Where's the Loot? A Sourcing Idea List for Secondhand, Vintage & Antique Items

“Where do you get this stuff”

“ Where did you find that?”

”I’ve looked everywhere and never find good stuff!”

These are just some of the interactions I’ve had running Lemon’s Loot. People NEED to know where the Loot comes from. It’s no secret that we have an abundance of items here on earth and a lot of the time when sourcing - it’s just being at the right place, at the right time. Other times, it takes some creative sourcing to find the perfect piece. 

So, whether you are a seller yourself or someone who enjoys their own Loot hunt - I’ve compiled a list of ways and/or locations you could leverage. Of course, if you’d rather skip the hunt - my shop is open and I offer personalized shopping as well!

Before you leave, let me know in the comments “where is a creative location you’ve found something?” I love hearing your stories!!

Sourcing List

Individual & Direct Networks
• Your own possessions / stuff in your house
• Friends / family (word-of-mouth)
• Craigslist / Kijiji / Facebook Marketplace
• Buy nothing / freecycle / neighbourhood groups
• Yard sales / boot sales / garage sales
• City giveaway days / curbside finds
• Community bulletin boards / local classifieds
• Seniors downsizing / compassion moves
• Student / military move-outs
• Real estate / tenant leftovers
• Personal / niche collector groups (era-specific, brand-specific, hobby-specific)

Secondary & Liquidation Channels
• Secondhand / consignment shops
• Church / charity stores
• Antique malls / collectives
• Bin / per-pound shops
• Rag house / textile recyclers
• Pawn shops
• Liquidation outlets
• Estate / transitional company sales
• Auction houses (online and in-person)
• Storage unit auctions
• Amazon / e-commerce return pallets
• Mystery / overstock pallets
• Flea market vendor buyouts
• Other resellers / pickers / industry peers
• Organized markets / events (ie, 127 Yard Sale)
• Closet / hard good swap events
• Online selling platforms (Etsy, eBay, etc.)

Retail, Business & Commercial Sources
• Shops / boutiques going out of business
• Private surplus sales and auctions (corporate downsizing)
• Restaurant / bar closures
• Hotels / motels / resorts / cottage upgrading or closing
• Entertainment industry closures, moves or downsizing
• Amusement parks / fairs / circus / arcades
• Music venues / radio stations / theaters / ballrooms
• Bowling alleys / skating rinks / pool halls
• Casinos / bingo halls
• Stadiums / arenas / festivals
• Ski lodges / campgrounds / hunting camps
• Country clubs / golf / sport clubs
• Film / TV production wrap sales
• Prop and costume suppliers
• Sample sales
• Failed or abandoned orders
• Home stagers and designers
• Wedding / event planners
• Conventions / trade shows
• Billboard / signage companies
• Newspaper / print shops
• Spas / beauty / health studios
• Tailor / dry cleaner / shoe repair unclaimed items
• Other specialty shops (flower, gift, book, photo, etc)

Institutions & Organizations
• Decommissioned buildings (schools, hospitals, labs, etc.)
• Military surplus
• Police/ prison / government / municipal auctions
• Fire / EMS decommission sales
• Funeral homes / cemetery out buildings
• Veterinary / doctor clinics
• Fraternity and Sororities / Masonic hall / legion benefit sales
• Community fundraisers
• Museums deaccessioning pieces
• Airport / transit lost & found auctions
• Lost mail / unclaimed freight sales

Salvage, Scrap & Industrial
• Scrap yards / depots
• Auto wreckers / junk car lots
• Shipyards / decommissioned boats & vessels
• Airplane scrapyards
• Railway / subway surplus & decommissioned stock
• Shipping ports / unclaimed container sales
• Recycling centers / e-waste depots
• Independent repair shops
• Junk removal / moving companies
• Dumpster diving (business & residential) *
• Demolition / construction salvage
• Industrial / factory closure sales
• Farm auctions / rural barn picks / machinery sales
• Mining / logging camp leftovers
• Abandoned ghost towns / rural outbuildings *
• Shipwreck / diving salvage
• Metal detecting / digging *
• Magnet fishing *
• Fire / water damage salvage / insurance claims
• Foreclosures / bailiff seizures

* disclaimer: check local regulations for legalities of sourcing these avenues & remember to always ask permission to source private property.