your time here and collect a large group of items to buy so that you can get a discount. Last time I thrifted, I saved a lot of money by ransacking one very cute booth.
check before you buy
I know that feeling -- you've found your list item AND it's in your budget. You want to buy it RIGHT NOW. Get it in your cart and run away from the scene of the crime like a bank robber so no one can snap it up before you. But before you buy, google it, flip it around, check the seems, the tags, etc. You will save yourself some heartache and embarrassment if you've bought a knock off, a dud, or worse -- a big box store item that was presented as a vintage item. This has happened to me before. I bought what I thought was a vintage rug but surprise! It was a CB2 rug and I bought it for the same price as I would have if I bought it new from the store. So embarrassing. But it was cute and I like it and oh well.
Recently, I've been on the hunt for a burl wood blanket chest -- super rare but it's out there! On my last trip to the RoseBowl, I found it. Well, what I thought was it. A burl wood chest AND it was $150. I thought to myself -- that seems wrong. So I checked it out. First I checked out the veneer situation and the inside of the chest. I saw upon further inspection the "wood" was laminate on top of shitty wood box. And while the price reflected this quality, I still wanted a quality vintage item. If I wanted to cut corners, I could have snapped it up, but then I would have the owner of a shitty box and not what I really wanted: a case good that will last generations and add some luxury.
If you are buying a chair, ask the vendor the origin and history as well as check the tags, etc., and then google the answer. If they are asking too much compared to the internet (which is often marked up), then you have some bargaining power. If they won't budge, you at least have the internet purchase that is available to you (and also has a good return policy with shipping included).
keep an open mind
My mother-in-law's favorite saying is "The best laid plans often go awry." And for the most part, that is true. That is why the best plans often accommodate for the "X factor" -- that a-ha moment that often makes the room.
The best way to plan for this is approach it like this: "I need a [fill in the blank] that is [number of inches/feet] high and [number of inches/feet] wide and has [these colors/finishes/etc.] and is [this shape]. Make a list of the finishes that are acceptable, but keep it open so that it doesn't corner you into one a few choices.
For example, I was on a mission to complete my main bedroom headboard wall. I knew I wanted something more sculptural vs. a painting or rug (I tried that before and it looked dingy and not cute). I also knew I wanted to stay away from any colors -- I know SHOCKING -- and wanted to stick to either white in either wood, metal, plastic, etc., that was no more than 36" tall. Because I kept an open mind, I found my art piece and now I'm waiting for it to be cleaned up and installed in another 4 weeks. Yay!
That is part of the fun in interior styling and design. Surprising yourself and others. Otherwise anyone can just open a big box store catalogue and call it a day.
And for those of you who didn't raise your hand and have never been thrifting before, now you have the tools to go on your first adventure! It will be daunting -- you will need to walk a lot and talk to lot of people and you will make mistakes. But remember, you learn to love your home a little bit more because you worked a little harder to make it more "you" and you will have stories that come with it.
Happy hunting!