"I began thrifting and antiquing at the age of 12. I've always had an interest in reusing and recycling things. Thrifting was my outlet once I stopped working and stayed home with my kids. I used to put my youngest in the stroller with a sucker and take them to Goodwill. I would use my intuition about things; I had a sense when things were going to be significant. Back then, in the mid-90s, you couldn't research things on your phone."
"I was so good at it that I started my own antique business, then went into staging people's homes with my finds. I eventually started an interior design business. We've lived in nine different homes, so my creativity with interior spaces has come in handy. I got divorced after 30 years and moved to Milwaukee, where I didn't know anyone but my daughter. It was a big transition from being in Chicago for 35 years. To get acquainted, I began exploring my surroundings, including thrift stores."
Wendy Sheridan began thrifting and antiquing at age 12 and developed an interest in reusing and recycling objects. Thrifting became an outlet while she stayed home with her children and she used intuition to spot items that might be significant. In the mid-1990s research options were limited, and increased competition plus online resale have made finding hidden gems harder today. She built an antique business, moved into home staging and interior design, and lived in nine homes. After a 30-year marriage ended she moved to Milwaukee, explored local thrift stores, collected portraits, busts and folk art, found two finely made bowls priced at $0.99 each in summer 2025, and later sold them at auction for nearly $1,400.
Read at Business Insider
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]