Collectibles for the home is a wonderful hobby and emotionally uplifting. We can reflect on times past and share these items with our loved ones. At the age of almost eleven this Tomboy did not want girlie stuff. My mother asks me, then what do I want for my birthday, and the resounding answer is antiques. I already collect things like china horses, rocks and little glass dogs. We clear out two shelves in the linen closet and the love for collecting seriously begins. Don’t forget to open with your mouse over the photo to enlarge it.
Most of my initial items are family heirlooms, but as my Mom’s hobby takes off into a business, then so does her own treasure hunting in town. By the time I’m twenty I have a lot of glassware and other fun knick knacks. Along with these Items I find it is time to get a china cabinet. I get my own apartment and make payments on two china cabinets. So my style of interior furniture is set for life.
Over the years I get a few things for myself but my Mom is pretty much the main provider. She is the one heading into town all the time hitting the second hand stores. For me, I just have to be ready to receive more stuff every time we visit. Boy does she have good taste, except she buys things with flea bites! These are the tiny chips on wine glasses, plates and etc.
My Hunting Begins in 2011
We buy a pathetic little park model trailer at the beach in 2011. It is built in 1998, so it has a few years on it. I start doing remodeling on it right off, but I need a headboard since the head of the bed is up against a window. I decide to pull off the freeway on a whim and go to the Salvation Army Store. And there is a perfect hand carved queen headboard for $17.50. This happens to be a Wednesday, and on these days everything is half off!
So now, beach theme items are fun and I start to collect blue glass pieces. Up to this time my collectibles for the home are green and purple glass-My Mom’s favorite. I paint the tiny kitchen a teal blue and it all begins. I am now going blue with lead crystal sea shell bowls and hard to find depression glass in blue. The park model has display shelves around the main living area for small items. Up goes my lifelong collection of sea shells and coral. Our little place at the beach is perfect for weekend getaways.
We end up living at the beach for seven years and then we move back into town. We go from a 5,000 population to a county of 450,000. Uh Ohh, now I’m in big trouble. We have 4 Goodwills in town and by now I am really hooked to hunt. I find a few crystal bowls and crystal platters plus a whole lot more of glass pieces. My mother is a collector as I grow up and I know my stuff pretty well. The good news for our pocket book is, we move from this area, just after two years, to a town with only one Goodwill, and this is a ranching town.
Slowing Down the Hunt
I go to Goodwill about once a week now with very slim pickings, but really, I don’t need more stuff! Really, I don’t want super used cowboy boots! I have a requirement now, which is to have a place to display any purchases. So you might see I have a project I did for Collectibles for the Home. This simple shelf is filling up fast, and my hunting is slowing way down, so it’s all good!
What I do want to do is share some of the finds. I just got something at Goodwill this last Tuesday as a Christmas decoration. I notice it has an engraved name on the bottom, and when I wash it, it also has the original tag. It is hand made decorative lead crystal and made in Sweden by Marcolin. I google it and find the large one, which this one is, and it’s priced at $149.00 on eBay. Now I change my mind and put it on top of my china cabinet instead of putting it in the box of decorations going under the bed!
I enjoy my new -to me- crystal tree. It is so dirty but it so so gorgeous all clean. Now it is sort of funny that I hesitate to purchase it for $5.00. I really am a tight wad. It is soon becoming one of my favorite finds. I will be sharing more of the finds here in the near future. I also have a few more small home improvement projects to share as well.
Reality Check–Please Read this!
Just remember the bottom line when it comes to collecting. These items with their eBay prices are not really worth what others are asking. They are worth the advertising, time to sell it, percentage to eBay and the shipping along with the sellers’ time! They are truly worth what your average collector will pay at a second hand store. This little tree is probably worth about $12-$24 in a second hand store, and I personally will not pay that much.
But this is all Fun anyway. In fact, I have noticed there is barely any change in pricing of dishware and collectibles for over the last twenty-five years. And antique furniture is priced the same as it was 50 years ago. So much for being a good investment. This is all just ‘Eye Candy’, to be enjoyed during our lifetime. Remember, this isn’t an Investment, in fact, the family loses money when there is a garage sale as the house is urgently being emptied out and we are long gone. But we sure enjoyed our Goodies!