Thrifting Vintage Aesthetics
I’m so excited when I discover the best thrift store finds, especially of the vintage aesthetics, so I want to share with you my thrift inspiration.
With prices continuing to rise, shopping thrift stores can be a great way to save on your household budget. As a thrifty person myself, staying on budget is important, so I shop thrifting stores as often as possible.
In this post, I’ll share why I love thrifting, my most recent thrift store haul of vintage home décor, vintage toys, vintage jewelry, and tips when thrifting. I hope this brings you some thrift inspiration.
So grab a cup of coffee, sit back and relax, and thrift with me!
This post is all about thrift inspiration for vintage aesthetics.
Why I love thrifting and why thrifting is good
Where else are you going to find those one-of-a-kind vintage treasures? When I bring these thrifted items into my home, it’s as if they were always there. I like that eclectic feel that I have created. Nothing is “matchy matchy”. You can’t find these things at your local retail store and I love the style it gives each room–everything has a story.
More importantly, I believe it is important to reuse and recycle these vintage treasures. For one, it keeps them out of our landfill. Second, it gives us an opportunity to teach our children, and the generations that come after us, the stories of a time passed.
My thrift store haul — inspiration for vintage aesthetics
This vintage bar tool set was actually a purchase I made for a gift. My son loves setting up his dry bar, so this was not only a practical gift, but unique in design. This was an under $30 (USD) gift.
I plan to renovate our kitchen (some day) and loved the vintage look of the copper lamp. It was a reasonable $20 (USD) price. While I waited for someone to help me take it off a high shelf, I found the little copper bell for $10 (USD).
This is my absolute favorite find of them all! I was so disappointed to have lost a bid on an antique wooden bread board (I think it sold for about $300), but I found this beauty at the Pomona, California Great Junk Hunt, 2022. It was about $40. Talk about score! I plan to use this to hold all the produce that always ends up on my kitchen counter.
I couldn’t resist the look of these vintage serving spoons. I found the spoons pictured at the top of the photo at a local antique shop (all carved wood) for $10 (USD). The set at the bottom of the picture have hand painted ceramic handles–another score from the Pomona, California Great Junk Hunt, purchased for $15 (USD).
I always take a look at silverware sets and pieces and pick up serving pieces (if they’re priced right). I found the large pie servers for $8 (USD) a piece and the smaller spoons were $1-$3 (USD) each. They are so useful when entertaining and give the buffet table a “polished” look.
This is antique doll house was purchased for $75 (USD). It may sound like too much, but I look for craftsmanship, details, and design. I hope the little girl who received this doll house will keep it well into her older years and maybe even pass it down to her own children some day. I found the metal candy truck (which actually a piggy bank) for about $12 (USD).
My love for vintage jewelry comes from my grandma. She had an amazing collection. I sadly lost the pieces I received from my family from her collection, so I have been spending my time re-collecting pieces to fill that void. Owning these pieces brings her back to me every time I wear them.
Tips when thrifting for vintage aesthetics
Make a list — Decide what it is you need first. Why are you shopping? What are your priorities? Focus on that because if you’re like me, if you walk in without a list, you’ll want to buy everything!
Set a budget — Determine how much you plan to spend on an item, or how much to spend on your project, and stick to it. This step is goes hand-in-hand with the next tip.
Pay attention to the details — Some vintage items will have a year, a stamp, or a brand name that existed
years ago that can be traced back to a specific designer or timeline (like Franciscan pottery). Sometimes you’ll find items that are made of a material like plastic or resin. This is a clear indicator it is not a vintage piece. You might even find a label that says “Made in China or Hobby Lobby”. Those are cute and you can buy them if you think it fits your design needs–there’s nothing wrong with that, but if you are set on an actual vintage piece you will want to pay attention to those details.
Don’t be afraid to buy that impulse item — Sometimes I come across a product or an item I wasn’t planning on buying, but if I find it is a great deal, or just something I can’t put down, I will consider it. You can’t come back if you change your mind–someone else is going to pick it up. So, if you cannot put it back down, if you cannot walk away from it, you must buy it!
For more inspiration, check out my Great Junk Hunt post from Las Vegas, NV, 2022.
That’s it. I hope this the post gave you the inspiration you were looking for. I look forward to sharing more thrifting and vintage shopping hauls with you, so please consider subscribing to my blog and be on the lookout for more thrifting adventures. Until then, take care.
