I miss thrifting
Probably my favorite haul of vintage treasures, all found at Goodwill in one visit: a grungy but stylish magazine rack, four tumblers from Libbey's International Set (1959-1960), Otagiri teak napkin rings, and Congress playing cards featuring the Chance Vought F8U Crusader, an aircraft built in the late '50s for the US Navy and Marine Corps.
Pre-Covid, one of my favorite things to do was browse for treasures at my local second-hand shop. There’s something so exciting about scouring shelves and suddenly stumbling upon the perfect picture frame or a vintage serving dish by one of my favorite California potters. I’m constantly seeking that moment where I audibly gasp, then look around to see if anyone nearby noticed.
Things are opening up here, but the introvert in me – and it’s a big part of me – still finds comfort in the ability to say no, it’s safer just to stay home. It was weirdly refreshing to have permission to give in to that desire to never go out and to not have to feel guilty about it. The fact that staying home was encouraged as a way to stop the spread of the virus was something I won’t soon forget. It was not only easy for me to do, it was actually a relief.
A few weeks ago my mom and I heard part of a radio interview with Larry Smith, creator of Six-Word Memoirs, who had challenged those around him to create six-word interpretations of their lives during the pandemic. The thought of that challenge was inspiring, so my mom and I tried to come up with our own. I was driving at the time, but somehow I didn’t have to think very long about it.
“The tables turned on you, extroverts.”
We giggled a little. Of course I have empathy for my extrovert friends who have been suffering during the lockdown – unable to live their normal lives and having to function in a way that felt extremely constrictive to them. But I couldn't help but hope that maybe they might consider for a moment what the world is like normally for introverts. Before all of this, we were constantly being told we needed to try harder to be social. We were constantly reminded that our society rewards those who can confidently communicate verbally on the spot. Taking some time to think before responding to a question is rarely rewarded; too often there’s someone in the conversation ready to pounce and answer it for you. Those who are experts at networking have vastly more opportunities in their careers, and in life in general. And while it’s true that social interaction and good communication are key to living healthy, productive lives, I’ve always thought that the value of those qualities was a little bit overblown. I was relieved to learn about authors like Susan Cain, who defends introverts in her book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. Hopefully, Americans are finally beginning to see introversion as an equally valuable state of being rather than a weakness.
Organizing my ever-growing collection of melamine cups, sugar bowls, and creamers.
During lockdown, it’s been nice having that nagging “go out and be social” voice switched off for a bit. As an introvert, the activities I enjoy most are home-based. I love to paint, read, write, knit, sew, glue, design, plan, rearrange rooms, and do yoga. Almost none of these require another person. Help is sometimes necessary and can definitely improve the outcome of these activities, but for the most part I could exist at home without seeing another person for days on end. I rarely say I need to “get out of the house” and probably never say I “crave” social interaction. I won’t go as far as saying I hate people, as some introverts (probably mostly jokingly) might. But to me, people can sometimes be impediment to my enjoyment of an activity. Some people love spending time at a coffee shop, chatting with the baristas or their neighbors in line. I’ll drive past three Starbucks to get to the one with a drive-thru. I’m not a big shopper, not even online. I think at least part of the reason is that I don’t want to deal with the crowds. I try to live with what I have and indulge in some luxuries only occasionally. Shopping for fun is something I did enjoy as a teen with friends, but as I got older, and perhaps even more so once I had a mortgage and less expendable income, shopping as a recreational activity just started to feel unnecessary.
The one exception to this is going out and browsing in a thrift store, which brings me back to the title of this post: I miss thrifting.
For me, thrifting is generally a solo endeavor. It’s probably the only type of shopping I do for recreation outside of boutique shopping while on vacation. I usually only stop at a thrift store if I’m already out for some other errand, and to me it’s an indulgence that I can feel comfortable with since my purchases usually don’t cost very much. When I’m there, I may browse the clothes a bit, but my main objective is to explore the home goods. I inspect all of the cups and saucers, dinnerware sets, serving trays and dishes, vases, salt and pepper shakers, teapots, artwork, frames, table runners, magazine racks, candle holders, furniture, and nik-nacks. I go slowly so I don’t miss anything. As I write this I’m gazing upon my lovely mid-century mint green melamine tape dispenser that has such a heavy base that I’ve found it doubles as a perfect holder for my phone while on FaceTime calls. I’m always on the hunt for vintage, but I’ll also choose things that are not old but that fit my aesthetic. I like the challenge of figuring out if something that looks old is actually old. I’ll do quite a bit of research on my phone right there in the store. Most vintage pottery will have a mark. If I can’t read the mark, to me that can actually be a good sign. If the other indicators are there telling me it’s old, I figure there’s a good chance it is. I might purchase the piece, get it home, and then try to match up the mark with those of known makers that I read about online. But even if I can’t figure it out, it doesn’t really matter to me because by that point I love it anyway.
Vintage Hull U.S.A. au gratin bakers in green and coffee cups from Ann Mallory’s commercial line (late ‘80s/early ‘90s). Can anyone recognize the mark on the bowl?
Over the years I’ve had some good thrifting buddies, including my mom, my husband, my sister, and my good friend Sara. It’s definitely fun to divide and conquer: split up and see what goodies each of us can find. My husband Van is especially good at finding things I might like, and I can tell we both enjoy that moment when he presents them to me. My mom is a good resource for identifying designers and labels, and while we sometimes compete in our weirdly passive ways for the things we find and both love, it’s nice having that connection with someone over a shared passion for design and style.
So the one activity I love doing out and about is on hold for now, but that’s okay. Spending an afternoon with a buddy browsing dirty shelves and getting sticky hands (ew) from turning over objects is something I wish I felt comfortable doing again. I know it’s just a matter of time. I’ll be back there soon, and undoubtedly the shelves will be teeming with treasures, considering how many of us spent part of the lockdown cleaning out our attics and garages. Until then, I’ll be rearranging my Russell Wright dishes and making a list of what I hope to find next. And until then – until I can share my next exciting thrifting haul with you in this blog – please enjoy the rest of these snapshots from my most memorable thrifting trips to date.
Kids wearing animal masks on the cutest plate I’ve ever seen.
Pink and grey Harkerware, a nice metal tray, and a vintage frame with a photo of someone’s cute grandma in it.
Serving bowl by Heath Ceramics.
