Oh, the Places a Picker Will Go! - Pickin' Our Way to Reno, Again!

Spring has finally come to Northern California which means traveling weather is at hand.  What better way to usher in the warmer temperatures than with a short pickin' trip to gather up some fresh items for Vintage Hen!  Alex, Gus, Jaime and Teresa headed to Reno to try their hand in the antique and thrift shops along the way.

Our first stop was in Grass Valley, California where we came across the Cancer Aid Thrift Shop.  This shop was founded over 40 years ago with an all volunteer staff, the funds they raise assist the residents of Nevada County.  So far they have contributed over $5 million to help pay for medications, travel, and other cancer related expenses of those in need.  They were very sweet people who helped us hunt down some treasures, our favorite one being a colorful vintage tin souvenir tray from Hawaii to add to our travel section of the Vintage Hen.

At the Salvation Army thrift shop in Grass Valley, one of the employees was nice enough to ask us what type of things we were hunting for and gave us the names of some other thrifts in the area that might have some things for us as well.  It is always nice to meet people who share our love of vintage and let them know about what we do and the reasons behind it.

Our favorite shop in Grass Valley was Sammie’s Nifty Thrift Shop, a non-profit thrift that helps out local animal shelters and also helps people with pet related expenses so that they are able to keep their pets in their homes.  We found some great pieces of furniture to refurbish with our Maison Blanche paints.  They even had a nice volunteer named Byron who helped us to load up the trailer with our picked goodies from their store.

The small Gold Rush town of Nevada City was our next destination, it was there that we met Warren and Nina working at Hospice of the Foothills Gift & Thrift.  They were very wonderful people who provide compassionate end of life support for patients and their families.  We only found one item to bring back with us, a hound dog planter that we think is pretty cool.  Gus is a collector of rare adventure stories and was pleased to add a couple to his private library from this stop.

Pickin' isn't the easiest job and sometimes you come away empty handed.  We have learned that it isn't always what you find, but the people you meet that make it a rewarding trip.  At Thrill of the Find Thrift Store in Truckee they like to donate their excess items to other non-profit organizations in the area.  We didn't find much to take back to Vintage Hen, but saw some interesting items and met Marie who was a wonderful woman. We checked into our room in Reno, a large and gorgeous casino and hotel called The Peppermill.  All that pickin' can really build up a fella's appetite so we had dinner there at one of their restaurants and got some shuteye for the next full day of treasure hunting we had planned.

In Reno, NV the first place we came across was the Assistance League Thrift Shop. They are also a volunteer organization who donate 100% of their profits to the local community, dividing it between 12 philanthropic programs for everyone from children to seniors.  We found some restaurant china to add to our ever growing selection and Gus found himself another adventure story too.

The Thrift Depot Gospel Mission is a Reno thrift with 4 locations who donate their proceeds to those affected by alcohol and drug abuse.  They had a lot of furniture and we picked a few good pieces to bring back with us.  Alan and Daniel were very helpful and told us about their mission to help those in need.  After a few other small stops it was time for some relaxation, we played a little Keno at a dinner buffet and headed off to Tahoe for the night to prepare for our last day on the road.

Our last day was at hand, after a hearty breakfast we headed to Tahoe Merchants Thrift Store with a large inventory of vintage and collectibles.  Steve Ansen was a gracious host and showed us around his place which was filled with a lot of useful items he acquires by purchasing storage units, we got a very nice glass ashtray from him.

"Honey Hole" is a term many pickers use to describe a place that has a large amount of great pieces, Classy Seconds in Tahoe is definitely such a place.  They have a different sale going on every single day of the month and their proceeds all go to help end domestic violence.  They were very nice people and we found so many items there!  Restaurant china plates, cups, figurines, and collectibles.  We will be sure to stop by whenever we are in the area.

Our last stop in South Lake Tahoe was a Thrift Store called Lucky Dawg.  A portion of their proceeds are given to El Dorado Country Animal Shelter to help support the pets that end up there.

All good things must come to an end, it was a long trip that we really enjoyed taking with our coworkers.  Our hard work paid off and we have a lot of fun new merchandise to share.  Come see our freshly picked items in person at Vintage Hen - 973J East Avenue in Chico, CA.