The Vintage Vagabond: thrifting

My name is Stacy, and I'm a sixth grade teacher by trade, and a vintage resale enthusiast by choice. When I'm not busy teaching lessons and grading assignments, I am on the hunt for vintage treasures at local thrift shops, estate sales, and yard sales. Here's the story of how my obsession with all things vintage came to be.

Yard sale shoppers know this image all too well.
Good thing my van is a Stow 'N Go model.

Fifteen years ago, I went to my first yard sale with my sister-in-law. She was a seasoned veteran with an impeccable knack for finding incredible bargains, and I wanted in on the game. Saturday mornings became my escape. I left my husband and four kids at home and hit the yard sale circuit in earnest. I shopped for my home, my family, my classroom, and my friends.

If you're in the Philadelphia area and you get the chance,
visit Bargain Thrift Center in Germantown. You won't be disappointed.

I was content in my role as yard sale hobbyist for many years, and then something amazing happened. I ended up working at Bargain Thrift Center, my cousin's thrift store, on Saturdays. One thing lead to another, and before I knew it, I was a listing manager for Vintage Character, her Etsy shop, and we were making the rounds on the local vintage market circuit together. I had found my "thing".

Taking a break from "Antiques Camp" in Michigan and visiting a 4-H Fair.

Fortunately for me, Sue is an accomplished business woman and a virtual fountain of vintage knowledge. I spent several years under her expert tutelage, learning the tricks of the trade. Sue even took me to "Antiques Camp" in Michigan once to help me learn how to determine the value of vintage items.

Taken on move-in day at Capt. Scrap Antiques, Collectibles and More in Woodbine, NJ.

Then, in February of 2017, I got the opportunity to join a vintage resale co-op called Capt. Scrap Antiques, Collectibles, and More near the lake where we vacation. I decided it was time to venture out on my own and give small business ownership a shot, and I am so happy I did. Capt. Scrap's is amazing: six buildings full of the best vintage and antique vendors you'd ever want to meet. I am happy to report the co-op endeavor is working out very well. I love tending my small space and sales are solid. Luckily for me, my biggest challenge is space. I find so many awesome treasures that I don't have enough room to display my entire inventory. Eventually, I realized opening my own Etsy shop would allow me to be able to bring even more of my vintage riches to a much wider audience, and VintageVagabond1967 on Etsy was born in June.

Pyrex Casserole Dishes available in my Etsy shop.

Its been a most enjoyable journey going from a yard sale hobbyist checking items off the wish lists of my family and friends to an independent small business owner offering my vintage wares to a global customer base, and I look forward to building an extensive and amazing shop inventory for both my local and world-wide customers' shopping pleasure.

If you are in the South Jersey area, check out Capt. Scrap's in Woodbine.

This family on the yard sale route was ready for business.

This past weekend I attended my first (hopefully of many) multi-mile yard sales. We camped for the weekend at Oak Orchard Marina and Campground in Savannah, New York near the Montezuma end of the Route 90 50 Mile Garage Sale Route and turned the trip into a little midsummer getaway. I highly recommend exploring the Finger Lakes region if you are going to hit this mega garage sale which is held the last weekend in July every year and is confirmed for July 28-29 in 2018. It's a beautiful area with lots to offer in addition to miles of yard sale bargains.

Oak Orchard Marina and Campground

Our home for the weekend.

This is what I learned at the Route 90 50 Mile Garage Sale:

1. 50 miles is a lot of yard sales. On Saturday, we started promptly at 8:00 AM and hunted nonstop until 4:00 PM and only covered 25 of the 50 miles on the garage sale route. You can end up walking for blocks at a time when you hit a cluster of sales along the route so wear comfortable shoes. I wore new shoes that I THOUGHT were comfortable when I tried them on and ended up buying a pair of flip-flops along the way because my toes were so sore.

2. This sale runs from Homer, NY to Montezuma, NY along the Route 90 Scenic Byway that hugs the eastern shore of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes Region. Route 90 is a two lane road. You can drive in either direction along the sale route. If we go back next year, I would love to stay near the midway point on the route which happens to be the quaint little town of Aurora (population of 724 according to the 2010 census). That way we could cover 25 miles of the sale route in one direction the first day and 25 miles in the other direction on the second day. However, there are no camping accommodations in, or close to, Aurora so we'd have to stay in a Bed and Breakfast or rent a private vacation rental, and I am committed to getting Wanda, our vintage travel trailer, out as often as I can.

It's a pull over and park when you see a sale kind of system.

3. Plan your picking carefully. There were a lot more sellers out on Saturday at the Montezuma end of the yard sale route. We only went out treasure hunting on Saturday, but we had to travel along the garage sale route to get to our Water to Wine vineyard boat tour (HIGHLY RECOMMEND) on Sunday, and we noticed there were not as many sellers out on the second day. I don't have any first-hand knowledge about whether the bargains were better on Day Two, but I suspect they may have been judging from the smaller number of sellers and buyers who were out doing business then.

Our transportation to the wineries on Sunday.

Such a fun way to get to the wine tastings.

4. You don't need to pack a lunch on garage sale day unless you really want to. There are lots of organizations set up along the sale route with a variety of yummy food offerings at reasonable prices. Between the four of us, we had pierogies, Italian sausage and peppers, hotdogs, and BBQ chicken while we were picking. All of it was delicious and easy to eat on the run.

5. What you won't find too many of along the route is restrooms. We eventually ended up finding facilities at a gas station along the route, but we were several hours into the trek before we happened upon the place. I don't really have a solution for this problem, but it's something you should be aware of heading into the experience.

6. Dress in layers. We were stoked about the forecast for the weekend of our trip because there was no rain predicted and high temperatures were only supposed to reach 77° on Saturday, our shopping day. The forecast turned out to be accurate, and the weather was gorgeous all weekend. However, 77° with no cloud cover along an asphalt road heats things up pretty quickly. Shedding the flannel I threw over my outfit in the morning was an absolute necessity by noon.

"Boy, it's hot out here."

7. If you decide to start at the southern end of the garage sale route, you'll be in Homer which is about 40 minutes from Ithaca. There are more lodging opportunities in this area than there are in Aurora or Montezuma. If I started at this end of the route next time, I would stay at Pine Creek Campground, but there are plenty of hotels and other lodging options here, too.

8. If you want to eat out while you are in the region, there are many delicious options. During the weekend, we ate at Parker's Grille and Tap House , Deerhead Lakeside Restaurant and Bar, and The Farmers Market Buffet at Del Lago Casino. You could try any one of these establishments (I highly recommend all three.), or you can do some internet research and discover a gem of your own.

Deerhead Lakeside Restaurant and Bar. Great food and an awesome view. Ask for a window seat.

9. Don't worry about packing any wine for your trip. There are over 100 wineries in the Finger Lakes Region. You can visit them by boat, van, or Volkswagen Bus. Just make sure you check some of them out while you are there.

Great spot for photos when you get off the boat at The Thirsty Owl winery.

10. Finally, bring a pickup truck or a car with plenty of trunk space because there are tons of great bargains to be had. I found all of these great items, and tons I haven't shelved or listed yet, while I was there. I am so glad I followed through on this trip. My "working vacation" ended up being an enjoyable weekend getaway for me and my traveling companions. The only problem is I have a dilemma now. Do I go back to the Finger Lakes next summer for the Route 90 50 Mile Garage Sale or head south for the 127 Yard Sale? Only time will tell.