You know what they say, "one man's junk is another one's treasure!"
I love the 'hunt' so much that, once upon a time (1983) I started a business doing yard sales for people with the goal to help them declutter. Unfortunately a work injury put that particular idea on permanent hold.
It would be several years before TLC would come up with the television show Clean Sweep, where homeowners would be forced to 'keep, sell, or donate' a bunch of their clutter. Really wish I'd known someone in those days to pitch that idea!
These days I just like to hunt. Perhaps that's because I'm a Sagittarius -- a Centaur; a hunter by nature.
And while I love the hunt, I am not a yard sale person as a rule. I like them, don't get me wrong, but the idea of combing through ads trying to find and map out all the sales, getting up early and driving to location after location only to maybe find a treasure is not my idea of fun.
Nope, like all things I do, I need to simplify, make it easier, get the most bang for my time. So, that means I love, love, love antique malls and swap meets and flea markets where you are exposed to a myriad of vendors and where you can park once and hunt to your heart's content for as long as you want.
In fact, one of my favorite places to go is actually called 'The Great Junk Hunt' and it is a traveling flea market that happens only a few times per year.
There are two events scheduled close to us. One is in Ventura that was held March 6 and 7th and there is one in the Inland Empire this weekend on the 13th and 14th (see below for links). I went to the Ventura one last week and yes; you guessed it, we are going to the Inland Empire one this coming weekend.
These types of events are about the best entertainment you can have for around $10/person. There is so much to see and you just might find a treasure you didn't even know you wanted!
Let me give you some pro-tips about these large flea markets.
--Take cash -- cash is king. Most of the vendors do have the ability to run your credit cards but if haggling causes your serotonin to flow, then carry cash. And please be mindful -- if you talk someone down from $20 to $15, then hand them a $20..... well, let's just say the vendor often gets irritated. Carry small bills.
--Take your own bags to tote the treasures you find. We all have a pile of them in the back of our car or in the trunk. Take them in with you -- often the vendors run out and you don't want to be juggling.
--Better still, take a grocery cart. Yes, the kind little old ladies push around. I've been using one since I was in my 20's. Seriously! They are also great for Black Friday shopping, all outdoor sales (like Art Fairs) and swap meets/flea markets! I can't tell you how many times someone has come up to me at the mall on Black Friday to say 'why didn't I think of that?'
Just don't take one that is too big. Often the aisle width between vendors is tight, particularly if the event is well-attended so leave your wagons at home unless you have small children to pull around.
--Carry water. Most large outdoor events have food vendors and beverages but water is cheap. Why buy it at $3/bottle when you can bring in bottles that cost 25 cents? You might want a few snacks too -- marathon shopping takes sustenance.
--Wear a hat and sunscreen. I don't care if it is the dead of winter -- you'd be surprised how burnt you can get in 63 degree weather when the sun is shining. The sun is still the sun and you should protect yourself.
As you can likely tell, I give this type of junk hunting a lot of thought! It is truly fun. So let me give you three of my favorite places to go:
As I mentioned previously, my current favorite is
The Great Junk Hunt. If you'd like more information about The Great Junk Hunt, visit their
website or on
Facebook.
My second favorite (oh, ok, my tie for first place) is an antique store in Yuma Arizona. Located in the historic downtown area, it is called Timeless Elegance Antiques.
It's a little over 2 hours by car from Palm Desert and totally worth the drive. In fact, it makes all other antique stores pale by comparison!
Why? Because most antique malls are broken up into 'stalls' and each seller has their own section. While this is interesting, if you are looking for something specific; it will be extra challenging to find it.
Timeless Elegance Antiques groups like items together regardless of who is selling it. That means all cast iron is together, coffee pots are together, copper items, jewelry, books, toys, clothing everything is grouped together so if you are attracted to a specific type of item it is much easier to find!
Timeless Elegance Antiques does not have a website but you can view them on Facebook
And third, I love the Mission Galleria Antique Shoppe
across the street from the
Mission Inn in Riverside. It is setup more traditionally (individual vendors) but they have so much stuff; one visit is not enough!
The Mission Galleria Antique Shoppe also does not have a website but here is their Facebook page.
And no matter what, be sure to visit them at Christmas-time. Trust me!
Decluttering and junk hunting are both worthwhile endeavors. And that junk has to come from somewhere. That means we help our clients declutter.
Whether a client wants to rid themselves of furniture in the home when they purchased it, have decided to downsize or it's just time for an update, Executive Errands® consigns some things and takes others for donation.
We pick up non-perishable food items for the Food Bank and old clothes for needy families. One of the most useful things to donate is small hotel-sized toiletries. So if you travel, be sure to collect them and we'll make sure they get to the people who need them most.
Worst case, if we can't repurpose something, we can take unusable items for disposal.
Before you trash something -- think about if it could be someone else's treasure and let Executive Errands® help you repurpose it. That's why we're here!
If you haven't yet signed up for our Absentee Home Check services (summer is coming at us quickly!) please contact us for a complimentary visit to discuss how best we can support you!
For more information, or to find out how we can work together, please call us at
760.898.9604
or by
email
.
