Treasure Hunting

by Deirdre McCluskey, Administrative Coordinator, Harlequin Series


I’m not a big nostalgia person, but I admit I’ve developed something of an obsession with passion for vintage shopping since I moved to Toronto. Vintage and thrift shopping combine a lot of things I like: looking at stuff, the surprise and thrill of treasure hunting, sustainable shopping, and the illusion of saving money while actually removing dollars from my purse.

Most of the clothes I’ve bought over the last year have been secondhand. My judgement isn’t infallible, and some items that seemed unmissable will probably be thrown back into the thrift pool. Others have become staples in my fashion rotation and well worth every penny spent and beyond. Like this coat from a fabulous vintage store in Toronto’s Kensington Market called Breathless (boots also thrift):

Dangerously within walking distance of my condo, there's a secondhand furniture store called Guff, which specializes in midcentury modern design. I found this glass coffee table there my first autumn in the city. It’s perfect for my teensy living room.
After hunting high and low for an affordable book storage solution, and having my books stacked on the floor for over a year, I caved and ordered a Billy unit from Ikea. The day it arrived, I dropped into Guff on my way back from the local coffee roasters (doesn’t that sound hipster) and saw this!


Ikea items can be easily returned, I reasoned. Guff was about to close, so the next morning I was at the door five minutes before they opened, panting friendlily like a Labrador puppy. After some furniture chit-chat and mild haggling, the deal was done, and all that was left was to come back with the cash. Fortunately, some people can be bribed for the price of a grilled cheese sandwich.

Oh, and I also arm-wrestled another customer for this cool side table because who doesn’t need a faux-woodgrain circle cutout table from the 70s?


So, two years after I moved, my books finally got a swell home!
I no longer have an excuse to go into vintage furniture stores, but I probably will anyway. Vintage shopping has all the elements we love in a Heartwarming romance: finding your perfect match, a sense of belonging, second chances, and a happy ending. 😊 Happy May!



Comments

  1. Thanks for taking me along on your shopping trip! I think we have similar tastes in decorating!

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  2. You really are a treasure hunter, Deirdre. That’s a fabulous coat and I’m envious of that glass table that would also look great in my living room. :)

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    1. Thank you! I've gotten so much use out of that coat with this long, cold spring.

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  3. Enjoyed your shopping trip. What good finds you made!

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    1. Thanks Liz! There are a lot of really great vintage stores in T.O.

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  4. Wow! You made some great buys. Love the furniture and the coat and boots don't look vintage, but very much in style. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thanks Roz! I have also made some not-so-good buys, haha. But on a small scale, so my budget can live with it.

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  5. The shopping does sound fun--and what finds! I LOVE the coat!

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  6. You have great taste! I love the coat and boots--almost secret-agentish. And that table is wonderful! I have a couple of mid-century dressers that were hand-me downs from my in-laws, but they're not nearly as cool as your table and bookshelf.

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    1. Thank you, Beth! I found that a lot of the midcentury pieces I saw were enormous. It was a challenge finding something to fit in my small space. (But a lot of fun searching.)

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  7. Love all those finds, Deirdre! You really grabbed some bargains.

    And I'm especially envious of your book home. :) I'm always looking for more storage space for books.

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    1. Thanks! There's never enough space for the books!

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  8. Very nice apartment! But I really can't keep my eyes off the coat and the boots. I had to laugh. I just put three pieces into the "give back" pile. They seemed to fit better in the dressing room with the low price than they did when I got them home. Thanks for the post and pix.

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  9. Great post and pictures! I enjoy vintage shopping, too. Trends come and go and I often prefer the stuff that's gone. Recently I found a Caprice Depression glass dinner set for eight, including a platter and cruet. I won't reveal the price, because I still can't quite believe it. Happy May!

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