Yard Saling Away

Hello Friends, it's good to have you here!

Finally, the weather has warmed up and yard sales are sprouting everywhere! I had some great luck this past week. I hit a couple of rummage sales Thursday first.

I found a couple of vintage Hawaiian shirts at the first rummage sale- I thought it was going to be a bust for the longest time because I started in the housewares section and there was literally nothing but crap. I scoped out the clothing as a last resort and came up with a couple good ones- they are already listed in my Etsy store here.

I got to another rummage sale later in the afternoon just before it closed. And that means it was bag day- everything I could fit in a paper bag was $2. It also means that stuff was kind of picked over, so I definitely didn't pack the bag full. But I picked up a couple books and puzzles:

Also grabbed these art pieces. The oil painting is another vintage landscape for my collection at our cabin. That is really coming along, and I should probably do a post on that sometime. The empty frame is a simple but elegant art deco picture frame, which I always pick up whenever I find them. So much nicer than the frames they have at Michael's!

The little Hazel Atlas Moderntone sherbet glass was part of the bag sale, as were the cute fork and spatula. The fork is the Corningware Country Festival pattern. The speckled bowls are actually confetti Melmac, and are the first I have ever seen in black and white. Maybe they are "RARE HTF"? LOL  They will be listed in my Etsy store eventually too. 

This was another item I put in my bag- I'm going to let you guess what this is and then show you what we did with it later!

My husband took the kids to our local bike rodeo Saturday morning and I got to go driveway shopping. My son won 2nd place for his age group; I think he hasn't taken off his medal since then. But my prize was these pieces of Guardian Ware. I got all three for $1 each. The roaster is really huge and will bring a nice bit of $$ online.

I got these PBN horses at the same sale- it was a dollar sale, so everything there was $1. So, 5 paintings, $5! I am hoping to sell these as a group, I think they make an amazing "instant collection"!

More from the dollar sale- the Shiny Brites, lampshade and Homer Laughlin bowl. That bowl is the most stunning piece of stoneware I have ever seen. It's got a raised pattern of trees all around it. I don't know much about Homer Laughlin other than Fiesta, but I want to know more about this style. The only bad part is it has a bit of a chip on the rim and a crack there, but will be beautiful holding fruit on the table.

The Ponderosa plates are the only pieces of Pyrex I found. I have never seen the plates before, only the mugs. I'm sure these will go quickly in my Etsy store when I get them listed. The little brass swans were only a quarter; I actually have a couple of these already, they used to be my mother-in-law's.

It is hard to find bakelite radios anymore. I used to see them all the time and now they are definitely few and far between. I bought one a couple of months ago and now found this one- the only ones I've seen in a long time. It's an Admiral- doesn't work, but for $5, will definitely look great on a shelf. The alarm clock was only a quarter and that one works!

So that's the wrap up of my first real good weekend of yard sales, now here's what we did with that mystery item:

It's a bike rack! My husband painted it white and put it on my bike as a Mother's Day present. ;)

What I'm Buying Now (more Secrets of the Hunt!)

Hi Gang- it's been a while, I know. With the school year winding down things have been kind of hectic, so this post has been a long time coming. I have tried to get together most of my recent finds and post about them, just so you know I'm still here! ;)

I'm sure I don't have to tell most of you that buying vintage is a game that is constantly changing. I won't chime in with the general consensus and cry about "how hard 'vintage' is to find in a thrift store anymore." Truth is, I feel like if you really know what you're doing, you can walk into any thrift and 95% of the time, find something worth buying. That said, what we consider to be "good" merchandise needs to constantly adapt to the trends. 

I have been buying vintage clothing for over 15 years and yes, at one time it was easier to find early stuff (1950s and before) and it was cheaper. But as a reseller, my market has changed as well, and there is more of a market for 1960s-80s vintage. And the prices for the earlier stuff have gone through the roof, so even if it is more expensive to buy, it is even more profitable to sell.

I do find early vintage on occaission. In the last few months I have found at least 3 nice 1930s/1940s dresses, but only because I took the time to look through the whole store. This little black number is a perfect example. The store employees had put it in with the regular merchandise (not in the special "vintage" section- and almost all the stores I go to have these sections anymore). Since it is black, it is a classic style and difficult to date unless you can spot the cold rayon and flip the hem over and look at the construction. That beautiful taped seam was a dead give-away for an early 1940s date. I paid $6.50 for it and originally planned to resell it, but, lucky me, it fits me perfectly, so it's a keeper for now!

So, the early stuff is out there, just sometimes hidden in plain sight. But this next dress is an example of the type of things I buy now, and things that also sell well. It's an amazing 60s/70s maxi dress. Dig that amazing print! And the faux wrap style! (What I don't dig is the reek of smoke attached to it- it's now at the cleaners- someone must have partied hard in this one.) So when I set the price for this one I need to take into account what I paid, plus the drycleaning bill, which means I'm already into this for close to $20. But I think it's an amazing dress and I'm sure someone else will think so too.

Pair that with the bowling bag purse I have at the top and you'd have yourself a pretty sweet psychedelic outfit. That bag is something that a lot of people would pass up, especially because it wasn't cheap (in thrift store world) at $8. But I know I can triple my money on that or better, so long as it's in great condition (which it is, thankfully). 

And condition is key. I have a hard time passing things up that are really cool, even if the condition isn't great. But I'm finding out that if I have to put a disclaimer in the listing (like "small hole" or "discolored spot") that item won't sell unless the price is really good. So it's probably not worth my time, and I need to walk away. (But it's still so hard, and I'm not always successful- more on that in a moment!)

I liked these two prints, and any time you find things in pairs (like art or lamps), that's a good thing. They're "big eye" prints from the 1960s which have that really kawaii look. They're fairly large (about 24" tall) so may go to my booth instead of the Etsy shop. But they'd probably sell better on Etsy...

I've been buying lots of planters lately- they're so useful. This fat lava flower pot is not marked, but I'm almost certain that it is German. I love German ceramics, so this is for my personal collection. I also am a sucker for orange, so it was a no-brainer at $3.50.

And you knew I couldn't do a post without Pyrex, now could you? The two Autumn Harvest bowls (402 and 403) on the left are my first of that pattern and it's one I have always liked. They're not mint condition, but are pretty good (not DWD!) and for $7.50 for both, not a bad deal. I will put them away for now and bring them out come fall.

The Spring Blossom 402 on the right is one of those "condition is everything" mistakes. Although, it's hard for me to call it a "mistake" because it is Pyrex, and a mixing bowl which I will use... Anyway, it was cheap (like $2) but really dirty. I knew I could get the dirt off, but it has been through the dishwasher and has a big chip on the bottom which I didn't see until I got it home. Oh well, I definitely can't resell it, but I can use it. Funny how almost all of the daily use Pyrex I have is Spring Blossom, a pattern which I don't "collect" but seem to buy with regularity. Oh well, it's still better than regular glass and way more fun!

Red White and Blue and Bo Duke Too!

I've had a good run lately at the thrift stores. It's been a while since I found so much quality merchandise, and I'm thrilled to show it to you!

I found this amazing TV tray (it even has legs for breakfast in bed!) from the Dukes of Hazzard show. It was in the dreaded "antiques" section of the  thrift store (= higher prices than normal), but since the store was having a 25% off sale, I was able to get it for $7.50. Not too bad, and when I get tired of looking at the boys, I can resell it for a nice profit, I think.

The stars and stripes milk glass mug (37 cents!) is my new favorite coffee mug, even if it isn't Pyrex. I LOVE it, and don't know how anyone could get rid of something like that! Plus it matches the tray- bonus!

As you may have guessed, my obsession with Pyrex is always high on the list right now. I found this Pink Gooseberry 471 (1 pt) casserole the other day, which completes my set of those casseroles, minus a couple of lids. 

I also found two Colonial Mist 441 Cinderella bowls. Not my favorite pattern, but at $1.50 each I couldn't resist. I was surprised to learn that the white glaze on the outside is fired on- that seemed to me like and unneccessary step for a bowl that is already white, but I guess if Pyrex didn't do that, the pattern would have looked like those ugly Glasbake bowls with the blue flowers I always see. Well, I learned something! LOL, another cameo by the stars and stripes mug, plus a Butterfly Gold Pyrex mug (75 cents).

This next one was a bit of a splurge, but I have never seen anything like this:

A triangular shaped casserole with atomic snowflake design and stand! It is made by Inland Glass and in mint condition. It is definitely going to be a display piece in my collection, even if it's not Pyrex.

I got this really neat orange and green planter for $3. I have never seen an orange planter before, so had to get it because my living room is orange and green.

I did find some vintage clothing finally. These antique safety glasses are so amazing- still in their original box.

And this 1940s crepe dress was found in an small town thrift store in upstate PA for $4. It's incredible and in perfect condition- watch for it in my Etsy store!

Thrifted Thursday: Luck O' The Irish

OK, well, I'm not even the slightest bit Irish, but they say everyone is a little Irish on St. Patty's day! I certainly had some good luck yesterday.

I found the most amazing jackets and you all will die when I tell you how much they were.

I'm getting my Annie Oakley on in this one- this three-tone fringed buckskin jacket is definitely old, but not that old! I'm leaning toward 40s, but it may be 50s. It is still really soft and supple, though and just an amazing piece. The best part is that it fits me like a glove- like it was made for me back in 1947. I absolutely love it and plan to wear it quite a bit- it's just got a great vintage look that will still pair well with modern. 

This Hudson Bay Point Blanket Coat is something I recently read about on the Tea with the Vintage Baroness blog. I really liked the different styles of them and was shocked that I found one today in the pound store! It's made in Canada from real blankets. It's super heavy and warm and fits me as well. It's tempting to keep it but I think it will go to the shop.

Now for the best part- both coats were 99 cents! Even the manager of the pound store said he had no idea why they were there and that they were really nice coats regardless of price.

This didn't come from the pound store, but it was only $2. I have always loved American Indian beadwork (used to do some as a hobby) and thought this belt was pretty neat. It's much bigger than it appears in the photo- it ties around my waist.

I love this football themed planter- when was the last time you ever saw a masculine planter? It was $1.25.

I bought these milk glass pieces at the pound store as well. I've been buying a lot of custard cups recently, for no real reason other than that they are cute (the back one is a really old FireKing and the front one is "Pyr-O-Rey"). The large milk glass crock is gigantic! I have no idea what it is from, since it is unmarked. It is like the size of a big crock pot crock- perhaps it was from some early version of that. It was only 99 cents though and since I would like to try my hand at making sauerkraut someday, this will be perfect. Or it might end up as a planter- how cool would that be?

Now, you didn't think I would get all that without finding some Pyrex, did you? I almost didn't get any- there was a young couple in there buying up everything Pyrex. I mean they bought everything- 8 beige mugs, 3 autumn harvest red mugs, a bunch of Old Orchard casseroles, things I wasn't really interested in, and thought was overpriced (like $3 a mug). I don't know what it was about me, but I made eye contact with them one time and then heard the guy say to the girl- "We better go back and get the rest of that Pyrex" (off the shelf). How did they know I was looking for Pyrex??? :)  But since I found some green Pyrex on Tuesday, I figured my luck would hold and I found this green (Verde) 404 off on another shelf. 

Here's hoping you have some good luck as well thrifting this week!

SusieQT's Vintage Vault: the things I keep for ME

Resolved: to post more in 2013. OK, there, I said it, I will do my best to get back to posting more regularly!

All this time, I have been quite busy thrifting and listing things in my Etsy shop. I have never been too sure if you all really want more of the "look what I found thrifting" types of posts, or the "visit my Etsy Store commercials", so I thought I'd try to commit to blogging a bit about the things I already have and treasure.

Ever since I was little, I loved the past, and have always tried to read/see/experience as much history as I could get my hands on. When I was in 7th grade I fell in love with Big Band swing and my interest in the 1930s and 40s took off. A little bit later I added the 50s to the mix. And so I started collecting things from those eras. I have also been fortunate to inherit some really nice things from my family- and it always helps when they know you love those types of things!

There are a lot of things I have acquired over the years, and since I have taken the leap into reselling, I am aware of how hard it can be to find some of this stuff. It has literally taken me decades to find some of it, and, well, I guess I ought to let you all in on some of the things I keep only for me.

First up, every girl loves jewelry; I know I'm no different. But did you ever think of jewelry for your shoes? Fiona over at In the Heyday recently posted about her shoe clips that she made and it got me thinking about some that I own.

I love marcasite. It is sparkly and sophisticated without being too showy. It has been very popular and relatively affordable since the Victorian era and the first few decades of the 20th century, and was probably most desirable in the 1900s into the 1920s.

I inherited these shoe clips from my Grandmother, who was born in 1910. I believe she would have worn these in the late 20s, but they are probably older than that and most likely belonged to her older sister or mother.

They come in a very elegant blue embossed leather box.

You can see how glittery they are, without being overtly sparkly. I would love to wear these to a dimly lit supper club and hear a dance band!

I have two sets- a square one and a round one. Both are backed with black leather. The clips have the manufacturer's mark (can't make it out) and "Paris", so I'm sure they must have been quite expensive back in the day. I think they could also have been used as glove cuffs or dress clips.

 I posed them on one of my favorite pairs of vintage shoes- I bought these blue velvet peeptoes years ago at the NYC Vintage Show and they are actually a bit big for me!

Stay tuned- I have tons more in the vault!

Back with a Vengeance

Hi all- things are starting to return to normal around here. Our power was out for a week after Sandy hit, and   then we left for a weeklong vacation the day after it came back on. So, I am slowly getting back into the regular routine. But just because things were a little difficult around here doesn't mean that I didn't do any thrifting or things to blog about- on the contrary! I found a little bit of thrift store therapy went a long way toward restoring my peace of mind.

I'm being much more selective now than I ever was- just because something is a good deal doesn't mean I need to buy it. I almost always consider the resale value of an item, and am really trying hard not to buy things to keep for myself. Or, at the very least, if I buy something to keep, something else has to go.

So here are two of my best scores of the last few weeks!

This set of Libby Carousel glasses is in mint condition. I paid $7.50 for the set of 8, so that's less than $1 a piece. While they are cute and very collectible, they're headed to the antique booth; I need another set of printed glasses like I need a hole in the head.

This is one of my all-time faves. It originally was going to go to the Etsy store, but once I tried it on...well, I have other jackets that I can get rid of!

It's an original issue A2 bomber jacket, not a knock-off. It's goatskin, so soft and luxurious. I haven't yet figured out how to read the government label (there's a date code hidden in there) but it's not old, probably recent issue. But the style is identical to WWII issue and so iconic, it doesn't matter to me. And I think I have the correct patch that goes on the velcro spot left over from my days at our local air base.

The price was $40, which is probably the highest I've ever spent on a single item at a thrift store. I carried it around for a while before I figured I could at least double or triple my money if I tried to sell it. But for now it's staying with me, and I wore it yesterday as a salute for Veteran's Day. 

Rummage Sale Haul of Awesomeness, Pt. 2

Well, now that you've had enough time to digest part 1, let's move on to the miscellany and clothes I picked up from the semi-annual rummage sale. 

Last year, I put a moratorium on my own buying of vintage Christmas items- I have probably 15-18 dozen vintage Shiny Brites I bought back when no one wanted them. But now that I have an antique store booth, I need the holiday inventory ;). These sweet handmade cloth ornaments are just the thing- and only set me back 25 cents for all.

These plastic flocked window wreaths are still in their wrappers- 50 cents for all. I have done well with these on Etsy- should get them listed soon.

I paid 25 cents for the tin and it happened to be filled with tiny craft supplies- a win-win! The sharp-looking object is actually a vintage plastic icicle ornament. I have a little collection of those as well, this was like a bonus find.

This is one of my favorites- a bunch of 7 1980s vintage T shirts- $2.25 for all. These have great vintage drinking-theme graphics. They'll be making their way into my Etsy shop for all those ironic hipsters at Xmas...

Let's take a closer look at the one on the lower left- it's my favorite! 

I think I mentioned before on this blog how much I love vintage flight bags. I have a couple that I use for actual trips- they are still the perfect size for carry-on luggage, and fit a laptop as well! I grabbed these while I was still waiting in line to get in (all the suitcases and lawn items were outside) for $1 each. The TWA one is from the 80s, but the red white and blue one is so 60s. The logo is from the ILGWU and it is mint! It's going to be hard to let this one go, but I can't keep everything.

If you see anything you like, watch my Etsy shop or leave a comment with your email and we can work something out. As always, blog friends get a 20% discount when you enter the coupon code PIT20OFF at checkout.

Save the Vintage!

Help! Save the vintage from the Zombies!

More blood-curdling than any horror movie is seeing beautiful vintage clothing ruined by fake blood. While I am all for Halloween and dressing up as monsters (even for adults :) this time of year can be the last hurrah for many vintage frocks. 

Get out there now and cruise those Halloween racks for vintage! It's cheaper than ever (many stores price it at a few $$) and if we don't rescue it, it can end up like above...

I've found some really great items on Halloween racks- this 50s wiggle dress was $1:

This suit- deadstock, still with tags, and now in my Etsy store.

And most amazingly, these Victorian mens shoes, which I just bought yesterday. 

I am shocked to even hold them in my hand. That they even exist after 120 years just blows me away. And that they are still in good enough shape to be worn- the leather is still soft and soles flexible- well, I don't know what to say, except... don't ruin them with fake blood!

How I lost my (Auction) virginity, or What Goes Around comes Around.

OK, now that I've got you all excited, let me tell you a story.

Back when I was 5 or 6, my parents went for 2 weeks to London. For some reason (this is very much out-of-character for my mom, but hey, it was the 70s) my parents hired a nanny to watch my brother and I while they were gone. The woman they hired ("Mrs. T") apparently came very well-recommended from some other parents in the neighborhood, and they must have felt comfortable leaving us with someone they had never really met before.

I don't remember very much about her, except that she had a blue 1974 Nova, was in her 50s, and impressed me as being fairly strict. We did not like her. So much so, that one day after kindergarten, I went home with another boy from my class because I didn't want to go back to Mrs. T. I stayed for lunch and played for a while (I guess I assured the other mom that it was OK for me to do this- remember, again, this was the 70s) until a police officer knocked at the door and brought me back to a very anxious Mrs. T.

I guess I kind of scared the hell out of Mrs. T; maybe that experience with me began to lead her down a dark path to becoming a hoarder...





...Fast forward about 30 years, to last week, when the fabulous MaryDeluxe asked if I wanted to accompany her to an estate auction in my old home town.

"A True Hoarder's House!" went the auction listing, with vintage clothing, jewelry, Lionel trains, ephemera, and 400 box lots. Looking at the photos, I thought yes, this may be a great time to lose my auction virginity and go to one. Plus, something about that neighborhood was very familiar.

I couldn't tell exactly from the map which house was the hoarder house, but I had a feeling I was about to step back 30 years in time and pay another visit to Mrs. T.

Sure enough, bright and early Saturday morning, there I was, standing once again in Mrs. T's driveway. But this time it was filled with a giant dumpster, hundreds of boxes and years of dust, mildew and mouse poop. Well, I said, "Mrs. T, I'm back! And this time I am here to buy your stuff...." and I proceeded to do just that.

It was a very productive auction for the both of us. Since I was an auction newbie, I probably overspent and overbought little bit, but there was so much good stuff I couldn't help myself. (See, it's a short road to becoming a hoarder!) And since we both have Etsy stores and a booth at an antique store, we needed the merch.

Besides, with stuff like this- and you all know how hard it is to get good vintage clothing for a good price anymore- we were almost obligated to buy Mrs. T's old clothes!

Check out my part of the haul- MaryDeluxe got a bunch of great stuff too- 14 dresses from the 1930s-80s (mostly 50s), plus two skirts, a skirt/top set and a 2 piece playsuit set. And a beautiful Persian lamb coat with a mink collar- for $5. I think I spent about $175 on all of it. It's hard to tell from these pics, as I have them out on the clothesline, but the clothes are all in great shape- shocking, really, considering the condition of the rest of the place. If you see anything you like, email me (practiceintime@gmail.com) for a pre-sale deal or just wait for them to appear in the shop.

I also scored some Pyrex in the box lots- a yellow and green primary mixing bowl, plus a pink fridgie- the black Rooster dish was a thrift find later the same day.

This is the rest of the stuff from my box lots- all freshly scrubbed! 

I have about half a set of Steubenville Fairlane (including the butter dish and some platters) there, some misc glassware and a bunch of chalkware Madonna and Child images. I got a MCM vinyl stool for $1 that also came with a gigantic vanity mirror. I don't know what I will do with that yet, but if anyone needs one...

There's still a whole box of bird figurines in the garage I have to go through, but there are some really neat pieces in there amongst all the junk. Some of it will be donated back to a local thrift store, but I will certainly make my money back- I don't think I spent more than $15 total on the box lots. (I spent the remainder of my $ on some items for my son's Lionel train set- another really good deal, as it has so far kept video games out of our house.)

So for my first auction, I think it was a great, if somewhat bizarre, experience. What goes around definitely does come around.