It's been a while, but I love to browse through antique stores, flea markets, garage sales, and 2nd hand stores. It's the "thrill of the hunt" and the certainty of finding at least one very special item among the mass of stuff/junk. Sometimes it's totally worth the time. An old picture frame in a box of junk might catch my eye. Maybe I'm not quite fond of the artwork, but I know I could take the frame apart and replace the art with a piece more to my liking or perhaps I could "doctor up" the frame a little bit to make it more appealing. It's not that I do much buying, mind you, it's just that I love looking. Anything from delicate crystal to stuffed wild turkeys intrigues my interest and complels to to take a second look. I spot architectural pieces (old doors, stained glass windows, ironwork, columns...), furniture dating from the 1940s back to mid 1800s, old postcards, dishes (china, porcelain, pottery...), vintage linens (chenille bedspreads, doilies, quilts...), depression glass, oil paintings, furniture, silverware, lace (Battenberg, Irish, French), old magazines, baskets, doorknobs, cabinet hardware, light fixtures, old photographs, books, jewelry, hats, purses, and old signs. I like this type of shopping over "mall" shopping because you get to see so many unusual pieces, things you don't see every day. It has a different atmosphere, including much friendlier clerks. Funny how I sometimes have nothing in mind when I go shop, and yet I'll come home with something in hand. I'm really not a collector of anything, I just like to have maybe one item to represent what could be a collection. However, I do collect milk glass. Luckily, I live in a town known for its antique stores. Whenever I get the urge to stroll through shops, I don't have far to go. When you're traveling down Interstate 5, stop by our town of Centralia Washington. There are plenty of "must haves" to see.
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