WE ARE SUPPORTED WITH GOODS MADE BY OVER FIFTY WOMEN, AND TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHO THEY ARE, WE’RE SPOTLIGHTING ONE ARTIST MONTHLY-ISH TO LEARN WHAT’S MADE HER, THE MAKER.
by Jacqueline Smith, Founder & CEO, FOUND Natural Goods
At FOUND, we appreciate the eye and time of second-life Pickers —so much so— that our next featured Make(Her) is one. True, she didn’t make the vintage and second-life pieces but, she did find them and bring them to us to share with all you beautiful people. And that is the kind of magic we believe in; dedication, energy, style, imagination, strength, organization, and vision.
This sixth Make(Her) spotlight lands on a woman I know very well and am so thrilled to be introducing to you all; Carol Arnott aka Aunt Carol, Vintage Picker & Stylist. Carol is my Mom’s sister and the most involved aunt you’ll meet. She shows up regularly in our lives and we genuinely have so much fun together. Granted, we love many of the same things so it’s an easy compromise. Yoga? Sounds great. Tea? Love to. Walk with the dogs? Was already planning on it!
Carol’s unique second-life clothing and eccentric home good offerings can be found inside only a select few shops which include FOUND Natural Goods and even our online store is now carrying some of her shipping-friendly finds that we think you’ll love.
Jacqueline Smith: Carol, what is your number one rule when picking?
Carol Arnott: Pick what moves you—you have to be inspired and love what you’re buying. For clothing that I bring to FOUND, you have to make sure it’s on-brand and made of natural fibers; furs, linens, silks. Or, just a very unusual one-of-a-kind vintage piece.
Pick what moves you—you have to be inspired and love what you’re buying.
JS: Do you have more “rules” or guides that help direct you with home goods or furniture?
CA: I like looking at the jewelry first and I’m losing the energy to flip furniture—especially after you get a nice car you lose that motivation to haul big pieces around. [laughs]
JS: Oh, it’s so much fun to score furniture though! What is the most expensive furniture you’ve picked and was it for a client/resell or for yourself?
CA: I found a vintage iron patio set for $150. I resold it for approximately $1500! Now that was worth the haul. [laughs]
JS: I know that your mom (my Grandma) introduced all her kids to thrifting at a very young age out of necessity—but what’s kept your interest over the years?
CA: I really appreciate quality things. I enjoy finding the diamond in the rough for pennies on the dollar. Sometimes when you find a special piece it’s maybe what you’d feel if you won the lottery. It’s such a great feeling.
Aunt Carol & Jacqueline on the Deschutes River.
JS: I have a couple of things (earrings) I still think about and wish I had kept when I was first opened FOUND last year.
CA: Somethings you’re just meant to keep, even for a little while and then when you’re ready, sell them.
JS: How do you prepare before you go pick?
CA: Have cash and time. Maybe you think about this part more than I do?
JS: I would just add that water and snacks are crucial. Even a manifestation list can be a fun exercise before you go in. And disinfectant spray! After handling large amounts of cash especially.
CA: Oh, yes—you are good about that. Making a list of garage or estate sales is crucial when it’s early summer so you use less fuel and just manage your time better. But I like it when we go out to lunch instead of snacks. [laughs]
JS: [laughs] What’s the most bizarre experience you’ve had in this sport of thrifting, reselling, having a shop, garage sale-ing?
CA: Well, there are different moods you can be in when thrifting. Sometimes, the next day you’ll be looking at your goods wondering “What was I thinking?!” [laughs] That’s why you have to filter, filter, filter at the end.
JS: What’s your filtering process?
A very full basket pre-filtering. NOTE: We very rarely hunt at Goodwill for ethical purposes. Please help us support smaller charities and single family home sales by donating and shopping with them.
CA: You filter after the end of a stop by examining your pieces before you pay. Find a spot where you can review every item to make sure they are in great condition and that they’re what you think they are meaning authentic or the correct designer label. Determine the materials (is it real wood or fake), check for rips, stains, modifications, even smells — and think about what you’re paying for them. Will you be able to get your money back and how much more money back? Double? Hopefully, it’s triple. And, in what time frame do you think they will sell? Your time is the most valuable thing you have so make sure you’re considering yourself in the equation. Making a $5 profit is great but it’s not worth the effort to drive around town, move, clean, photograph, describe, sell and potentially store for a year.
JS: I feel like I should have formally asked you these questions years ago to help speed up my own learning process. Do you think you have more of an attachment to material objects or do you think you have less of an attachment because of picking/continuously buying and selling?
CA: Sometimes you get attached. And when you do, you keep your jewels for a while and when you’re done, you let them go. There’s a small percentage that you’ll keep forever. Sometimes after serious picking stints, you just don’t want to do it anymore and you’re done for a while. Then you get the urge again and you go back. For me, it’s an art. It’s very difficult to be consistent and “on” all the time. It takes a lot of time and energy. I’ve come to appreciate really good quality items, to understand craftsmanship and aged pieces with their patinas and uniqueness that can only come from time and can’t be reproduced. So, yes, I do have an attachment to things but it’s more of an appreciation from the experience of picking.
Sometimes you get attached. And when you do, you keep your jewels for a while and when you’re done, you let them go. There’s a small percentage that you’ll keep forever.
A nearly full basket after filtering: Vintage Oregon-made felt hat, MCM brassware, US ARMY wool blanket, vegan basket purse, Cole Hahn shoes, potato mashers —gah— such treasures from this trip!
JS: Do you prefer picking clothes, jewelry or home goods?
CA: Oh, all equally. The diamond lies somewhere in the pile and we are going to find it, dammit! [laughs]
JS: What percentage of your home and wardrobe is second-life?
CA: At least 90% — my home is my art.
JS: Now that is true.
CA: I love it. It’s now down to small details and additions.
JS: At FOUND, we think of pickers as recyclers. What do you envision picking evolving into in the future given the second-hand market is estimated to reach over 60 million in revenue in 2020.
CA: The good news is that recycling is happening. The bad news there’s more competition and it’s harder to find the diamond in the rough. Overall, I think it’s great that it’s becoming common because we can’t do things the way we’ve done them in the past—there are too many people and not enough room. And, design-wise, I love the idea of mixing the old with the new. Decorating with handmade and pre-loved things gives a room so much more character and allows an eclectic flavor that might otherwise look generic or mass-produced.
Decorating with handmade and pre-loved things gives a room so much more character and allows an eclectic flavor that might otherwise look generic or mass-produced.
JS: What are the top 3 things you look for, either for yourself or for FOUND, each time you thrift?
CA: The top 3 things that I look for FOUND are: organic fibers, one-of-a-kind, and unique objects.
JS: What are the benefits of living in Portland and doing what you do?
CA: There are unlimited options over here and in any city, really.
JS: What would you say to someone wanting to begin Picking as a profession?
CA: Do your homework and know what sells. Know the designer’s trademarks and stamps. There’s a lot of things you can study online to support you. It’s a fine line between being in the green and being in the red. Buying and being able to sell vs. buying and being stuck with your product for a long time are two realities you have to accept upfront.
JS: We’ve loaded up trucks, trailers but mostly cars packed full of treasures. Do you think we have Gypsy in our blood? Or how can we so easily hunt and gather?
CA: I think we like nice things but don’t want to spend the money to buy them. So, we look for ways to live like Queens on pennies. [laughs]
We look for ways to live like Queens on pennies.
JS: Truth! [laughs] Thank you, Carol.
CA: Thank you! Love you, babe.