Second hand shops, flea markets, trunk sales... As a lover of old things I just must go to places where I might find some unexpected gems and treasures. My vacation in Jurbarkas was also no exception! As soon as the destination was set, one of the first things I did was to look for second hand shops in that part of Lithuania. Although I've found only two that looked like they have potential to be the right places for some sincere thrifting experience, boy oh boy they delivered!
One of the two shops where me and my husband wanted to set our feet in is located in Smalininkai. It is a lovely town, an eternal border as they themselves call it, but I am definitely going to write about the town in a separate blog post, so I am going to stop myself here and concentrate on the thrifting part.
This old and (let's face it) shabby building actually hosts a real paradise for people who love old things! Their Facebook page is called Baldų ir smulkmenų krautuvėlė Smalininkuose, in case if you want to follow them! I liked everything there: old German melodies that meandered from the speakers of an old cassette player, lovely shopkeeper, the smell of old trinkets, and rows upon rows of goodies. Oh, and prices, of course! Most of the things that I had presented in my Instagram Reel were from that shop. I have found some lovely textiles (e.g. an embroidered silk handkerchief that you can see in the most top photo, or that embroidered tablecloth and doily in a second photo down below). I've also managed to find an old brass calendar where you had to mark months and days with the system of two pins (sadly, lost to history).
In Smalininkai I have also came upon an antique cup and two saucers made by Rosenthal ("Chipendale" collection) that was possibly made in 1930s. I got it very cheaply because the cup had a defect but there's nothing that a trusty ceramics putty cannot fix! Got myself a nice little spoon to go with it and, lo and behold, a fancy afternoon tea set was born!
The second shop that we have visited is called "Sena skrynia" and it is located in Jurbarkas. We went there few days after our visit to Smalininkai, so it was very interesting to compare the two. "Sena skrynia" is more of a boutique, they have selected items so the prices are higher, but still it is bit cheaper than in Vilnius, for example. I have found there couple of lovely old portraits of ladies (the oval-shaped one is printed on silk, the one above it is a framed miniature print of a painting but the frame is old), a lovely alabaster box for my antique and vintage brooches, and few pieces of jewelry. Nevertheless, if I had to choose my favorite I'd pick the one in Smalininkai only because it was just so much fun to dig in countless boxes of things and discover something each time I've did a round in the shop.
So, all in all, if you're going to visit the luscious lands of Panemunė, make sure to stop by one (or maybe even both!) of these shops. It's both exciting and environmentally friendly (giving a new home for old and neglected things and thus continuing their existence is what I like to do the most), so give it a go!
See you in my next post!
Photos © Aesthastic
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