If you watch the MTV "reality" show (I am not sure how realistic any of it truly is!), "The City", then last week you heard the usually-wise Kelly Cutrone sum up buyers as "compulsive shoppers" who "just can't help themselves".  While I don't consider myself a compulsive shopper, I do enjoy the process of buying just about anything.  It doesn't matter if it's choosing the most unusual color combinations for dip-dyed Bajra shawls or the smartest group of Alaia dresses for Capitol, or if it's picking the optimal allergy-sinus medication at Rite Aid, the perfect avocado from EarthFare, or the most effective weather-stripping from Home Depot.  Whatever the purchasing task, I enjoy narrowing down the field to the ultimate, most perfect choice.  And the broader, stranger, dirtier, more challenging the field of choices, the more satisfying the hunt and the trophy.  For that reason, I LOVE an antique mall, with booth after booth of wide-ranging objects to peruse.  I thought I might take you along on a "buying trip" to The Sleepy Poet Antique Mall, (http://sleepypoetstuff.com/) one of my favorite institutions.

A few of my ground rules are:  I allow at LEAST two hours to cover the entire 55,000-square-foot warehouse.  I work methodically, starting in the front left-hand aisle and snaking my way through every aisle, following the same route every visit.  I almost always work alone, as this time is quasi-therapy for me.  I buy what I like, then figure out how I can use it later--one can't be strictly practical all the time!  Here's what I found last week.

This 12-piece handpainted coffee set was made in Perugia, a town in Central Italy.  The tag notes that the dealer acquired it from an Atlanta estate sale--I always like to imagine the journey that objects have made and the things they've seen.  With the exception of shoes, I would never turn my nose up at something "used", as an object's history makes it all the more rich and interesting to me.  I also suspect that old tea sets, houses, jewelry, or silver might appreciate being rediscovered and loved after being neglected or unused over the years.

This funny little 1970s Italian poodle is just great.  I generally try to avoid accumulating tchotchkes that just sit out and collect dust, but this guy's tempting and a good size at about 1.5 feet tall.  (This is where the rule about buying something you love without exactly knowing how to use it comes into play.)  It actually could be really cute in a little girl's room.  I keep it in mind, but continue to the next booth.

This small wicker fan chair would be perfect in a little girl's room.  I ADORE wicker, and this could stay white or even be painted a fun, high-gloss color.  And I definitely use wicker inside the house, and not just on porches or in sunrooms.

I love this tribal head, carved from a single block of wood.  I think this would be a great bookend in a library or a nice object on a man's desk or even an exotic element to add to a feminine powder room or living room.  For $3.75, you can definitely figure out the "where to use" later.  (This booth actually had several similar-looking carved pieces that could be used together in an interesting group.)

THIS guy, I've had my eye on for quite a while.  An elephant with a trunk up is good luck, you know.  It is a heavy brass piece, with beautiful gold etching.  I think he would be perfect right on my living room coffee table!

As I mentioned, I LOVE wicker, and this aqua wicker console is so Palm Beach-cool.

It reminds me of the work of one of my favorite photographers, Tina Barney.

This old German pictograph is about 4 feet long, and I stare at it almost every time I visit.  It is so cool, and could be amazing in a child's room, over a sofa in a family room, or just about anywhere!

This mod 1960's lamp is such an interesting shape, and only $42!

At the same booth, I found these great old zodiac cocktail spears!  How funny!  With my birthday coming up (Jennie and I both were born on July 11th!), I decided to take this funny find home to use at my next party.

Crabs rule!

This mother-of-pearl box is gorgeous.  And there is a second box made of bone.  Great-looking.

This funny, preppy, nautical tray is perfect for summer drinks, or organizing items on a bar.  And I love the booth owner's tags: "twistfully traditional".

This 4-foot-tall oil painting of an Indian goddess is just gorgeous.  Up close, the frame is not the nicest, and the canvas needs a new stretcher, but the painting I can't stop thinking about!  I would LOVE to have this lady on my wall!  At one point, my old apartment really started looking like "It's A Small World After All", given my penchant for objects from far-away lands.

I have a similar hammered brass tea tray from Morocco on which I keep my perfumes at my dressing table.  I am tempted to buy both of these to use around the house...I will keep them in mind.

I usually save my favorite booth for last.  Mary Anne Pearce's booth, "Full House", is a treasure-trove of exotic finds like Chinese foo dogs and Middle-Eastern tea tables!  She told me that she turned 78 this July 4!  Crabs rule!  Happy birthday, Mary Anne!

My beloved pink elephant game table was bought from Mary Anne last fall.  It was red, but I had it lacquered pink, a decision which Mary Anne totally "got".  Before...

And after...

I admired her beautiful new carved, inlaid Middle-Eastern table.

And I had to take this lantern home with me!

Another successful treasure hunt at the Sleepy Poet!

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