Shopping My Own Barn: Rediscovering Vintage I Forgot I Had – One of the funny things about having a barn full of vintage is that sometimes it feels less like inventory and more like shopping in an antique store I haven’t visited in years.
There are boxes I haven’t opened in ages, shelves I haven’t really looked through, and pieces tucked behind other pieces that I completely forgot were there.
Every once in a while, I’ll be working in the barn, move something out of the way and think…
Where did this come from?
And then I remember. Oh yeah. It’s mine. When You Have Too Much to Remember
When I closed my storefront in 2021, everything had to go somewhere.
Furniture, displays, boxes of smalls, seasonal items, kitchen pieces, paper goods and all of those miscellaneous vintage treasures I had collected for the shop eventually made their way into the barn.
At the time, the goal wasn’t to perfectly organize everything. The goal was simply to get everything moved, protected and stored.
And when you have that much inventory packed into one building, it’s surprisingly easy to forget what you have.
Five years later, I’m still discovering things.
It’s Almost Like Treasure Hunting
Now that I’m spending more time working through the barn, I’ve started opening boxes and looking through shelves that haven’t gotten much attention in a long time.
That’s when the fun begins.
I’ll pull something out and immediately remember why I bought it in the first place. An old kitchen piece. A stack of vintage paper. A piece of pottery.
A rusty little something that most people would probably walk right past.
Most times I remember exactly where I found it. Other times, I have absolutely no idea.
Either way, it feels a little like finding it all over again.
The Things I Still Love
One thing I’ve noticed while going through everything is that my taste really hasn’t changed all that much.
I still love the same kinds of things I’ve always been drawn to – old kitchen pieces, pottery, cast iron, garden items, vintage paper and anything with a little wear and a good story.
Give me something with chipped paint, faded lettering, old handwriting or a little rust and I’m probably going to stop and look at it.
Apparently, Past Me knew Current Me pretty well.
The problem is that Current Me occasionally wants to keep everything Past Me bought.
That’s probably not the best inventory strategy.
Keep, Sell or Put It Back?
Rediscovering all of these things has created another little problem. Now I have to decide what to do with them.
Some pieces are obvious candidates for the booth. Others would be better for Etsy. Vintage paper and ephemera are becoming their own little category as I sort through books, postcards, sheet music and other paper goods.
And then there are the pieces that make me think…
Maybe I should keep this.
Those are dangerous words when you sell vintage.
I’ve learned to give myself a little time with those pieces. Sometimes I really do want to keep something. Other times, after seeing it sitting around for a few days, I’m perfectly happy to price it and send it on to someone else.
After all, part of the fun of selling vintage is knowing that something I’ve enjoyed can become someone else’s treasure.
Shopping the Barn First
I’m also trying to look at the barn differently.
Instead of always thinking I need to go out and find more inventory, I’m trying to shop what I already have first.
And believe me, there’s plenty to shop.
Before heading to an estate sale, auction or thrift store, I can walk through my own shelves and boxes and usually find something that deserves another look.
- Something to clean.
- Something to photograph.
- Something to take to the booth.
- Something to list online.
Or something that simply needs to be brought out where I can see it again.
It’s helping me slowly work through years of accumulated inventory while reminding me how many wonderful things are already sitting right here.
There’s Still Plenty Left to Discover
The barn isn’t going to be organized overnight, and I’m okay with that. Every box I open and every shelf I work through gets me a little closer. And occasionally, I get the bonus of finding something I’d completely forgotten about.
Those are the days when working in the barn doesn’t feel much like work at all. It feels like treasure hunting. Except I don’t have to drive anywhere.
And apparently, the person who stocked this particular vintage shop has pretty good taste.
If you’d like to browse more of my vintage finds, you can visit my Etsy shops here: Funky Vintiques and Lafayette Antiques. I’m adding new treasures every week, so feel free to check back often!
📍 Find us at:
📌 Sugar Mill Antiques & Vintage Depot
📍 13788 Pacific Circle, Mead, CO
🛍 Booth #58 – Center Aisle, 2nd on the Left
You can also browse our finds in our Etsy store!
