Some thrift store finds are nothing less than iconic. Not everyone is lucky enough to find one. But I did, and I'm thankful to the thrifting gods for helping me score a real treasure -- a vintage Hudson's Bay wool point blanket.  

Hudson's Bay blankets have a long, storied history dating all the way back to 1779. It's amazing that they've been around that long. And they've been on my thrift store bucket list for years.  

 

ORIGIN OF HUDSON'S BAY WOOL BLANKETS

 

According to Wikipedia: 

A Hudson's Bay point blanket is a type of wool blanket traded by the Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) in British North America, now Canada and the United States, from 1779 to present.[1] The blankets were typically traded to First Nations in exchange for beaver pelts as an important part of the North American fur trade. The blankets continue to be sold by Canada's Hudson's Bay department stores and have come to hold iconic status in the country.[2] 

I should say here that the blanket has also been seen as a symbol of colonialism, among other things, over the years. If you're interested, I recommend reading up on its storied past -- books have been written about it.

More recently, you may have read about Hudson's Bay (HBC) blankets in Country Living magazine -- HBC has been in the news lately, and not for a good reason. Sadly, HBC, -- North America's oldest continually operating business -- shuttered its last department store this past summer (June 2025). 

And THAT has brought even more interest surrounding these iconic wool blankets, as well as manage to increase demand and price at the same time.  

Hudson's Bay 100% wool point blankets were first produced in 1779 by a British textile mill located outside of Leeds, U.K. 

Short black lines (or points) are woven into the blanket above the bottom set of iconic stripes -- the multi- stripe design of green, red, yellow and navy blue stripes. The number of points indicates the size of the blanket, not its value in terms of beaver pelts as is sometimes believed. 

While the last stripe on my blanket appears to be black (not blue), I do believe it is actually blue. I’ve seen photos of other HBC point blankets that look like they have black stripes as well, but navy blue and black can look very similar depending on the actual shade and age of the blanket.  

As for the "points,": 3.5 points = twin, 4 points = double, 6 points = queen, and 8 points = king. My Hudson's Bay wool blanket has 4 black lines which means it's sized for a double bed. 

While not wide enough for a king sized bed as seen above, you can see it does go the length of one. It is approximately 72" x 90". 

Hudson's Bay blankets are now being listed on eBay and Etsy for hundreds -- and sometimes even thousands -- of dollars depending on their size, age and condition. I recently found my thrifted, four point Hudson's Bay blanket for sale on Etsy for $462.00.  

 And my price at the local Salvation Army? $14.99.  

It says "as is" because the original label is frayed and there's a small hole elsewhere on the blanket. Otherwise it's in great shape.

For some, this iconic blanket conjures up memories of hunting cabins in the woods, as well as yearly summer camp. At 100% wool, they're super warm on the coldest of nights, and some people even make winter coats out of them. The Hudson's Bay wool point blanket is a true Canadian icon. 

 Even Cooper approves.

Do you have any special items on your thrifting bucket list? This was at the top of my list and I'm tickled pink to have found one, and for such a great price! Lesson: don't give up. You never know what you're going to find on your next thrifting adventure.  

 Well, that's it for today, friends!

I hope you've enjoyed reading about my