Junking Tips: Let’s Find All The Junk

I am sharing all of my junking tips to help you navigate success while hunting off the beaten path! There’s so much junk in the world – we just have to find it!

For the past several days I have been out on the ‘Junking’ Trail,’ busy finding all sorts of treasures for my home and vintage booth. I shared my adventures over on Instagram stories (click here to follow along with me over there), and I got asked a ton of questions about the junking’ process! Actually, I get asked questions all the time such as, “how do you even know HOW to “go junking?” Friends and family members who do not do a lot of picking wonder how it’s done. While there is no real formula or secret to success, there are a few junking tips that I would like to offer up.

Where To Go

This is a hard one to answer because so many times I just stumble upon places to pick. Now, you can always start with spots that you can search out online like:

• Antique Stores
• Thrift Stores
• Estate Sales
• Flea Markets
• Antique Shows
• Yard Sales

But, most times my biggest scores are really found off the beaten path. I am talking about little places that are NOT advertised. Usually, when I want to do some serious junking like that, I will venture out of my home town area and into small little southern towns (I live in Georgia) that I am basically unfamiliar with. If nothing catches my eye as I am driving around then I will usually ask a local about any potential spots. A simple question such as, ‘are there any spots that sell old stuff?’ can get you on your way.

Asking this simple question has helped me to find all sorts of fun spots to pick through. In addition, asking this question has helped me to find some really amazing pieces too! For example, over the last decade I have picked through:

• Abandoned Homes
• Empty “Town Square” Buildings that were packed with things that were long forgotten
• Barns … so many barns
• Old Factories that were being used to store junk
• Old Mills that were being torn down
• Old Schools that were being emptied
• Scrap Yards and Junk Yards
• Random people’s sheds and properties
• Truck Trailers packed with junk

The list does go on.

But, I feel it is very important to point out, that I always make sure that I keep MY SAFETY as my top priority. I encourage you to do the same. Maintaining your safety at all times my be my most important junking tip of all! I ONLY will enter into a place that I feel comfortable in and most all of the places that I listed above I went to with my father. My dad taught me everything that I know about picking and he is the only person I will pick with. Together we do make a great team. (If I am being totally honest, I prefer to pick alone – or with him – because this is a job for me and when I am out doing serious junking I like to stay focused and on track.)

Quick Reminder

The trick is not to give up or get discouraged when you come up empty handed the first time, or even the second or third. For example, yesterday my dad and I went out junking and we did not really find any good stuff until our 5th stop. Some days I don’t find much of anything all together. The trick is NOT to let it stop you because sometimes the next big haul can be right down the road! You just have to keep trying.

Oh, and to this point, I really feel that the ‘unsuccessful days’ make you appreciate the really successful days so much more!

One More Thing

Over the years, as I have done more and more junking and people learn about what I do, I have gotten phone calls inviting me to come to their properties to buy. One of my very best junking trips came to fruition this way. That is a story for another day – but I promise that you will find that sometimes the junk will find YOU. Let people in your community know what you do!

What To Bring

In addition to packing your patience, I feel it is important to bring a few things when you are going out:

• Cash and Checkbook – Most times people will only take cash so bring paper money.
• Tie Downs and Tarps – You never know what you will find so be prepared for large items.
• Hand Sanitizer and Hand Wipes – Your hands will get dirty. Sometimes I even bring squirt soap/water bottle.
• Food and Water – Many times I end up in areas that are really far out with limited food options.
• Brushes, Rags, Towels, Etc – Items that will help you knock off dust/debris and that will protect the inside of your vehicle. Most times when I am picking in places like this the items have been sitting for years and are dirty and dusty.
• Pen and Paper – To jot down where you went in case you want to go back

If you want to see more tips for what to bring when out picking in other areas, I wrote more on what to bring to an estate sale and how to find the best items at an Antique Flea Market here and here!

Look Over Your Items Before Paying

I feel that it is important that you take a moment to look over all of the things that you want to buy before you pay for them. There are no returns when you are picking off of the beaten path! Be sure to check to make sure there isn’t any damage. Rust, tears, chips, cracks, etc., can be great on vintage items but they can also render a piece useless so check what you’re buying just to be sure.

Wrap Up

I always say, there is always more junk in the world. More than any of us know what to do with. I can not save it all by myself and I need your help! The intention of my “social media presence” has always been to help promote the excitement of saving things from our past and how to bring them into your home today! I hope that my little junking tips inspire you to go out and scoop up an old treasure on your very own ‘Junkin Trail.’ Together, let’s save our cherished history, one piece at a time!