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Spring is a highly anticipated season for a variety of reasons, though most don’t think of ‘spring cleaning’ as an enjoyable highlight. However, it is the absolute best time to check out estate auctions and yard sales. Even better, offer a hand to an aging relative or neighbor for a weekend clean-up project. Many seniors would welcome some assistance when it comes to cleaning out a basement or attic. Imagine the treasures you could unearth while assisting the elderly!
Not only are octogenarians loaded with fascinating tales of yesteryear, they often possess treasures from eras you’ve only seen in pictures! Many of these objects have become quite popular on vintage trading sites such as ebay, Etsy, and even local Craigslist hubs; you may find that you are able to make a few dollars by flipping your finds. Keeping the items in your home for sentimental and decorative value is just as nice, too.
Sometimes it can be hard to decide if an item is a salvageable memento or just junk (you don’t want to end up on an episode of “Hoarders: Buried Alive”, do you?), though the key to knowing the difference comes from using some perspective. Try to imagine how your bauble will look if it is cleaned up, polished, or repainted. You might be able to give these decades-old curiosities a new life while adding some unique flourishes to your home décor. Here is what to keep an eye out for when browsing through dusty boxes.
Colored Glassware and other Oddities
Blue, red, green, and brown are some colors that should catch your eye immediately. Unbroken glassware that is tinted makes up a lot of antiquing traffic on popular vintage websites. Blue Mason jars are highly prized as they are often being used as decorative elements in weddings, drinking glasses in restaurants, and for DIY dream-come-true projects (soap dispensers, planters, night-lights…you name it). Additional items that come in colors are glass electric insulators, which were first used in the 1850’s to transmit telegraphs. They were later widely used for electric and phone wires, though they are now obsolete. Nonetheless, many people still enjoy collecting these insulators, displaying them in windows, mounting them by a doorway to be used as coat hooks. Look out for the purple ones, which are very desirable!
If you want to get a bit weird, antique medicine bottles are offbeat and awesome. They can be found in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and designs. Many apothecary jars still have their labels intact, with wording that is often quite amusing and dated. You should definitely NOT eat, use, or freely touch the contents of these containers though!
Gardening Goods
While sifting through forgotten items, keep a keen lookout for planters, especially ones that are oddly shaped or decorated. Any planter that is shaped like an animal can add a very whimsical touch to your windowsill. Other items such as old suitcases and teacups can also make for some conversation pieces when you add some plants. Hanging macramé planters are also another ‘hot’ items that you should snag and repurpose immediately.
Other outdoor items such as old ladders, window glass, and tools can make for eclectic ways to hang photographs or jewelry in your home. Explore some DIY idea boards on Pinterest to get an idea of how these items can be used in a variety of ways.
Medical, Literary, and Technological Curiosities
Though you may find this aspect of antiquing to be a little too twisted for your taste, there are loads of people who enjoy this stuff.
Antique medical instruments, books with intricately drawn diagrams, fetal pigs in jars, funereal-themed items; anything like this is considered a serious novelty for online collectors and shouldn’t be ignored if you are interested in making some cash.
Medical cabinets and card catalogues from libraries are also very desirable pieces of furniture. These items can be refurbished and updated in ways that will make your living room one of a kind. Vintage books, especially ones with colorful botanical or ecological drawings can also be used to create vignettes around your home or framed artwork. Look out for old maps, as well. Colorful maps can be used in a number of ways when it comes to framed art. With all the computer mapping we use to navigate, it isn’t hard to imagine that paper maps will soon be hard to come by.
Don’t shy away from old cameras either. Even though you will probably never feasibly be able to find, develop, or afford film for the old contraption, it can look pretty sharp when displayed on a shelf. Old pencil sharpeners, binoculars, eyeglasses, and other trinkets can be stylish, too. By using a little imagination, you can create a fun and playful new look for your home, save money, reuse materials, and add interesting stories to future conversations with visiting guests!
