Episode Details

What happens when you learn to see value in the things everyone else overlooks?

Today’s guest is Kira Hartley, an entrepreneur, writer, collector, public speaker, and buyer and seller of unusual and overlooked objects. She describes herself as being somewhat like an American picker, buying and selling items for profit.

After turning 40 and needing to build a business that would allow her to remain present for her daughter, Kira began buying and selling things she could acquire inexpensively. Over time, that curiosity expanded into fabric and textiles, writing, public speaking, podcasting, and television appearances.

In this conversation, we explore:

• How a practical need to support her family became a business
• Why Kira has never felt like she fits into just one lane
• What buying and selling overlooked objects taught her about value
• Why she developed a passion for reusing and recycling things rather than sending them to landfills
• How curiosity and creativity influence the way she searches for valuable objects
• Why she is willing to look at almost anything at an auction rather than specializing in one category
• How the stories behind objects became the foundation for her books
• Why her customers eventually asked her to turn those stories into books
• How unexpected opportunities led from an Etsy shop to television and podcasting
• Why Kira believes success involves knowing your core value while remaining willing to pivot on everything else
• How she used storytelling in product listings to connect with customers
• What the changing collecting market reveals about what society values
• Why some beautiful, durable antiques are now surprisingly inexpensive
• The difference between objects that were built to last and many products made today
• Why older appliances can sometimes be easier to repair
• How a 1956 stove became one of Kira’s favorite possessions
• Why she believes people have lost some appreciation for objects with history
• How her definition of value has changed as she has gotten older
• Why time with friends and family matters more to her than expensive possessions
• Why she and her husband have chosen to prioritize experiences and avoiding debt over constantly replacing things
• What she hopes to leave behind for her grandchildren
• Why being willing to notice and pursue unexpected opportunities matters

Kira’s story is ultimately about more than antiques or auctions.

It’s about curiosity, adaptability, resourcefulness, and learning to recognize value where other people don’t see it.

And when asked to leave listeners with a single word, Kira chooses:

IF.

Because, as she explains, if can change anything—it all depends on the words that come after it.

🌍 Thought Atlas

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🛍️ Kira’s Etsy Shop

Kira explicitly says listeners can find her books through her Etsy shop, which she identifies in the transcript as:

”.odity”

She says she can also sign the books there if they are being purchased as gifts.