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I recently talked about thrifting and picking in this blog post. Currently, I am in high mode picking because I will be selling sweet vintage finds at Junk in the Trunk Market on November 9th in Scottsdale, AZ! I’m totally excited, I actually already had quite a few items to sell but I seem to have become addicted to the picking madness because I love finding treasures for me and treasures that I know will go to good homes!
A little background, I grew up picking. My dad taught us how to find the best deal at yard sales, thrift stores etc and negotiate for an even better deal. I don’t think my dad has ever backed down from a negotiation, I am pretty sure in another life he may have been a sales man. When I was old enough, I started doing the same. If you come in my house, you’ll find a lot of the items I have are actually “picked”. I love finding great deals, it’s almost an obsession but I’ll just go ahead and call it a love. It’s not just about finding a great deal, it’s about encompassing history. I love hearing stories, especially from the older folks in Sun City about where things came from and what they used them for.
Above are photos I took on a recent pick from my dad’s “lot”. As you can see, my love of picking has come from him! But don’t let these photos fool you, my dad is a hard one to barter with. I in fact only left with one item and it is the red ladder from the photo on the left. Still a pretty cool pick! He actually was so stuck on keeping everything he said he would pay me to stop asking to take things. Ha!
You can fall in love too and you could win a trip to go Picking with Mike Wolfe from the show, American Pickers (woot woot)! To enter, go to this site and upload a photo of your Pick (a Pick is an old item or artifact. Good places to find these objects are at garage and yard sales, secondhand stores, collectors shops, auctions, antique stores, flea markets, or your own house) along with a short essay about the photo. It is SO easy!
Here is what I entered:
I actually found 65+ pounds of this fencing, it is beautiful. BEAUTIFUL! And I got it for a pretty good price too. One of my favorite picks so far!
Sometimes I drag the Clever Teen along to go picking and of course we take the big Capri Sun pouches (because you know, once you are 13 and up you can graduate from the smaller ones). Luckily these are at Walmart for only $.88 cents so it makes it easy (and frugally) to grab and go!
When I go picking, I like to take a “Picking Kit”, this kit helps me throughout my adventures.
Here is what is in my picking kit:
- Capri Sun Big Pouches are perfect for taking on the go to go picking.
- Measuring Tape is great for making sure pieces will fit in your car and your home.
- Microfiber clothes are great for shining up a piece to see any engravings or imprints.
- Flashlights can help with dark places and also help find any engravings.
- Gloves are pretty much essential to make sure you don’t get cut when you go to grab something.
- Plastic bags are nice in case you find multiple pieces of something and need to keep them together.
- Smart Phone is always great to have to Google what things are just in case you need to look them up!
I like to keep mine in a metal box and in the car especially for when we find an impromptu pick!
Something else essential to picking is boots, any type of open toed shoes are always a bad idea.
Speaking of Picking, checkout my finds from a few weeks ago! Everything except my son’s backpack is going to the sale 😉
I do like to bring along the Clever Teen when I go picking, it’s a great way to “bond” and she even receives a finders fee when we go! The cool thing about that contest? 13 and up can win so she can enter the contest herself!
What are your favorite items to take with you when you go picking?
Need some picking tips? Check them out here:
Just reading this post makes me want to spend the day picking!
Sounds like you found a great pick! Can’t wait to hear how your sale goes! #client