Secondhand Buys I Didn’t Make and Still Regret

Sometimes I think that we should just leave a box of Kleenex at the register. It would make it so much easier to deal with all the tears of regret. Regret over purchases unmade. And then the tears when the item is already sold when the customer has a change of heart. Anyone who thrifts or shops consignment has a list of the secondhand buys that they didn’t make and still regret. I should know, probably better than most, based on what I do for a living, that she who hesitates… We even have a sign in the store that reads:

The item you saw today, and want to think about tonight, will be sold later today, to the person who saw it yesterday, and thought about it last night!

The Contenders: Secondhand Buys I Didn’t Make And Still Regret

Furniture:

Well, of course, being that furniture nerd that I am, there has to be one piece of furniture that I regret. There are actually many, but one, in particular, stands out. It was a jelly cupboard, made by the Amish. It was for sale down in Northern Virginia, where I lived for awhile. Why I didn’t score this beautifully constructed, hand-made piece I’ll never know. It would have fit so well in my house then and even now it would be the perfect place to store my vintage textiles, but no, I did not buy it. Ugh.

Jewelry:

Then, of course, there’s that jewelry regret. It was a small, vintage, magnifying glass that someone had attached to a long, beautiful chain. Talk about the perfect item for someone in my profession to own and wear regularly – especially as these old lady eyes of mine get less and less able to see all the small markings. Don’t own that one either.

And, Of Corse, Art:

Lastly, there is art regret. It seems that for me, a lot of the regret revolves around art. Just like last week when I told you about the best thing that I ever bought second hand. Well, one of my biggest regrets is not buying a piece of art.

I was a young mom and I was poking around the Brimfield Antiques Fair when I saw this watercolor. It was two children playing in the surf. You only saw them from behind, but the way they held hands and were jumping in the air spoke to their shear joy in the day, in the waves and the sunshine. It was around $100, which was a lot for me at the time, but I was all in. My husband at that time did not love it. As a matter of fact, he had complete distaste for it. So, you guessed it, we did not buy it. I went back, several shows in a row looking for that darn painting without any luck. Sometimes, even now, when I go to that show I still look for it. One day… maybe.

Secondhand Buys You Didn’t Make Still Regret?

So how about you? What are the ones that got away? I’d love to know. You can share them with me at consignmentslimited@gmail.com. I’m going to make a list and perhaps write another blog with some of the best ones. Feel like sharing this blog with someone you know? You can send it via email or FaceBook with the buttons below.

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Just feel like reading, undisturbed? Check out some of my previous blogs on collecting, like: How To Display Collections of Small Items and What To Collect on Vacation.

Have a lovely, regret-free day, my friends. Marianne