Sharing My Second-Hand Wealth - Or Not

OK, I’m hooked. Can’t scroll past those Facebook thrifting reels. 

In my day, it was known as thrift shopping. What can I say? Today there’s a trendy new name for everything old. 

The reels remind me of the days when I owned two small resale shops in Maplewood and Stirling, New Jersey. 

I’ve always loved vintage everything. Collecting started as a hobby and a way to decorate my surroundings. The passion spawned a part-time hustle.

I scoured garage sales, estate sales and thrift shops to rescue previously owned gems in need of TLC. I mostly sought wood furniture I could refinish for resale but always purchased decorative items to enhance the finished products. As a result, buyers could find previously owned furniture and accessories at my galleries. 

Besides refinishing furniture, I learned how to repair wicker and weave pieces from a master. He was the only person I know who could recreate anything. He built wood and wicker furniture from scratch. All he needed was an idea or a visual and magic followed. 

My treasures fell into four categories:

Things I kept –I furnished all of my living spaces with pieces I collected and refurbished.  To this day, my TV cabinet, sofa and box spring/mattress are the only items in my apartment that aren’t secondhand. Some things must be bought new! You feel me?

Things I sold – Hunting for sidewalks castoffs netted finds I repurposed into creations that graced many homes in New Jersey’s Essex and Morris County. I often wonder what’s still out there. 

Things I wish I hadn’t sold – I still think about an oak podium I found that would have made a wonderful plant stand. I never came across anything like it again.

Things I sold and bought back – I sold a crystal angel, then dreamt about it. Luckily, a friend bought it. She looked at me sideways but agreed to sell it back to me. Yes, I did this.

Thought you might like to see a few before-and-after samples of my work. Pretty good, huh?

I gave up my profitable refinishing business after three years because the fumes were a health hazard. Watching Facebook reels entices me to start the hunt for sellable items again.

But do I really need another project? That would be a no!