The Hunt!!!

Have you ever looked at an "I Spy" book.  You know the kind that I am talking about.....
The pages are filled with so much stuff that you cant tell where one item starts and another treasure begins.  That is precisely what gets my heart beating when I walk into an antique mall, junktique shop, flea market or if I am lucky enough... a salvage yard.



 First you are overwhelmed by the masses and then your fine tuned eye catches a glimpse of sheer turquoise glass (Ball Jar).  The subtle glimmer of grimy crystal (chandelier) and on a great day the chipping paint of old windows, doors and shutters.  These are my true love.

Walking the isles, digging in the boxes, and often climbing up on your friends shoulder to grab that super cool rusted beyond recognition lunch box.  This is what makes me the happiest, the hunt.

Hunting is best done in groups.  You can get lost in all that dusty goodness.  You need a friend to keep you focused.  For the sake of your own sanity, what will fit into the car ( the friend needs to be sure there is room for her) and your budget.  The joy in finding the perfect old crate compounded by the delight in seeing great deals on silver trays and oh oh oh.....not being able to leave without the huge shutters that are covered in layers of chipped nasty paint.

Your friends who share your passion for hunting are great companions on these adventures.  The lucky gals who have never been out on an early morning hunt and are braving the dust and rust for the first time can become quick converts to the trade, filling the car and emptying their wallets.  These "antiquing virgins" are a breath of life to gals like me.  The fun it is to explain the details of depression glass.  The history behind kitchen gadgets and pottery.  Ending the day with treasures in the truck and treasures in your hearts.

After all it is the journey, the adventure, the mapquest directions that are completely wrong and the little shop that wasn't on the list that turned out to be the best stop of the day.  This is what makes this hobby dare I say profession so rewarding.  You never know what you might dig up.

So if it has been awhile since you laced up your walking shoes and mapped out the flea markets.  Remember the excitement you felt on your first hunt.  That thrill of finding the buried treasure and the occasional chuckle at finding the "old time pottery" sticker on the tea cup or the "goodwill" price tag still on the lamp...that is now priced three times more.......good times!
Happy Hunting!