Weekend antiquing: vintage linens

On the weekend I went to the Aberfoyle Antiques market. It was huge, and delightful, and even after spending two full hours there, I reckon I only covered about 1/3rd of the place - I didn’t even make it to the indoor part of the market. 

I noticed that things seemed quite over-priced.  I wonder if this is partly because it is classified as an “antiques” market, rather than a flea market, so people are naturally inclined to assume things are old and valuable and are willing to pay more.

When you are antiquing, here are a few strategies to follow:

1. Before buying, have a look around and compare prices.

2. If you are buying an expensive item, you should have some idea of what it’s worth, so do your research before hand.

3. Make any purchases towards the end of the day, unless you don’t want to take the risk that someone else may buy it.  I couldn’t believe the deals that the sellers were willing to make at the end of the day.  They were offering to cut their prices in half, before I even asked.

4. Remember that just because you’re shopping at an antique store, every item might not technically be an antique.  Antiques are technically items that are more than 100 years old. Many antique stores combine their stock with vintage and even some new items. Furthermore, many antiques can be replicated.  This might not matter to you, but you should be aware of what you’re buying.

5. Just as you shouldn’t assume that anything thrifted is junk, don’t assume that everything in an antique or thrift store is valuable, either. It’s easy to come home with a car full of junk.  You might envision a “shabby chic” look, but don’t go overboard and have a good idea of where the item will go and what kind of repair it may require.

My finds for the day: Antique & vintage linens

I think it’s pretty clear that I have a thing for antique and vintage linens.  At the market I scored a this stack (a total of 17 pieces) of doilies, place-mats, napkins, a table runner, coasters and hot pads for $7.  Oh, that also included a cute tea cozy as well as a handmade apron.  Most of these things were technically unnecessary, although an apron and coasters have been on my thrift list for a while. Almost everything I bought was in near-perfect condition - that means no tough stains!

My favourites:

A table runner for the table in my bedroom

Placemat for my tea trolley

An oval doily, suited for a serving dish

I think this is a hot pad suited for a tea pot

Coasters

Napkins

Tea cozy

Mugs - $1 each - and a hot pad

The apron

Gift tags (2 packages for $1).  I also bought a set of 8 Laura Ashley note cards, still in their package.

I also bought a cute strawberry 3-piece tea set.  The tea set, mugs, gift tags, note cards and all linens came to $17. There were many more things that I would love to have brought home, but when it comes to antiquing, I like to take my time and decide what is truly important to me before I make an investment.