Thrifting in Florida: Tips for How to Hunt for the Best Deals

Oh, the exhilarating hunt for a vintage bargain can be so satisfying. The journey that you venture on to find a unique piece can be a story in itself.

This is why my mom once explained to me that the thrill is in the hunt for the bargain which is why so many people get excited when they finally discover something that can be difficult to find. This is what makes thrifting so much fun!

I've always enjoyed looking for bargains, whether thrifting or visiting a discount store of some kind.

I was introduced to antiquing at a young age, so I feel like I've acquired an appreciation for older craftsmanship and the stories associated with antiques. Every time I would visit my dad and stepmom, they would take me to antique stores and the occasional flea market. I have to laugh because we were particular about shopping at flea markets. The flea markets had to have older, junkier items, versus new items that you could buy from the big box stores. What's the fun in that?

Then again, we enjoyed the thrill of the hunt at the flea market, whether that was digging in old boxes or digging to find the next piece of buried treasure hiding under an old lampshade. The junkier the vendor stall looked, the more excited I got.

So if you were brought up antiquing like me, then you have come to appreciate a good bargain when you see it.

Nowadays, I'm always on the lookout for fun pieces that will accentuate my Florida decor. For example, I love the decor at the Gasparilla Inn. The Old Florida charm and shines through with white rattan and textured fabrics.

Speaking of Florida decor, have you ever tried to describe your decorating style, but you just can't find the descriptive words to explain your current decor trend? I definitely struggle with this since I tend to swap out pieces on the regular.

Thrifting Tips in Florida

So now that you know how I'm decorating, I'm going to give you tips for thrifting in Florida and what to keep an eye out for.

What to look for when thrifting in Florida?

This is highly personalized but when I thrift in Florida for decor pieces, I always look for natural wood decor pieces. This could be a bamboo tray or anything rattan. I love finding neat rattan chairs that you can place in a corner of the home.

I tend to purchase blue and white chinoiserie items. If there is a blue and white lamp shaped like a ginger jar, my heart skips a beat. I love finding ginger jar lamps with white lampshades. I've always wondered why people buy lamps brand new when you can find an original lamp for half the price.

Let's talk shells. Shells can be a great decorating piece plus they look just about anywhere in a Florida home. I tend to look for large conch shells to display on coffee tables and console tables around my home. They look great when sitting on top of a stack of books or perched on a hutch.

I always keep an eye out for original Florida landscape paintings. Preferably oil or acrylic but I've seen very nice watercolor paintings too. I always enjoy adding to my collection because paintings are visually appealing on walls and they can be great conversation starters. Of course at Coastal Home Market, we love painting and selling original seascapes like the one above. 

When I'm on the lookout for furniture there are only a few styles that I will consider in my Florida home. I love the look of faux bamboo accents so I tend to gravitate to furniture items that encompass vintage Florida but not too kitschy. For example, buffets or side tables with faux bamboo are perfect accents to make your home more coastal. Some top brands for this furniture style are Broyhill and Henry Link.

Another style I like to incorporate is bamboo chairs, specifically the Chippendale style, and anything with cane accents (think cane headboards or a cane side chair).

Incorporating natural elements like rattan, bamboo, and cane will bring a casual style to your Florida coastal home.