Hello Vesties! I have missed all of you in my absence (new day job), and am so happy to be back! I love the new venue & have been enjoying catching up with all of the blog posts. I wanted to share one with you myself!
Like any rookie, I am still learning my way around the “junking world”. I’m starting to know where to find the best stuff, what is timeless and what is trendy – who knew there were trends in “junk”? I’m learning where I can haggle (garage sales, estate sales, Craigslist), and where I can’t (fundraisers, Goodwill shops). I learned early that junking people are nice, and that good manners can pay off in spades.
So this weekend when someone running an estate sale was a bit on the nasty side, I was taken aback, but I kept my temper (not an easy thing for me), and moved on. I hated to miss the cute little chair that I had spotted, but it was not meant to be. When the pursuit of an item stops being fun, sometimes even if I win the thing, I just never have a good feeling about it; it’s so much nicer to enjoy the experience as well as the piece you fall in love with!
Driving home, I was surprised and delighted when I spotted a darling old chair at a garage sale in my neighborhood!! No Victorian tufted velvet, padded armed delicate piece…. I instantly fell in love with its character, its almost ugliness.
Imagine my astonishment when I saw the price!
The people selling it couldn’t have been nicer; I stayed chatting after I made the purchase. They put it aside for me so that I could fetch my CR-V to load it up.
I don’t even care how hideous the upholstery is…it is so delightfully vintage, and VERY COMFY!! I curled up in it this morning with my coffee and nearly went back to sleep. 
I believe in garage sale/thrift shop/junking karma, now more than ever. I try to be patient and polite, which is usually pretty easy, because like I said, “junking” people are nice! I’m amazed at how many times I have to forgo an item which has stolen my heart, only to find a different, sometimes better one around the corner….junking is just funny that way.
What has Junking Karma sent your way??
Mona Kay
Junking Karma… I like that term…could be a rock band name. Love the story!
I left a thrift store recently, empty handed after owner snubbed me on discounting a cute table lamp that was overpriced even at antique store prices. He wasn't rude, but was pretty abrupt and I stopped browsing his store after he dismissed my interest. 20 minutes later at another store, I found a blue and amber glass lamp with blue crystal accents, priced at $10. When I checked out, the nice owner told me there was a half price sale on lamps and furniture. When I got home and did some research, I found out that the $5 lamp I bought may bring me $100 to $150 or more!
I love the chair you found! Lucky you!
I recently found a chair something like it at a garage sale for ten bucks! Sometimes I believe things are just waiting for you to find them. They know when lovers of vintage like us appreciate the worn, torn, tattered and thrown out! It is all good Junking Karma as you say! Happy hunting and blessings.
Kelly
Zenful Goods
Love it!! I agree, I think there are items out there which are ours…patiently waiting for us!
Yeah Mona kay! so glad to have you back! I think it has been almost a year and I miss your wonderful posts so much!
I found so many wonderful things this weekend… took my camera to blog about it but FORGOT the memory card… so missed them all! then dropped the camera …and busted the glass on the lens! now I have to wait for my husband to remove it for me!
not such great karma for me ! BUT I did run into a few VestiesTeam members along the way and encouraged a new one to join!
went to a sale Friday and the woman, seeing that I loved the vintage books she was selling for 50 cents each, brought out volumes and volumes and i found some incredible things….by talking to her and she just kept bringing things out of her home I loved… and for so cheep!
karma for sure!
Hi Mona Kay… Lovely to 'meet' you. What a fun story and I like your term, too. Actually, I must live under a rock because I have never heard the term junking. I love what you wrote about how difficult it is to hold your temper with nasty people. That is not my forte! But, like you, I walk away no matter what they have to offer. I have some great stories like yours and enjoyed reading and seeing your post. Thanks so much for sharing. And thank you for commenting on my post. Oh – and I grew up in Wayne. Love NJ. 🙂
I have ALWAYS found what I needed when I needed it. Notice I didn't say when I wanted it- those are two different things…. but over the years I've discovered that just when the dryer stops working for good is exactly when the wonderful neighbors are upgrading…
And I've always practice “nice”. Life is just too short not to be nice. And you do, indeed, reap what you sow.
I LOVE that chair!
I loved reading about your junking karma! The experience we have while junking has so much to do with the connection we feel to the item. And I am becoming more and more convinced that our items find us. I went to one of my favorite thrift shops today, keeping my eyes opened for a specific item. Of course, I moved a large item out of the way to see what was hiding beneath, and I found the most wonderful treasure in the world……it was not what I had been looking for, but it was meant for me! Yes, I believe in junking karma, Mona Kay!