a guide to all things vintage
Tips and tricks on how to thrift for different items, plus reviews of thrift stores in Northern California, particularly thrift stores in the Bay Area and the Central Valley.
Of the frivolous vintage wares that I love to collect, trinket boxes have made it all the way to the very top of my list of favorite thrifted finds. Like gorgeous dresses with pockets, they’re as beautiful as they are functional. Featuring ornate embellishments and hand-painted motifs, they also serve a decorative purpose as they … Read more
When I first started avidly thrifting in college, I mostly paid attention to clothes. This singular focus continued throughout my mid-20s. Clothes, I figured, I could resell or donate again, but thrifting home decor like sentimental trinkets and kitchenware felt more permanent, like I was settling into place. For the first few years that I … Read more
While I’ve never really identified as a hat person, I’ve taken to hats this year, incorporating them into outfits beyond my backyard gardening getups. Throughout this past summer, I alternated between a navy Cal cap and a bow-embellished straw hat to keep cool beneath the oppressive San Joaquin Valley summer sun. With time, I grew … Read more
Do you feel extra pinched for money these days? I almost wept while picking up a carton of eggs at Save Mart the other day. The inflation struggle is real, and even thrift store treasures can cost a pretty penny if you don’t know how to score the best deals. I’ve cut back a bit … Read more
Beyond the thrill of a great deal, there’s a lot to love about thrifting. Of course, there’s the fact that buying secondhand leaves a smaller carbon footprint. For me, personally, I love the idea that a vintage item at the thrift store had an entire life of its own before I crossed paths with it. … Read more
Autumn is a gloriously overstimulating time of year at the thrift store. Everything is a smorgasbord of jack-o-lantern neon orange and muted pumpkin pie filling burnt orange. Nylon puffy jackets and woolly vintage grandma sweaters are back on display. In the background, you might hear half-working Halloween animatronics playing on a loop while Adele belts … Read more
I’m not sure where time has gone, but it’s somehow mid-April already! Gray skies and mild breezes are still afoot, but those dreadful downpours are finally behind us – I hope. The unpredictable weather has posed a sartorial challenge for sure. But it’s also been a fun creative challenge to assemble thrifted spring outfits for … Read more
One of my biggest barriers to ever becoming a true minimalist is my love for hoarding physical media. I’m incurably obsessed with secondhand shopping for CDs and DVDs. Holding a tangible CD or DVD case in my hands makes me feel like an archivist of a waning culture. (And when I’m collecting cassette tapes, a … Read more
What I love about wicker baskets is that they’re somehow both down-to-earth and fanciful. On the one hand, they have a humble texture that reveals its age with time. But on the other hand, doesn’t it feel kind of whimsical and romantic to use a woven basket when you could simply toss your stuff into … Read more
I simply adore libraries. They’re such wonderful third spaces for free community events, workshops, and resources. And of course, there are the books. Whether you’re partial to obscure antiquarian reads or the latest BookTok titles, you can enjoy everything for free. As a thrifty bookworm, I also love checking out library book sales, which are usually … Read more
