Flea Market Friday: Upstate Estate sale!

The last couple of weekends we've been busy at our cabin upstate. Fortunately, I had a little time on Saturday to visit a local rummage sale and estate sale nearby.

This place is really in a rural area, so vintage aficionados are few and far between. Thankfully for me, that means great deals and lots of them!

The rummage sale is held at a nearby church and was Friday and Saturday until noon. Saturday is usually bag day- they give you a large trash bag when you walk in and you can fill it for -better sit down- 50 cents!

I had forgotten the sale ended at noon (I was thinking it was 2 pm) so I ran in at about 11:40 with my two kids just as they were packing up. They wanted some "new" toys, to I just told them to grab anything they wanted and put it in the bag and we'd take a close look at things later. It was so crazy, it was like we were on a TV shopping spree. I literally didn't know where to turn first. Anyway, I grabbed whatever I could and just stuffed it in my bag.

Yes, 50 cents for all!

I knew I wouldn't have much competition for the vintage clothing. I only wish I had more time to look through the men's stuff! I got these six 1960s dresses, all must have been from the same lady because they are all plus size. The 2nd and 6th from the left are really neat especially- a little too big for me at size 18-20 or I would keep them. Watch for them in the shop or send me an email if anyone is interested in purchasing. 

I also got a sweater, a shirt, two scarves and a set of the most incredible pinch pleat drapes ever:

These are in virtually mint condition. I have found several sets of drapes lately, but all in solid colors. I love these and thought hard about redesigning my living room to match them, but that's too much work. They'll be in the shop soon.

I also grabbed this old bail-top mason jar. It had been filled with potpourri (which met its demise immediately.) I have a collection of rustic farmhouse decor in the backgound (OK, except for the martini glass!) which eventually got put on a barnwood shelf later that day (another post on that coming).

After our whirlwind shopping spree was over and I paid my 50 cents, we stopped at an estate sale just outside the little town nearby. They, too were also winding down, and I wonder what I could have found if I had gotten there earlier.

Everything there was priced at $1 or less. The blue bowl is a marbled melamine (5 cents) the white milk glass bowl was 10 cents, the iron (working- they tested it there for me!) was 25 cents, the cute plastic S&P shakers were 10 cents, and the 60s lamp was 50 cents.

These are overhead light fixtures- $1 for both. I was actually looking for something cottage-y to replace the cheesy brass fixture above the sink up there and these fit the bill perfectly. I don't even have to bring something up from down home!

These plastic vacuum servers were 25 cents each. I love this style, but they don't go with 'farmhouse rustic', so they are coming home to reside in my brother's MCM bachelor pad. 

These books were the most expensive items of the day, at $3 for all. Since we don't have TV or internet up there, I'm sure I'll get to read them soon. They're all 1940s romance novels in their original dust jackets. I could have bought many more- the lady had hundreds of books- apparently she didn't have TV or internet either, LOL. The "Nature Crafts" book might also come in handy because it has all sorts of, well, nature crafts, to do with the kids. (Note to Eartha Kitsch- there is a section on making animals out of walnut shells.)

So if you're doing the math at home, I got all these things for $6 and change. Not a bad day! Now I just have to list them all in the shop and make my $50 in gas money back!