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hand jive 2

***The vintage belt I’m wearing here is from the 1970s—one of the only things I kept out of a vintage haul I made several years ago. The solace? I wear it a LOT! The skirt is another Hand Jive piece, made in Ft. Wayne, Indiana. This is as close as I get to boho style. ***

 

It seemed like such a good idea to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice by reading Sense and Sensibility. Eighteen chapters into the book, I felt a huge wave of relief when my well-read friend excused us both from finishing the book, calling it “a chore” and the language, “too affected.”

To that I can only add, “Amen” and “So many books, so little time.” Neither of us can remember such a struggle with Pride and Prejudice. I read for pages on end without deciphering a word of the dialogue. And yet, it’s in plain English. What’s wrong with us? Please answer that question silently.

I’m tired and bored with these women who, so far, have nothing else to do but worry about catching a man who can feed, clothe, shelter, and hopefully, entertain them. Despite my love for other relevant classics, I’m ditching this one.

Let’s just say it wasn’t what I expected. Same for the cold root beer that spilled on my lap at dinner last Friday night, when the bottom spontaneously dropped out of its frosty mug. Literally–the bottom dropped out! It was a freaky thing, let me tell you. Same, too, for the haul I planned last Friday afternoon that was supposed to be a mother lode of vintage finery.

If I’ve learned anything about life so far, it’s that life deals you lots of things you hadn’t planned for and don’t want. All you can do is learn to roll with it.

So, yes, I ditched the book.

My friend and I abandoned our Friday movie plans so I could go home and shower to remove the sticky, root beer mess.

And I headed straight to Goodwill with a whole wad of undesirable stuff that was part of a vintage lot, vowing to be more careful about my next purchase.

Three tips for buying vintage

  1. Try not to buy in lots. Often, you’ll only get a few little gems out of an entire lot.
  2. Don’t buy sight unseen. I’ve had a few wonderful surprises buying online. But I’ve had just as many clunkers.
  3. Learn from your mistakes. When you lose your mind and pay way too much for a lot with only a few vintage treasures, be happy—but don’t repeat that mistake. I found a splendid little vintage purse in Friday’s lot. As one of the only things I kept, I try not to think about how much I really paid for it. Instead, I think, “Would I ever have paid that much for a purse?” If the answer is yes, move on and take the loss. If the answer is no, just don’t buy anything for a really long time. That’ll teach ‘ya. Or so it goes with me. I’m hooking up with the lovely Patti at Not Dead Yet Style for this post.

What’s your best auction find in a lot? Mistakes? Regrets? Bargains? Share them here!

Life is short. Wear the good stuff.