About Found in the Field
Some things are meant to be found.
Hi, I'm Niki, the person behind Found in the Field.
I've always been drawn to the things people overlook.
A stone with an unusual pattern. An old object with evidence of another life. Something strange sitting quietly among a pile of ordinary things. A little piece of history tucked away in a box.
Those are the things that make me stop. Look closer. Pick something up and wonder, "What's your story?"
That curiosity is where Found in the Field began.
What does "Found in the Field" mean?
For me, the field isn't necessarily one particular place.
Sometimes it's literally outside, searching for something that catches my eye. Sometimes it's an estate sale, auction, thrift store, antique shop, old collection, or forgotten box. Sometimes it's simply being willing to look a little closer than everyone else.
Because some of the best finds aren't the things sitting under a spotlight. They're the things waiting to be noticed.
Found in the Field is a collection of those discoveries. Rocks and minerals are at the heart of what I collect, but the field has never been limited to geology. You'll also find antiques, vintage pieces, collectibles, oddities, curiosities, and wonderfully strange things that I couldn't bring myself to leave behind.
Some are beautiful. Some are unusual. Some are mysterious. Some are imperfect. And some don't fit neatly into any category at all.
I like that.
Every find has a story.
I don't believe something has to be rare, expensive, or famous to be worth noticing.
Sometimes what makes something special is the way it formed. Sometimes it's the craftsmanship. Sometimes it's the marks left behind by time. Sometimes it's the person who owned it before you. Sometimes it's where it was found. And sometimes you can't quite explain why it caught your attention — you just know that it did.
Whenever I can, I try to share more than simply what an object is. I want to share what made me notice it, what I've learned about it, and whatever story I can uncover along the way.
Because finding something is only the beginning.
Learning along the way
One thing I want to be very clear about is that I'm not an expert in everything I find — and I don't pretend to be.
I do my best to research each piece and describe it honestly based on my observations, the information I've been able to find, and what I've learned from reliable sources and other collectors. But there is an enormous amount of knowledge in the worlds of minerals, fossils, antiques, history, and collecting.
I will get things wrong sometimes. Something may be misidentified. A detail may be overlooked. Someone may recognize something that I haven't. And that's okay.
If you find a mistake, know something I don't, or have information that adds to the story of a piece, I genuinely want to hear from you. I would much rather learn something new than pretend I already know everything. Your knowledge might change how I understand a piece — and it might help the next person who discovers it understand it, too.
A collection is meant to be shared.
That's really what Found in the Field is about. Not just buying and selling things. Not simply filling shelves.
It's about discovery. It's about curiosity. It's about the stories attached to the things we choose to keep. And it's about the people who are curious enough to ask questions.
So when you find something here that speaks to you, I hope you don't feel like you're simply purchasing an object. I hope you feel like you've discovered something.
Maybe it's a specimen you've been searching for. Maybe it's something you've never seen before. Maybe it's an old object that reminds you of someone. Maybe it's something completely strange that you can't explain why you love. Whatever it is, you get to decide what it means to you.
And once it becomes part of your collection, its story continues.
You're invited into the story.
Found in the Field is my collection of discoveries, but I don't want the story to belong only to me. I want it to grow through the people who find their way here.
Collectors. Rockhounds. History lovers. Curious minds. People who appreciate old things. People who love beautiful things. People who are drawn to strange things. And people who simply enjoy the thrill of finding something they weren't looking for.
If that's you, welcome. Bring your curiosity. Bring your questions. Bring what you know. And if you know something I don't, tell me.
Because a collection becomes something much more meaningful when knowledge, stories, and discoveries are shared.
Found in the Field is an ongoing collection. An ongoing conversation. An ongoing story.
And maybe the next chapter belongs to you.
Look closely. You never know what you'll find.