A Day in the Life of Erin’s Treasure Hunter

Julia Grys has always been a treasure hunter. Indeed, her first job, at the age of 15, was as a cashier at Value Village where she marvelled at donated treasures, especially mint condition dresses from the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. Now, as she makes the rounds of thrift stores and flea markets, she trains her practised eye on diamonds in the rough destined to be cherished in a new household. 

We tagged along with the energetic shopkeep on a recent workday spent sourcing new finds and preparing them for her shop The Swan, located in Erin’s Rural Commons.

7:30 A.M. Wakes up, has coffee and snuggles with her girls, nine and three, and chats with her husband, Dave, who works in cybersecurity.

8:30 A.M. With the kids off to daycare and school, Grys sits down to answer customer inquiries and place orders for the shop’s home and refill sections, selecting organic, local items, usually brands she uses herself at home. The focus is on basic supplies, including hand and dish soap, compostable kitchen sponges and wooden dish brushes not available elsewhere in Erin. She opened The Swan as a pop-up shop in Rural Commons, a retail and co-working collective, two years ago. It went so well, she signed up for a permanent spot and recently moved to a larger spot.

“I opened the store I wanted to shop at, as I would rather not order online,” Grys says, adding that she ran an online vintage store on Etsy for five years. After working for the Orangeville BIA and meeting numerous small business owners, she realized she could join their ranks and open a bricks-and-mortar store, complete with the social interaction she craved.

9:30 A.M. It’s time to head slightly out of town to meet a customer selling several heirloom items. Grys comes back with a 1920s vanity, a few special books and a midcentury Remington typewriter.

The treasure hunter often has a theme in mind when she goes antiquing, especially when curating collections for different times of the year. “Fall is cozy – vintage mugs are popular. Winter centres around the traditional December holidays, spring introduces soft, pretty colours and florals, and summer tends to lean into nautical themes, especially décor for the cottage.”

10:30 A.M. The thrift stores in Georgetown beckon – favourites are Wastewise Community Resource Centre, the two Salvation Army Thrift Stores, and the Upper Credit Humane Society Thrift Shop. Grys lived in Georgetown for five years before moving to Erin in 2016, so these are old stomping grounds. On this trip she snags two lovely baskets, a copper pot set, an elegant frame featuring the portrait of a woman, a classic floral comforter and antique riding boots from Eaton’s department store, earmarked for a Western-themed window display when the RAM Rodeo is in town in July. 

“My tips for shopping at thrift stores are to go often and with an open mind,” she says. “One day there may be nothing and the next day, treasure.” When it comes to antique markets with multiple vendors, Grys advises having a specific item or style in mind, or else it can be overwhelming. 

She is always on the hunt for something she hasn’t seen before – a one-of-a-kind piece her customers aren’t going to find anywhere else. “My favourite thing is when a customer has a real connection to an item. You can see their eyes light up and feel that spark of joy. Often it is from nostalgia – the item reminds them of their childhood. It’s really rewarding.” People tend to love pieces to adorn their shelves, such as figurines, brass, and book stacks in particular colours.

1:30 P.M. While heading back home, Grys stops at one of her favourite local spots, the Tin Roof Café in Erin, for a coffee and lunch.

2 P.M. Grys arrives at the store. Her refurbishment of furniture or textiles takes place at home, but all other items are prepared for merchandising at the shop. Grys washes dishware, polishes metal and performs small repairs. 

“I can price the small décor pieces pretty easily – I’ve been doing this for a while now, and I recognize the pottery and silver markings, although I do have a wonderful book that I can refer to if necessary,” she says. 

Some pieces require further research, like the typewriter, so Grys turns to trusted websites to identify the age of the piece and current market value. She’ll also test it out to let customers know the working condition and be transparent about any issues. 

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The Swan features numerous vignettes with a blend of new and older items, from linen pillows to patterned glassware. “I love to showcase how these character pieces can work in people’s homes, which are usually a blend of both, just like in my century home,” she says. “That’s what makes a space unique and gives it soul: a mix of new, collected and inherited items that tell your story.” Some rearranging is required to accommodate the items uncovered today.

3 P.M. It’s time to play barista, serving espresso to a customer browsing one of the other shops inside Rural Commons. As members of a retail collective, everyone pitches in.

3:30 P.M. Grys pauses work on the visual merchandising of her new finds to help a customer pick out a few cushions. She also assists at the refillery station and answers a question about the age of a mirror. 

4 P.M. Once all the new items are out on display, Grys takes photos and videos for her Instagram account (@the_swan_vintage) to show her customers what’s new, as well as serve as a visual inventory of her stock over time. 

5 P.M. Closing time. Grys picks her daughter up from daycare and heads home to make dinner. Her husband, who works from home, is available for after-school child minding. On days when she doesn’t pick up her daughter, Grys can walk or bike to work. 

6 P.M. Dinner time. Favourites include salmon or meatballs with rice, or takeout from a local restaurant like Pho Erin on Main Street. “Family time is really important to me, so I try my best not to work after five, but I will occasionally zip out to pick up a Facebook Marketplace find or respond to social media comments.”