My Thrifting Antiquing Kit

ADDED NOTE: Sandra, my SC friend and S2 as Dave called her, reminded me a magnifying glass is ever so useful in my kit. She's correct; thanks, Sandra, one has been added!

For years I've been saying I needed a little kit to take with me when I visited thrift stores, auctions, consignment or antique stores. Here it is! It's jam packed with little goodies to make it easier for me to make wise buying decisions. It's small enough it can fit into a purse or, better, my backpack which is what I try to carry so my hands and arms are left free. My camera is also part of this kit but lives in its own little case and hung around my neck. I'm sure to have forgotten something but, for now, it's perfect. You'll need to look carefully as I took these photos on my Chinese checker board table. I've got my skates on and am beavering away on the Preparedness Training book so am slinging up this blog entry in the hopes of giving my thrifting kit a trial run soon. The Muse has been lashing away at me with her whip and I'm encouraging her mightily! grin

From the upper left corner...a small notebook with pen to keep measurements, sizes, styles, colors, fabrics, make notes, etc. Next, a red mag light to peer into dark corners and drawers. The yellow sticky pad and black magic marker are used to write SOLD on something to keep others from wishing in vain and to prevent me from having to make several trips to the cash register. smile 
Continuing clockwise: several packets of eye glass cleaner for my eyeglasses and to clean glassware in order for me to better see scratches, imperfections, etc. A red-tipped magnet allows me to tell if something is metal...or not. Scissors take small, out of the way snips of fabric or yarn so I can run outside and do the burn test to ascertain fabric content. Wool will only smolder, it won't burn; everything else will burn. Above the scissors are wet ones to clean my hands. While I dearly love to shop at thrifts stores, I always feel in need of a shower when I leave. The anti-bacterial wipes give me the feeling of cleanliness. 
Above the wipes is a screwdriver with two different sizes of flat head screw driver and two different sizes of Phillips. 
Lastly, a tape measure on a lanyard. The tape measure has a button so it can be stopped in place; very helpful when I'm not shopping with a friend to lend assistance by holding the other end of the tape measure.
That's it; if you have a suggestion for something you find necessary, please let me know.
By the way, the 1 Wife to Widow blog has a new post. I'm telling you, the Muse is working overtime today! smile

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." ~ Albert Einstein ~

Today's Miracles ~ snow! ~ ice ugh ~ the sun is shining even though I can't see if for the clouds ~ safety when going to the barn to do chores this morning ~ fire in the wood stove ~ cookies, recipe tomorrow ~