Not a Mall Type
This goes back to a note I wrote myself, that originally said, “Recall the trip to the mall a few weeks ago? Yea, you love the awesomeness of a few of the new fashions, but ugh, the expense of it all. And add to that all the people and all the little shops and such and I am just done with it.” That is all 100% true. I do like to occasionally indulge the false sense of fashion that I have and go check out things at the mall. I, however would never like to pay mall prices for things as a general rule. And even that checking out what is fashionable or is looking good is getting to be something that I engage in less and less often. Given that the last 10 years, I have only on about five occasions really picked out something myself that was fashionable it makes sense, compared to 20 years ago when I was all about trying to be fashionable.
The same day I was last at a mall (granted that was now about three or four months back) I also went to a flea market. Now I was much more at home with what was offered there. But I gotta admit I was a bit put off with even the flea market. I am usually looking for antiques or cool stuff or at least really good deals. What almost all the flea markets have become lately though is just a dumping ground for dollar store type of stuff. At that the particular flea market and the one other I have visited since there were maybe five or six total vendors that got more than a glance from me as I walked by their booth and maybe three that really had me looking at stuff. And so you know, those either had antiques, especially tools and horse equipment, or just something that caught my eye.
Interestingly enough the one shop in the whole mall of shops that really caught my attention and was having me actually be interested in what they had on the shelves in the store was the kitchen aid kind of place. I guess I have really been missing having a kitchen (and cooking for people) more than I know, because I was looking at all of these cool gadgets and thinking that would be cool, in some cases I was thinking I got one of those and it packed away in the storage unit in a box somewhere, and in a few instances I was thinking I used to have one of those, but one she or another has ended up with it – I really need to think about getting a new one of those. Yeah, that is the one story that I would have truly ‘shopped’ at myself, spending some time just looking around and actually spending money.
Which I guess that brings me to my thought. I don’t mind so much running into a mall to get something. I just don’t like to go in there and wander around aimlessly waiting for something to say buy me. I don’t even mind so much going in thinking I need item X and stores 1, 2 and 3 have X’s. I can compare and then make an informed purchase choice. Though when I think about it, I do most of my comparing these days long before I ever get to a store via various online means. And then I do not have to deal with people, who for whatever reason seemed to always get the worse brought out in them, and turn into rude people for the time they are the mall, even if they are not rude otherwise.
Now the one kind of thing I do love to shop at is antique dealerships. Especially the big shops that have lots of high quality stuff in one location, even representing several dealers under one roof. Or much as I recently experienced in St. Louis and have seen in Fredericksburg also, a street or two – lined with several smaller antique shops. Some may specialize and some may be more general. But that is the kind of place to take me if you want to go shopping for an afternoon. Be prepared for me to get lost on occasion in various things, especially if they things related to horses, the american colonial or civil war periods, and especially books. Just the thought is making me think that my next trip is going to have to somewhere that has such an offereing available just so I can.
