Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Features Of A Fabulous Junk Shop

Landing In A Junk Shop That You Go Wow Over

I have been thinking a lot about junk lately. As we all know, sometimes we land in a junk shop or flea market and we are smitten with the junk. So what is it about some junk that gets us more excited than other junk?

Junk Is A Personal Thing

Yes, I know junk is a very personal thing....but let's face it, when you are in a great junk store, you know it!

Universal Characteristic
s of A Good Junk Shop

There are indeed some universal characteristics of what most people consider a good junk store. The main ingredient is that the store is chock full of terrific collectible " junque".
In a nutshell there is something for everyone; boxes of rusty nails, Pee Wee Herman dolls, pottery from Poland, old tins, vintage records, ceramic clowns , old light bulbs, postcards,
retro chairs, cameras, books, picture frames, milk bottles, flash cards, rocks, shells, planters, tools, paper weights, lamps, wooden boxes, toys etc.

When The Mother Load Arrives

And the stuff seems fresh. You have the feeling that the mother load has just arrived and that the junk has not been growing moss. A few cobwebs yes...but the stuff is appealing in its own
vintage and quirky way. You look up at the ceiling and you see chairs hanging from beams, you look in the bathroom and there are more things, you look out the back of the shop and you see bathtubs, ...every inch of the property is packed with stuff.

.
Making Piles Of What you Want To Buy

You know you are in a good shop because there is a lot of things that you want to buy without thinking twice about the price. The owner wants to turn the stuff over and he or she knows that they are not an antique shop but a junk store!

Feeling Satisfied To Buy At Junk Store Prices

And you the buyer feels like you can buy at junk store prices. You feel satisfied and not taken! You are in junk heaven once again!

Features Of A Great Junk Shop

1.Lots of funky stuff everywhere.
2.Crazy things in lots of different rooms.
3.Mixed up displays that hang together.
4.Variety at decent prices.
5.Organized clutter.
6.Not overly dusty or gross.
7.Stuff hanging from the ceiling.
8.Mixture of very old stuff, retro and mod.
9.Lots of stacks of odds and ends.
10. Objects with design
potential.

Photos were taken in The Junk Shop of Canton, Canton, Connecticut.

C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of Iantiqueonline.com an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne’s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro cafĂ©.

To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link:
C. Dianne Zweig’s Blog Kitsch ‘n Stuff

Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com

Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com

Dianne is a member of:
The American Society of Journalists and Authors
The Authors Guild, Inc.

7 comments:

  1. Well, I want to go immediately to that junk shop in Canton. Based on your criteria, it fits the bill on all levels. I might add.. an appealing junk shop is mostly free of odors. There will always be a slight "thrift-store" smell. It's hard to avoid. But I've been in places that have cat boxes that stink to high heaven, where the owners smoke inside their shops and there's no air circulation, making even the most amazing finds unappealing.

    Stan

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  2. I need to do some junk shopping that's for sure! I absolutely love that yellow kitchenette set. I wonder if the yellow stools came from the same house. That's the kind of thing I wonder about! LOL

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  3. You are so right about the difference between a junk store and antique shop and the prices. I almost absolutely refuse to go to name brand thrift stores anymore...since when do they think their stuff is worth so much?...and their stuff was given to them to begne with!!! Sorry for my rant..just one of my pet peeves...

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  4. Great post and right on all points. This has moved me to get out today and visit my favorite junk shop while the weather is good!

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  5. I just found your blog this week and I am in love with it. I found a huge box of vinatge Bingo cards in my mom's basement so I was searching for something to do with them. You have some great ideas! I made a sign with mine.
    If you want to see..
    www.luckystarlane.com
    Thanks for the inspiration!

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  6. Hi again, Dianne! Thanks for the return visit and I've changed the name on your link like you asked. Thanks for adding me!

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  7. Oh my goodness, I have found heaven on earth! I think it's only been about 30 min. But I don't even remember what I was looking for when I came across this site! This Diane person is GENIUS, sorry I'm just so happy. I completely relate to every word she types and my dumb I pad only has 13% battery left, cuz I was just checking something! Well, the great thing is, is that I can't wait to come back and bathe in, melt into, wallow in every piece of this site! Miss Diane, I love you! You have caused my brain to follow my heart and soul in that its ok for me to be addicted to vintage, thank you, Tami jo

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