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Treasure Hunting Across State Lines: My Florida Thrifting Adventure

By Rachel

published 02/15/2024

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Last Updated on February 21, 2024 by Rachel Granholm

Come along as we go treasure hunting across state lines: my Florida thrifting adventure!

Thrifting, by nature, is exciting. But thrifting in a different state from your own?! That’s another level of excitement…exhilarating and thrilling, if you will. Recently, while on vacation in Florida, I was able to visit a few antique shops and thrift stores. I found some amazing pieces of vintage decor to bring home and for really good deals. Let’s thrift and go treasure hunting across state lines: my Florida thrifting adventure!

This is the entrance to an antique store called ‘Market at Left Bank’ in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Table of Contents

Uncovering Gems Beyond My Usual Thrift Haunts

You guys! I cannot begin to explain the thrill that comes with going thrifting or antiquing in a different state.

It’s a totally different kind of expectation and surprise. Because it’s a completely new location, you never know what’s going to be on the shelves. People might collect different things from what you see back home, just adding to the newness of it all.

Going into this out-of-state thrifting trip, I was still hoping to find the usual…milk glass, ironstone, maybe some small art pieces, or linens. However, I also was anticipating the possibility of finding something that I wasn’t expecting. Something fresh.

And boy, did I have a blast! I found those and much more.

I’m so excited to show you my Florida thrift haul today. I found some incredible vintage pieces of home decor! Join me as I share what I found, why I picked it up, and how much I paid as well as some simple tips for finding the goods in a different part of the country!

Thrifting Tourist: How to Shop at New-To-You Thrift Stores

When I thrift at home here in Minnesota, I have my regular routine and system of shopping the thrift stores. You probably do, too!

Initially, before I stepped foot into an out-of-town secondhand shop, I thought that I might be overwhelmed with the newness of it all. In my head I was going, “How am I going to find the stuff that I love?” and “What if I don’t find anything?”

Thankfully, from thrift shopping in St. Petersburg, Florida, I found that thrift stores, and antique shops for that matter, are set up much the same as they are at home.

Here are some simple tips that I found helpful when thrifting in a new state.

Ask the locals for any advice on where the best thrift stores are in town. They probably know of amazing, off-the-beaten-path shops that no one else does!
When you go into a new thrift store, assess the pricing. Check a few items to see what they are priced at. If you deem them too high, you can probably assume that the rest of the store is the same way. I did this in one shop and quickly made my way back to the car. Because, why waste your precious thrifting time in an over-priced store?!
Go into each secondhand or antique shop that you see. Even if it looks crummy or not good from the outside, it might be amazing on the inside. You just never know until you check. If you are short on time, at the very least peek in the window. If it looks promising, go in and take a spin. There could be a treasure lurking!

Keep an open mind. I am always drawn to certain items, no matter where I am. But, keep your mind open to finding something that you never thought you would gravitate towards. Especially in a new state, there could be something so amazing that finds it’s way to you!
Yes, still have a budget. Even though I was on vacation and get tempted to throw my budget out the window, it’s still important to gauge what you are willing to spend. Ask yourself if the item is still worth the price before committing to it!

Shop the Look

Treasure Hunting Across State Lines: My Florida Thrifting Adventure

Now that you know some easy ways of navigating out-of-state secondhand shops, let’s get into my finds from the trip. I truly didn’t realize how many vintage pieces I had found until I was packing up my suitcase to come home!

Florida has some incredible thrift stores and vintage shops and definitely did not disappoint.

Secondhand Souvenirs: Unique Thrift Finds to Remember My Trip By

In my opinion, bringing home pretty pieces of vintage from a vacation is so much better than any other kitschy souvenir…am I right?!

So, without further ado, here’s my thrift haul from Florida!

Tall Milk Glass Vase

My uncles and I were driving back to the house one day when I saw a sign for the St. Vincent de Paul thrift store. On a whim, and because I don’t pass up any thrift store, I turned into the parking lot.

I’m so glad I did because I found this amazing vintage milk glass vase for only $5.00 and in a pattern that I’ve never seen before!

This vase is huge, standing at 8.5 inches tall and very heavy. I blame this thing on making my luggage weigh 48.9 pounds on the way home 🙂

The vase is not marked but does have the ‘ring of fire‘, meaning I can be 100% sure that it is a real piece of milk glass and not a reproduction. To me, this is a classic piece of vintage glass from the 1950’s.

The profile of the vase leans mid-century modern but I just adore the square pedestal base! It brings a very different look to my milk glass collection and I’m totally digging it.

Currently, for the rest of the Winter season, I have it displayed in my hutch alongside some ironstone, restaurant-ware, and green trees. Come Spring, I will fill this beauty with bright and happy floral stems!

White Eyelet Linen

You know me…I can’t go thrifting without finding a linen that I just have to have. I pulled this lovely eyelet table runner out of a huge pile in an antique store called ‘Antique Marketplace’. And guess what?! It was only $2.00!

I use these eyelet linens all over my house. They add softness and character to shelves, dressers, tables, and nightstands. I folded this one in half and laid it across the wood shelf in my bathroom. So stinkin’ pretty!!

Thrifting Tip: Don’t be scared off by stains on vintage linens. Oxiclean does wonders for these old pieces of fabric! Simply soak the linen in a bucket of luke- warm water with a scoop of powdered Oxiclean for 24 hours. Hang it up to dry and then iron! Works for me every time.

Vintage Toothpick Holder

THIS. YOU GUYS!!! I cannot believe this find.

While perusing a very pretty booth at the ‘Antique Marketplace’, my gaze honed in on this incredible toothpick holder.

First of all, it’s ironstone. Second, the floral transferware pattern is stunning. And third, it has a BRASS LID with a HINGE!! Look at that cute little knobby handle! I just can’t even.

Now, I did pay up for this piece at $12.00. But remember… I always recommend thinking about what a piece is worth to you.

I’ve never, in my years of thrifting and antiquing, found such a toothpick holder. I did some searching on Google and Etsy and wasn’t able to find anything remotely similar to it. So, my point is, the price I paid for it is high for how small this is. But, to me, it was totally worth it.

I think it’s a rare find and believe that it’s value is much more than what I paid.

Here is the mark on the bottom.

It’s clearly old and, at some point in it’s life, made it’s way to the states from England!

I literally can’t get over how pretty it is.

This little holder for toothpicks is the find of the entire trip!

After getting it home ( and thank goodness it didn’t break en route!), I gave it a good cleaning and then filled it with toothpicks!

We were storing toothpicks in a drawer before. Having this toothpick holder is something I didn’t know I needed until I did…it’s so much easier to pull out a toothpick from this pretty holder than go digging around in a drawer!

So, as I stated above, keep an open mind to finding something that speaks to you. I did and look what I was rewarded with 🙂

Mint Green Plate

The next three finds came from the same antique store called ‘Market at Left Bank’. My uncles said I would love this store and they weren’t wrong. If you are ever in the St. Petersburg area, you have to check this place out. It’s incredible!

Okay. Now. This plate. If you have ever seen this type of vintage plate before, let me know because I have never. And I’m completely obsessed with it!

It’s like the ironstone version of jadeite and is ever so stunning. Look at those scalloped edges! Again, at $5.00, I paid more than I would have at home for this small bread and butter plate. But, again, never seen it before!

The pattern is called ‘Greendawn’. I did a search on Etsy for more of these dishes and, from what I’m seeing, are pretty rare. There were a few pieces listed from this collection but that’s it!

If I would have known that I would have purchased more of the dishes that were at the store.

I’m obviously going to decorate with this pretty green plate for Spring…I think it will pair beautifully with my jadeite!

Vintage French Book

High up on a ledge, and who knows how the heck I even saw this, was this fantastic antique book. The copyright year of it is 1913. Isn’t that incredible?!

The vivid blue color, along with the French graphics, are just gorgeous. Now, when I’m thrifting for vintage books at home, I usually won’t pay more than $5.00. But, this book spoke to me so the $8.00 price tag was totally worth it.

What makes this book super unique is all of the hand-written French script on the insides of both the front and back covers. There are also some addresses written in pen from France and New York.

I have no idea what any of it says but it clearly meant a lot to someone. They really loved and appreciated this book and now I get to enjoy it’s beauty. This is the incredible cycle of vintage pieces!

Vintage books are one of my very favorite decor items to decorate with all year round.

They add depth, dimension, and color to any space. Books also make the perfect filler for those hard-to-reach areas in your home like high up shelving or bookshelves.

To style the French book, I added it to a row of vintage books on my credenza. These books are all hues of green and blue, so it fits in perfectly!

Ironstone Tureen

The last item I found at the ‘Market at Left Bank’ is this fantastic ironstone tureen!

I don’t come across many tureen’s that are within my budget but I got lucky with this one. It was in the sale section for only $20!

I think the squatty profile of this one is just adorable.

The oval-shaped lid with the curved handles is incredibly lovely. And, there aren’t any chips or cracks on the thing…it’s miraculous, really, because these old pieces are extremely fragile.

This another find that I was very nervous about putting in my luggage but it made it home in one piece!

I found the most perfect spot for it too… front and center in my hutch.

This is another one of those timeless decor pieces that can be decorated and styled no matter the season. Here, you will see it with dark green accents and trees for Winter. But, come March, I can mix it in with my Spring florals for a whole new look!

Vintage Transferware Plate

We are onto the last find of the trip!

This vintage plate was found at the CASA Thrift Boutique near downtown St. Pete. Now, I did purchase a pair of these pretty floral plates donned with scalloped edges. The majestic colors on the flowers reminds me of a watercolor painting!

Unfortunately, one of them didn’t make the trip home and broke into a bajillion pieces in my luggage. I was so sad! But, they were not expensive coming in at $3.00 per plate, so there’s that.

If any of you ever find another one of these plates for cheap, let me know and I’ll pay you for it!

I’ve come across these plates at antique stores before but they have been priced too high.

It’s the ‘Staffordshire Bouquet’ pattern and is just the most perfect plate to use for Spring decorating!

Look how pretty that mint green plate pairs with the floral pattern.

If you can’t tell, I’m so ready for Spring and I’m itching to start switching out my decor. Give me all the flowers, please!

Closing Tidbits on Treasure Hunting Across State Lines: My Florida Thrifting Adventure

With that, my Florida thrift haul is complete. I hope this post on treasure hunting across state lines: my Florida thrifting adventure encourages you to get out there and thrift, even when you are somewhere completely new!

Take a spouse, friend, or relative, grab a coffee, and head out on an exciting thrift shopping excursion. Because, truly, thrifting in a different state opens your eyes to how people live in that part of the world. And who knows? You may just come across the best vintage find of your life! Happy thrifting!

Leave me a comment! Do you like to thrift or antique shop in different states? I love hearing from you!

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