2 min readAs the Country Living editor tasked with working on our What to Collect antiques stories, it’s easy (too easy!) for me to develop deep-into-the-rabbit-hole obsessions with a single vintage item. So, when it comes to thrifting in my personal life, I try to be a little more practical. Does it have a function in my home? Do I already have four things just like it? Does it, if nothing else, bring a smile to my face every time I look at it? These are the questions I ask myself while out shopping. And in 2026, these are the specific secondhand finds I hope to spot while out on the hunt.
A Good Ol’ Fashioned Globe
My two-year-old son is in a big “repeat after me” phase, so we’ve been giving him country names to try out. (His favorite thus far? Mozambique!) Ergo, I’m on the hunt for a great 1950s or 1960s globe we can add to his room—the brighter the blue, the better. That way we can start associating country shapes and placement with the words he’s having so much fun saying.
A Slice of Watermelon
There is something so supremely punchy and fun about a sculptural slice of watermelon. And, as far as carved wooden folk art goes, I like that the concept is fairly easy to create but still packs a visual punch. The pink and green would provide the perfect bit of whimsy to add to our living room bookshelves.
A Mirror for My Front Entrance
Though we don’t have much space for a drop zone by our front door, I’d love to add a mirror above the light switches for a last-minute look before I head out into the world each day. Space-wise, it needs to be something rectangular, under 10 inches wide; looks-wise, I’m hoping for something either chippy and colorful or stately and bamboo. So far, nothing has fit the bill.
A Really High-Maintenance Necklace Charm
I know charm necklaces have been trending for a minute now, but the jumbled look has always been a bit too, well, jumbled for my more minimalist personal style. However, I would not say no to one or two more elaborate charms to hang from a simple chain. A tiny dice box, complete with actual dice!? A miniature 14-karat-gold lighter!? Want, want, want.
A Quirky Still Life
Some people love landscapes. Others, oil portraits. Me? I’m a sucker for paintings of random, inanimate objects—the more surprising the grouping, the better. The Louisa Matthíasdóttir painting in the bedroom of this Scandi-maximalist Connecticut cottage is the current inspo I’m working with. Something with color, a coffee cup, and a well-placed vegetable or two sounds great.
A Medium-ish Sideboard
I’ve run out of places to store my son’s toys in the living room, so a second batch needs to move into our mostly empty front room. In my ideal world, I’d corral them in a chippy, lowish-slung cabinet with fully closing doors (no open storage for me, no thank you!) and a wide top to place a lamp and some knick-knacks on.
