populuxe

People always ask us, "Where do you find all your cool vintage stuff?". We thought it was time to share some of our secrets of thrifting. I have been thrifting half my life, ever since I was a teenager. My friends and I used to skip school to go to the Salvation Army. My husband inherited the "thrifting gene" from his mom. He helped her shop since he was a kid. His parents home is full of cool antiques and "rusty stuff".

If you are new to thrifting here are some helpful hints. First of all you need to know where to shop. We like to go to thrift stores, junk stores, flea markets, yard sales, estate sales, etc. We usually shy away from antique stores because their prices are too high. My husband is convinced they are "smoking crack" when they price their items. You can find places to shop on the internet, phone book or free local newspapers. We shop around our city almost daily, we often go on weekend trips to South Florida and cross country trips to load up.

If you aren't familiar to an area, here's how to sniff them out. Look for the not so nice part of town, where the architecture is older and kind of run down. If you find a Family Dollar store, chances are a thrift store is nearby.

Brian at the Goodwill in San Francisco

When you go thrifting, dress down, for two reasons: 1. You are going to get dirty, and 2. You don't want to look like you have money. Especially if you go to flea markets where you can haggle prices. No one is going to give you a good deal when you are wearing Seven Jeans and carrying a Prada bag. Don't pull one of those carts either, you will look too professional. I like to carry a large purse I can put goodies in and my husband always carries the heavier items.

A good plan is to shop for what you like. It makes the hunt more exciting and if the stuff doesn't sell, you won't be too sorry. My husband Brian likes to look for Exotica and Cheesecake records from the 50s, Punk Rock 8 tracks from the 70s and Toy Robots. He once found a 1950s Winky Robot, splurged $75 on it and sold it for $2000! I like to search for retro design books, tiki mugs, 50s sweaters and other vintage clothing.

Another question we often are asked "How much do you spend on an item?". If you are buying for resale, buy it only if you can at least double your profits. If you are buying for yourself, money is no object. If you like it, buy it. Don't pass an item by either, it may not be there when you go back. I still rue the day I passed by a Tiki Bob mug that was only $15 in Louisiana.

Be sure to examine the item before you buy. Make sure it isn't broken or missing pieces or doesn't have rips, holes, stains, that cannot be mended. We only sell quality merchandise at Populuxe. Superior workmanship!

On the ride home, make sure you store your treasures properly in your car. Bring along newspaper to wrap up fragile items. Or keep a blanket in your trunk so items don't roll around and get broken.

Once you get them home safely, its time to shine! We use Goo Gone to remove price stickers, Windex for cleaning glass items, Tide and Shout for washable vintage clothing. Otherwise they go to the dry cleaners. Murphys is handy for cleaning wood furniture. A record cleaning cloth is a must-have for cleaning vintage records. Do not use a paper towel, it will scratch. Clean 'em up, put them up for auction and watch the $$ roll in. Its a heck of a way to make a living but it sure beats a "real job"!

"My precious!"