Many people spend time going to thrift stores on the weekends or during the week, looking for that hidden treasure to discover. It could be a simple coat that is vintage that fits you or a painting that catches your eye when you see it the first time. You never know what you might find.
Many of us go into a thrift store looking for clothes or some need for the household. My significant other and I furnished our whole apartment via thrift stores. So, there are many, many things you can use in a thrift store.
You never know what you might find in a thrift store, even when it comes down to finding valuable artwork. When you come across a piece of artwork, are you a collector or not? Either way, you need the next bit of information. When you come across some artwork in a thrift store do you just look at it and say that is pretty? Why? You never know what a treasure you may be looking at right in front of you.
When searching for something specific in artwork you must be educated about what you’re looking for in the stores. When you’re looking for artwork, you must get familiar with the artwork. That way when you’re shopping and searching you can be educated between real, reproduction, and fake. In other words, protect yourself through and through. Becoming familiar with artwork allows you protection against fakes and bad reproductions, should you be a collector. Check and see if the artwork has a certificate of authenticity which may be attached to the backside of the artwork. Also, look and see if the artwork is a numbered lithograph release of prints. With numbered works, generally the lower the number the more the piece could be worth. This will also help you in your research of the artwork. If it is an original with an authentic signature you have to research the artist alone to see if there is any value in their artwork.
How else can you get familiar with artwork? Research the artist or artists online or on your phone in the store. Make sure that you look at everything you can about that piece of artwork while you can if you are looking to collect it. If you like the piece you can always buy it and research it later. Being a collector, research is a very important part of your search.
When looking in thrift stores, one of my favorite things to do is look for vintage photos. I don’t research the pictures until a later date because I just collect them. I have not found any too valuable, but I have found some vintage photos from the early 1900s from around the Smoky Mountains. However, if you are serious about collecting vintage photos, make sure your research the style or type of photo you want to collect. You can do that with your computer or phone, especially if you have an iPhone. Vintage photos are some interesting things to collect, whether you’re looking for ambrotypes, daguerreotypes, or historical photos. Many people don’t know what they have in the vintage photos when they donate them to thrift stores. Vintage photos have different monetary values to them based on their age and the type of photo they are.
Remember, you never know what you might find at your local thrift store when it comes to valuable artwork and vintage photographs. Get familiar with artwork you are interested in collecting, so you know the value and authenticity of the pieces you find, and enjoy the hunt for your art.
