treasure hunting

First before I start my story about treasure hunting a final bit of Craft Critique self promotion. My last article for them is up today about twinkling H2O's. Stop by if you have a minute. Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

I adore going out for an entire day of digging through junk hunting treasure. Mom and I did just that on Saturday while the guys were on their last hurrah of summer deep sea fishing trip. I got up early and went down the mountain to mom's and picked her up. She had a little ice chest full of cold water and sodas to take in the car. I should back up and tell you that I scoured craigs list and the local papers to come up with a list of stops. Mom had scoured the green sheet to add to our list. We had a bowl of cheerios and bananas first to give us strength.

Then with list and map in hand we headed out to the yard sales in her neighborhood. It was pretty slim pickins this day. It seemed like lots of leftovers from previous yard sales. We did find a huge Nerf gun for Kyle for $2.50. So, we gave up the yard sales and headed to a massive thrift shop for the opening of 1/2 price day. We arrived 5 minutes before opening and the line was around the door. This is where it takes dedication to wait and get in there. We waited and got in pretty quickly. Most people were going for the 10 clothes for a dollar, so we focused elsewhere. I found a pile of goodies for $6.50 which included a denami rubber stamp, lots of old stationary, a mystery box of silverware and serving pieces, a jar full of pearlized snaps, old insurance paperwork, and millinary leaves. From there we went to Salvation Army for another 1/2 price day that was a surprise to us. I found 2 pair of Quicksilver shorts, a DC shirt, and a Billabong shirt all in perfect condition for Kyle for $9 total. If you have teenagers you know about the brand thing. I think it's important to spend money on good shoes, backpack, and undies, but the other stuff I usually find in my treasure hunting.

At the next thrift shop I found a really cute top for me and some old sheet music. Then it was off to lunch for a respite and recharge. We have a favorite place that for yummy sandwiches like chicken, brie, and roasted red peppers served with sweet potato fries. After that we went to the next big thrift shop. I scored a 1/2 price billabong sweatshirt for the kid, a ton of great buttons, a psx stamp, and some old books.

So, what is our secret? Persistance and dedication. It takes time to find the good stuff. Also, we have a regular route of places we go, but are willing to turn the car around if we see a yard sale sign or a new thrift shop we haven't noticed before. Also, shopping together is lots of fun. Not only do we get to share the thrill of the hunt, but with two sets of eyes and ears we find more treasure. We talk alot about what we are looking for in the car on the way there, so we can help each other. We don't pay much for anything and if somebody is too attached to their stuff we move on. No time for high priced junk. Also, have a little bit of money tucked back just in case something big comes your way. A tiny little purse that doesn't weigh much helps to keep your hands free for digging. That's all my tips for today. Now, a bit of eye candy.