The Shaw

I've been itching to go out and find new (well...new to me) vintage pieces to use in my jewelry, so today, I decided I was going to head out to Waukesha (or "The Shaw" as I like to call it). Waukesha has 3 large antique malls in it's downtown area, but those aren't the ones I wanted to hit today. I haven't had a lot of luck there. Generally speaking, antique malls' prices are too high for me to pay, and that had been the case with most of the dealers at those locations. Occasionally I'll find a piece or two, but most of the time I leave feeling like I just wasted a bunch of time.

There were three other stores I wanted to visit today. I lived in Waukesha for a couple of years, and there was an antique store called "A Dickens of a Place" that I could see if I looked out my apartment window. I was in there once about 4 years ago, and remember not being very impressed, but I wasn't looking for jewelry at the time, so I wanted to go revisit it to see what they had in that department.

There was also another antique store that I drove by everyday on my way home from work. We'll call this "The Corner Store" because it was on a corner and I can't remember what it was called. Again, I had only stopped in once and I think I left empty handed, but I remember there being a lot of little trinkets to look through.

The third store was also one I drove by frequently (see, it was on the way from my apartment to my boyfriend's (now husband's) apartment.) It was called "A Little Bit Country" and was in a cool old farmhouse. I had never stopped in, so today was going to be the day.

My first stop was going to be "The Corner Store." As I was approaching the intersection, I could see a "Now Open!!" sign. Uh oh. Sure enough, I read "Leather Refinishing" across the top of the building. Okay...that doesn't help me. I have no leather to refinish. I just want old jewelry.

The next store, "A Dickens of a Place," is just a hop, skip, and a jump away. I got to wave to my old apartment as I drove by, and as I approached the building, it still had "Antiques" painted across the side of the it. That was a good sign (no pun intended....haha). But as I drove closer, I could see a "For Lease" sign in the window, and it looked like one side had been converted to an art gallery with some strange sculptures inside. Hmm....no need for sculptures. I just want old jewelry....and now I am 0-2.

Because Waukesha is a tricky little town when it comes to the streets and directions, I found myself on Main Street, where one of the big antique malls is. Is this an omen? I might as well stop. I knew I could get through this mall fairly quickly. Unfortunately, a lot of the vendors have left this mall, so it is a lot more empty than it used to be. I was only two booths in when I found a shoe clip for a couple of bucks. This was a good find. I actually had made a necklace out of the exact same clip last year and had a request for another one. I thought I'd never be able to find a similar clip for a reasonable price...and here I found the same design. I was able to browse through the rest of the booths fairly quickly and found a pair of quarter-size rhinestone earrings for a good price. This stop was a pretty good one. At least I came away with a couple of good things. Now...do I stop at the other 2 big antique malls? No....I knew it would chew up another hour or two and I've very little luck at those stops. My goal toady was to discover new sources for vintage jewelry (and I gotta tell ya....not having a lot of luck so far).

Okay...next stop, "A Little Bit Country."  I was crossing my fingers! As I pulled in, I saw the big "Open" flag flying. WhooHoo! I've gotten a step further than the other places on my list. I parked behind the building and noticed a resale clothing shop next door. I decided to just run in there and see if what the had for jewelry. It would've taken me about 2 minutes to see that they didn't have anything that would work for me, but I ended up spending about 30 minutes in the store talking with the owner. Wow, she was a chatty one. Very nice...just chatty. I had to do that thing where you try to head towards the door and say "Well...I spose I should get going...." and then you end up staying there for like 10 more minutes and then she is still talking when you have one hand on the door.  Again....very nice...but chatty.

I head over to "A Little Bit Country" and find that it is a LOT a bit country. It was basically a primitive home decor store. Yes, there were antique furniture pieces, but NOT what I was looking for today. It was a lovely store, but I didn't need primitive furniture or rugs. I just want old jewelry. And I am 0-3 on my list.

After another ho-hum shopping trip, I am even more anxious for spring. That is when the flea markets start back up and people have more rummage and estate sales. That is when I hit my stride. May 15th is the first Elk Horn flea market of the year. That is still over three months away, and I am getting so ANTSY for it. (Just ask my husband, I've been mentioned it frequently in the past month.) For now, antique malls will have to be my main source. Occasionally an auction or estate sale will occur, but lately I've had to miss a lot of those due to conflicts. Maybe later this week I will hit up the antique stores in Milwaukee. Wish me luck!!

My purchases of the day