Antiquing for Style: Making what’s old new again
Image Courtesy: Meghan Pascual
Antiquing is an acquired skill and it’s not just for retired grandparents or curators. I think it’s a way to curate your style in a more manageable way and it gives you the chase of finding something that no one else has.
My hometown has absolutely nothing to do. When I wasn’t hanging out with friends at the one gas station in town or going for drives by the river, I would walk through antique stores for fun. It started with one near my house, but I started going so often that the booths wouldn’t change enough to find anything new. By the end of high school, I had found my perfect rotation of antique stores. I would start at one a few minutes from my house and then make the long drive to the antique warehouse on the other side of town.
Antique shopping isn’t about how much you can get, but the quality of what you can find. I would never go in with a set plan of what I wanted, but that’s what made it so fun.
Over the years, antique finds have started to overtake my wardrobe and bedroom. The stained glass lamp I got four years ago sits in my childhood bedroom. My Vera Bradley bag I found at a booth that was closing, hangs from the hooks in my college apartment. Assorted photos of old family gatherings and portraits done in the 1930s were taped to the walls of my high school bedroom.
All of these finds were isolated, but each piece together a little bit of my style.
Now, more than ever, I see more people on social media turning to antique stores for furniture and everything in between. I love that it’s becoming more normalized to shop this way because there’s just something so satisfying about antiquing something that you can’t get anywhere else.
Here are some tips for having the best antiquing experience ever (unpatched)!!!
Listen to good music on the way and bonus points if you have a drink (personal favorites include iced tea, a can of Coke or a classic iced latte).
Bring headphones or something to continue listening to music. This step is optional because most antique stores play music, but if it isn’t your vibe, it gives you a backup to have.
When you get inside the store, make a plan of how you want to cover everything. This step will vary, but if the store is divided like a grid, I like to start at one end and snake my way around through the different rows until I’m at the other side. Other stores may be more disorganized, so adjust accordingly.
Take note of the booths you like the most. That way, you can really browse in those because they’ll reflect more of your style.
Look out for store discounts or booths leaving. Most of the items will be heavily discounted and you can find good items for a lower price!!
Talk with the employees and take advantage of the “holding areas” most stores have at the front. Do NOT get caught walking through a store holding breakable objects.
Again, I am not an expert on antiquing, but I’ve had a couple of years of experience and been to enough stores to know that there are items to be found everywhere. Whether it’s in your college town, a random European city or somewhere off a highway, antiquing is forever (literally).
Strike Out,
Meghan Pascual
Editor: Cira Thigpen
Athens