Shoppers uncover timeless treasures
Story by Avery Sutton
Photos by Morgan Ketner
Design by Nika Harrington
Editor’s Note: This article was originally released in Issue 18 of the WKU Talisman print magazine. Click here to read more articles from the Talisman’s semesterly print.
Antiquing and thrifting are ways in which fragments of the past allow someone to give a renewed purpose to a pre-loved object by using it in their home.
In a 2023 Apartment Therapy article by Heather Bien, antiquing and thrifting are defined as two distinct means of item acquisition. Thrifting is straightforward and includes scouring thrift stores for items of any age. Most thrift stores are run by charities, churches and non-profit groups. Antique shops and malls are more intentionally collected spaces and often have higher price tags. Additionally, antiques are items that are 100 years or older.
Logan Billhartz, a Smiths Grove, Kentucky resident and owner of the lemonade truck The Local Lemon possesses zeal for antiquing and thrifting. She said she finds the thrifting process similar to hunting, with added trinkets and without the dangers of the wilderness.
“Maybe it’s just in my blood,” Billhartz said. “I feel like thrifting and antiquing makes me feel like I’m foraging to find things I need and want, instead of going to Amazon and ordering it. It’s a hunt or a game. Instead of climbing into a tree stand or staking out in the woods, I’m walking aisles and digging through bins.”
Billhartz said she not only thrifts to combat the environmental harms of fast fashion, but because thrifting has a better return on her investment.
In an Earth.org article, Rashmila Maiti defines fast fashion as “cheaply produced and priced garments that copy the latest catwalk styles and get pumped quickly through stores to maximize on current trends.” According to Maiti, it is the second-biggest consumer of water and is responsible for 10% of global CO2 emissions in 2025.
“I feel like you have such a large amount to choose from in thrift stores, which makes you appreciate the quality pieces that you do find,” Billhartz said.
Aside from fighting fast fashion, Billhartz has also found thrifting to be an excellent way of saving money, as she is not purchasing directly from a corporate store.
“My daughter and I were shopping for jeans at American Eagle, and her two pairs totaled $122,” Billhartz said. “I told her she didn’t need them, just wanted them, so she returned them and chose to go to Goodwill instead.”
Billhartz said that some thrifters often become frustrated when they can’t find what they want, so she offers well wishes to those on the way to their next hunt.
“Be kind out there, thrifters, and I can promise you, the thrift gods will bless you during your next hunt,” Billhartz said.
Jamie Jones, a Smiths Grove, Kentucky resident, is an avid antique shopper and loves to display her treasures in her home. Jones said she collects an extensive variety of items, but she is primarily interested in furniture and dishes.
“What draws me to antiquing is the love of finding a good deal or a rare item to display in
our home,” Jones said. “When I put old pieces in our home, I don’t necessarily want them to look brand new. Every scratch, dent or ding is a story
or character.”
Jones and her husband, Michael, own a home in Smiths Grove that has been in the town for many years – an antique itself – so Jones took an interest in the history of the house.
“I wanted old pictures from our little town to be displayed in our home,” Jones said.
She found a photograph of their home on the WKU Library site and requested a copy of the photo. She said it was actually a postcard from 1910 Smiths Grove, and now the photograph is displayed in their home.
Inside their house, nearly every item has sentimental value, including some with family connections.
“Our house is full of antiques,” Jones said. “I have several favorite pieces; it’s hard to pick just one, but I do have one piece that was my great-grandfather’s: It’s an old twin-size bed.”
Jones said her parents refinished the mahogany cannonball bed with a cherry finish 40 years ago. At that time, it was used by Jones and her siblings. It was then passed to her sister’s children, but
now it has returned to her and is displayed in the Jones’ home.
Even with all the antiques Jones has accumulated from her favorite Bowling Green store Consignment Corner, she said she still thinks about items she didn’t snag immediately from her family.
“My mom had a large set of pink depression glass that she had collected,” Jones said. “She tried to give them to me when I was in my early 20s. At that time, I had no place for old dishes, and she gave them away. What I would give to have them now.”
The sentiment is similar for Ashley Johnston, who collects vintage Pyrex dishes. According to an article on the website Food and Wine, Pyrex began as a line of laboratory glassware made of borosilicate glass, which could withstand extreme temperature changes. The brand was later expanded to include kitchenware.
She said the historical value of each piece is her favorite part. Her desire to collect Pyrex began when her grandmother passed away and Johnston inherited her Pyrex and Fire King dish collection. That inspired her to finish and expand her grandmother’s collection, as antique collecting has been a family tradition.
“My favorite part is the connections that the items have with older generations,” Johnston said. “We are preserving some of our history and are able to pass those on to younger generations.”
Johnston has many antiques, but she said her most special ones are those passed down to her by her grandmother.
“My favorites are the casserole dishes my grandmother cooked out of,” Johnston said. “They are for display only.”
This Pyrex casserole dish collection is known as Pink Gooseberry and differs greatly from the clear Pyrex cookware of today as it has a pink, floral pattern, Johnston said.
Different from modern Pyrex is the “one that got away” piece Johnston mentioned. She regrets not purchasing Pyrex Amish butter print Cinderella bowls. Though the thrill of the hunt is the driving force in Johnston’s quest for antiques, this one eluded her.
Johnston said she can often be found chasing her passion at Bright’s Antiques in Franklin, Kentucky, one of her favorite shopping spots.
The fun and adventurous aspects of thrifting and antiquing are even felt on the other side of the cash register.
Becky Brooks owns Becky Brooks Vintage on Fountain Square in Bowling Green.
“I started my brick and mortar in 2021,” Brooks said. “ I had been selling online and wanted to take a shot at having a store front. Because I had moved back to Bowling Green from years away, I was looking for a way to sell, but also a way to connect with the community in a new chapter in my life.”
Brooks said that owning a store is an adventure.
“Owning a vintage shop is like going on a road trip to an exciting place; it’s really exciting and overall a positive experience,” Brooks said. “It’s also challenging in that there are a lot of unexpected bumps that you have to figure out as you go. Really, you have to just enjoy and trust the process.”
Brooks is always looking for items to sell in her store, but she also searches for goods for her own home. She sources from thrift shops, estate sales, private sellers and auctions.
“I am always on the hunt,” Brooks said. “I don’t have a thing I particularly collect; it’s whatever I’m in the mood for.”
Brooks’ store is a few doors down from the Capitol Arts Center in downtown Bowling Green. She said that it is a great location because of one thing: the people.
“Really, it’s the people and the people watching,” Brooks said. “I love being a small shop that is integrated into the city. My favorite part is when these people appreciate the goods in the store. I love hearing people when they find pieces they love here.”