Serial Bargain Hunting... definitely an Addictive Behavior isn't it? *LOL* And I Confess I'm one of the Afflicted and a Poster Child for this Urge to Hunt for Bargains and specifically Found Treasures. *Winks*
My Serial Bargain Hunting is as Eclectic as my Blog and my Posts... so many things Interest me or I find to be Inspiring and Beautiful that the range of my Collections is vast and totally unpredicatable.
I recently 'Scored' someone else's entire Vintage Marble Collection at a Thrift Store... like mini Works of Art each is as varied as everything else I Create Collections of.
And it doesn't have to be a Collection per se... but perhaps a particular genre that speaks to my Soul... like Exotic Persian Rugs. So I was Jazzed to also Pick a tiny Silk Mini Persian Style Rug Mouse Pad, how Cute! Now if only Princess T doesn't Desire it in her Dollhouse... *Winks*
And being a Serial Bargain Hunter means that even if something has just come out, I want to get it at a Bargain if at all possible... especially Books and other Publications since I'm an Avid Collector of both. I usually pre-order from the Bookstores at a Discount and they throw in the Postage for Free and Deliver it right to the house when the Book or Publication finally is Released. So recently Rachel Ashwell's new Book Arrived... and like all her others every Page holds Inspiration, Beauty and Impeccible Styling.
Some things don't start out as Collections, they just Evolve that way as we seem to come across them frequently all of a sudden and Wallah, a Collection is Born! Our Art Dolls are a Prime Example of this Evolution of a Collection of Serendipity. We have them all over the house and the G-Kid Force Love to Pose them and I have to Smile every time I pass by and see them in a new Pose for the day.
That's not all the Kiddos do that are Delightful little Surprises and make me Smile. They like to leave me Messages and Artwork around the house too to Discover and bring a Smile to my face, which is so Sweet and Touches my Heart. Today I woke up to find this Message and Artwork from Princess T posted on the Back Kitchen Fridge. She'd found some of my Magnetic Words and since she's learning to Write, her Messages Tickle me with their Second Grade Grammar. So, I'm a totally Crazy and Fun Being in her Eyes... and she seals it with her Heart and a Kiss... I almost Cried, I take it as a Sincere Heartfelt Compliment made with Love. And who else would be so out of the Box in her Creativity as to have a Pink Owl... she never sees things as they are, but thru the Filter of her Fertile Imagination and I Love that about her.
She often also makes me Funky Fun Jewelry from Boho Beads she's Picked when we go Pickin' together.
And then there are the Found Treasures that ALWAYS Appeal to a Serial Bargain Hunter if they're your 'Thing'... and I must say that Antique Frames are certainly one of mine! I can never pass one up if it's a Bargain... and the Imperfections of Age are Perfectly Imperfect to me. My Friend Hugh recently brought in a slew of Fabulous Antique Frames at ridiculous Bargain Prices, since to him 'Condition' is everything, so the damaged ones hold no Appeal. Well... as they say, one person's Trash is another person's Treasure, right?!? I got not just One...
Not just Two...
Not just Three...
But Four Fabulous Antique Frames!!! *Happy Dance!* Each has Gorgeous Gesso Details... and whether you hang Art in them, Taxidermy within them or leave them empty, they certainly make a Statement in any Room's Decor.
And anything really Quirky I can find at a Bargain... like this Shriner Planter from the Fifties... is not staying behind! *Smiles*
Now I used to be able to procure my Creepy Doll Heads for next to nothing and all the time until other peeps started Appreciating and Decorating with them too. I have been Serial Bargain Hunting for them for many years now, and every so often I can still find one at a Bargain to add to my Collection.
My largest Serial Bargain Hunting Acquisition has always been and continues to be Vintage Tablecloths and Tapestries. I have an Insane amount of both, but the Tablecloths particularly... I just Enjoy how they look stacked in piles even when they're not in use. In recent years I have parted with some, but they're the last bastion hold-out when it comes to the Letting Go Process. But I've made Progress by actually PASSING on some that I now find at a Bargain! *Gasp!* I know I could easily flip them for Profit, but my ability to Let Go rather than Desire to Keep them is still quite Waffling and Fragile, so I'm trying not to expand a Collection already at Saturation Point. If any more come in and won't go out they truly have to be Exceptional Specimens.
I was very Surprised at how easily I have managed to Let Go of quite a few of my most Beloved Oldest Collections like my Religious Art, Icons and Artifacts. I've kept the most Special or Sentimental to me, but the others have been painless to take to the Showrooms and they are always an easy Sell. So I continue to be a Serial Bargain Hunter for Religious Art, Antiques and Collectibles. Funny Story, at our Antique Mall, if there is a Religious or Spiritual Piece that nobody is sure where it belongs, it usually ends up in one of my Showrooms! *Smiles, I take that as a Huge Compliment even tho' most of the time they aren't my Inventory, I like to be known as one of the Vendors that Specializes in that Genre.*
So my Friends, what are some of the Treasures that you are a Serial Bargain Hunter for? I'm Assuming you ARE ONE because you've lingered here to the end of the Post. *Winks* The only thing as Thrilling as the Hunt is Sharing what you 'Scored' and seeing what other Serial Bargain Hunters Hunted down!!! Are you as Eclectic as Yours Truly or are you more Refined in your Search and what you drag Home?
So, here's to continued Serial Bargain Hunting my Friends... may you uncover a Bounty of Found Treasures that make your Hearts Sing... Dawn... The Bohemian