Having a good eye and the ability to hunt for second hand  treasures isn’t always a skill that is easily developed. I’ve been trained by the best teacher, my mother. As far back as I can remember my mother was always hitting up thrift stores, making my dad drive around to find garage sales and stopping in little antique stores whenever we could. One of my most vivid memories are going to visit my Aunt Sherry who was also a thrift-queen, and watching my mother & her come back from their thrifting trips with bags of ‘finds’ that they would be so proud of because of how little they spent for such awesome stuff. Also thanks to my mother, I can see the potential of things that may not be so nice or obvious to the eye at first glance. Never underestimate the power of fixing things up, whether it be an ugly piece of furniture that can be transformed into something adorable with just a new coat of paint & some new hardware or a dress that can use a makeover with just a simple pair of scissors.

With the internet and everything being so accessible, shopping second hand has become a lot easier. There are people out there who do all the scouring for you! That to me is the best part but for some people they couldn’t be bothered with the dirty work.  There are many sites that offer second hand things, Ebay & Etsy are just a few really good places.

Speaking of Etsy, my friend Erin, a girl who has an amazing eye for beautiful things has started up her own vintage shop. Go check out her website on etsy: Under Capricorn she already has some very cute things.

Check out her blog & follow her on twitter to find out when new items are added!

If I had more time this is definitely something I would love to start up but for now, I’ll just keep the treasure hunting for myself.

Meet Jimmy! Jimmy is my mother’s doll from when she was a child. I have been trying get her to let me take Jimmy home with me for the longest time and finally last night she caved. Jimmy looks a little sick, his skin is grey and he has dark circles around his eyes but I adore him and gave him a spot right beside Sally and the Bobsey Twins.  I rescued Sally from a Thrift Store for $5, she has ink stains on her cheek and her outfit is torn but I think she is also the cutest. The Bobsey Twins were also from a Thrift Store and they came naked in plastic bags, how could you possibly not feel sorry for them?

I have had this love for old vintage/antique dolls for a while. The more decrepit, the better. I think they are absolutely beautiful and to me it’s almost like they represent a lost childhood. At one time these dolls were in their prime and made a little child ecstatic and then over the years they become forgotten and nobody wants them anymore.  I find this sad and I suppose I feel like I am “saving” them.

A while back The Selby featured Judi Rosen’s house and I spotted another aficionado for old dolls! Her collection is absolutely amazing. Here are a few of my favourites:

Images courtesy of theselby.com

A lot of people don’t understand my affinity for old dolls, they tend to think they’re extremely creepy and maybe I am a little strange but to each his own!