Have you ever noticed that every summer, Torontonians leave piles and piles of junk outside for garbage trucks to transport to Michigan? Probably. But have you ever stopped to actually take a look at some of the amazing treasures we’ve got in our trash-heaps? Especially if you have a thing for kitsch, or really particular subjects, you may come across something that becomes your new raison d’être. It’s a simple as taking a nice, long walk in a familiar (or unfamiliar) neighbourhood. Here are five of my favourite summer street finds.

1. A Hello Kitty Sewing Machine (with working light). I found this little gem on my way to SDTC headquarters. Usually, I’m not a fan of anything this pink, or overtly girly–but I just died a little on the inside. Even if I can’t fix my ripped pants, it’ll make one hell of a paperweight.

2. Two Books on Tudor History. Being a longtime fan of the first two seasons of The Tudors, finding a lengthy (and salacious!) tome about the wives of Henry VIII, as well as an expansive chronology of Tudor England, was seriously exciting. 

3. Shoes. Granted, I need to disinfect them and take them for a bit of leather repair, I found a lovely pair of Brazilian made black and mahogany lace-up leather ankle boots in just my size. Seriously, what are the odds of that?

4. A Chinchilla fur collar.  Seriously guys, Scarborough is not just for sleepy suburbs and drive-bys anymore. Though I found this at a garage sale, I might as well have stolen it–it was so cheap.  This rad lady sold me a real chinchilla fur collar for the low price of $4. This was a year ago, and her garage sales are still going…so I do suggest making the trek to Conlins and Ellesmere on a super bright Saturday morning.

5. A Thingamajig. Two years ago, before they closed off the Queen West wreckage from the catastrophe lovingly know as “The Fire of Utter Bull$%^”, my friends and I decided to go exploring. From underneath shards of broken glass and crumbled bricks, I pulled out….what the hell is it? Part decapitated magician, part rabbit–and possibly part of a light fixture(?), I am now the proud owner of yet another cool paperweight. At least it says abracadabra!

~ Natasha Hunt