Now, I am a firm believer that those who shop secondhand first are SMART:

• They’re smart in the sense of spending wisely. 
• Resale shoppers are smart in shopping locally. They support their fellow citizens first.
• And of course, resale shoppers are just plain smart in the sense that they, their kids, and their home have style and substance.

But did you know… shopping can make you even  SMARTER?

Yup… all you need to do is power down that Kindle or that reading app and pop over to your nearest resale shop to buy some real, honest-to-goodness, physical BOOKS! After all, new books are expensive (which is why there have been used book stores around since before we all were born). Grab a novel, grab a non-fiction on a topic that interests you, grab a collection of those authors you’ve been meaning to explore.

Studies show:

The brain reads… based on the placement of the page in the book and the word on the page.

The tactile experience of a book aids this process, from the thickness of the pages in your hands as you progress through the story to the placement of a word on the page.

Reading long, literary sentences sans links and distractions is actually a serious skill that you lose if you don’t use it. As we increasingly read on screens, our reading habits have adapted to skim text rather than really absorb the meaning.

Reading an old-fashioned novel is also linked to improving sleep. When many of us spend our days in front of screens, it can be hard to signal to our body that it’s time to sleep. By reading a paper book about an hour before bed, your brain enters a new zone, distinct from that enacted by reading on an e-reader.

Read the full article.

Recently, I came across a sentence in one of those de-cluttering blogs which really related.

If you don’t like the item, but don’t know what you would like better, make a note of it and keep your eyes out for a replacement.

That message I think was made for me. Maybe for you too?

You see, I don’t really need another table lamp. I mean, I have one and it’s the right height and all, and I already own it, so why would I buy another?

The problem is, I don’t really like the lamp I have next to that chair. I just don’t know what I’d like better.

Sound familiar?

What a perfect excuse to stop at every resale shop I pass.

Because, although I sdon’t know what I’d like better than the lamp I have now, there may be, lurking in the corner of some thrift or consignment shop, my heart’s desire…

I don’t know what I want… but I’ll know it when I see it.

even if right now, I don’t know what that lamp is gonna look like. But somewhere, in some wonderful little shop, my lamp awaits…

What do you collect? Whether it’s art pottery or souvenir spoons, collecting can be a way to have fun, make family memories, or even invest in the antiques of the future!

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Choosing what to collect can be as simple as looking around your home. What gives you a warm feeling every time you see it? Maybe it’s your vintage wooden chairs gathered around your kitchen table, or perhaps you love the botanical prints on your family room wall.

Don’t be afraid to mix the whimsical with the good. Who says it has to all be collector’s items? An appealing addition found at a rummage sale can enhance and extend your collection.

Display your items in cycles. Choose a favorite piece to highlight monthly. You’ll enjoy your selections more when pieces are rearranged periodically.

What do you collect? Or what would you LIKE to?  Your friendly local resale or consignment shopkeeper will be happy to keep an eye out and call you when something likely comes in. Who knows:

The shop might even run across something you’ve wanted for years!

See hundreds of wonderful collecting ideas on the HowToConsign Pinterest boards.