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. ;)

Thrift Scores!

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

Well, I've missed blogging a bit and don't think it's because I don't want to, but (you know there is always a 'but...') I've been crazy busy lately and haven't had a chance. I've been working on my Etsy store quite a bit, and all that photographing and listing takes time. I don't know about you, but I am way better at acquiring stuff than selling it! My downstairs has been taken over by the stuff I have bought to resell. Plus, I'm getting ready to sell at a flea market for the first time, so there's a bunch of things in my basement waiting to be priced, etc. I have a high tolerance for clutter, but this is getting out of control. (Shield your eyes- reality check follows!)

In case you are wondering what it is like to be a vintage hoarder seller, this is what it looks like. It is a lot of fun, but more work than most people realize. And this is only a small part of the mess- my storage and packing stations are elsewhere!

But that also means I've been buying a ton of cool stuff, so I thought you might like to see some all cleaned up and ready to show off!

I just bought this amazing antique chest yesterday. It had been sitting in my local Salvation Army for about a week and I kept passing it by because there was no price on it. (You know they won't sell stuff without a ticket on it, so I kept waiting.) It finally got priced yesterday and it was $6.99- seriously! Even at that, I hemmed and hawwed at it because I didn't think I could fit it in my car. And I was right...hehe.  I somehow wedged it in the trunk of my Chevy Cruze and drove it a couple miles home with the trunk lid open.

I bought it to use outside on my patio I was thinking as a potting bench or outdoor bar. It's not in great condition, but for outside it will be fine- I wish I had a covered porch to keep it on! It makes an amazing photo backdrop for some of my listings, which is exactly what I needed. Unfortunately, nothing will help my lame photography skills, though. Selling on Etsy is so dependent on taking great photos, and I definitely know that is my weakness.

I pass up enamelware all the time- not quite sure why I suddenly decided to buy some. Except that these are awesome pieces and I love red. The platter is so cool, and it was only $1, the bowl still had some of the original label on it and it was $2. (See how easy it is to rationalize...)

I love vintage lawn furniture and have quite a collection at this point. I bought this little strap chair for my daughter to use. It was only $2! I use the bigger one in the back all the time- they are so much lighter and more comfortable than those stupid chair-in-a-bag things. All this green and turquoise furniture is so cheery, plus it matches my vintage patio umbrella I thrifted last year. I can't wait to get it all out- will definitely have to do another post on that!

This camera is one of my favorite buys from the last few weeks. It's a Polaroid Land Camera with its original case and all the accessories. My son and I actually went in on this together because I didn't have enough money on me to buy it that day. My 9 year old (known to many of you readers as "Eagle Eye") bailed me out! LOL But since he loaned me 1/3 of the purchase price I told him he could have 1/3 of the profit when we sell it. So look for it in my Etsy store soon, and help support the next generation of pickers! 

The time to buy holiday stuff is just after that holiday is over! I bought these Beistle leprechauns at the pound store. One is on  a skateboard- argh- the cuteness!  So they basically cost me 6 cents. And the Marvin the Martian lunch bags are still in their package. I can't decide if I want to sell them or let my kids use them for school, but I don't think 3rd graders appreciate the coolness factor here.

The same goes for this Sylvester the cat bookbag. Way too cool for school- and already in my Etsy store. Want it? Enter coupon code PIT20OFF and you get 20% off!

And it wouldn't be a thrifting post without Pyrex. Lately the greens just seem to follow me home. I don't collect either of these patterns, but I know a lot of folks do, so here's hoping I can resell them. The cinnamon mugs match my favorite pattern, Autumn Harvest, though, so they might be staying. LOL, who am I kidding, it all might be staying! ;)

I heart the 80s!

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

Recently I was asked by my parents to go through my stuff in their attic- I don't know about you, but I love going through attics! I had totally forgotten what was up there. I knew some of it was junk- like a lot of old text books and school papers. But I was pleasantly surprised to find a lot of stuff from my childhood in the 80s that I thought was long gone.

It's good to be a hoarder. Because later on you find stuff like this that your younger self thought was important to save!

 I was just reminiscing with a friend about these plastic charm necklaces. I actually think I had another one on a red chain- maybe as I dig further into the boxes I brought home I will find it. But I am just waiting for an opportunity to wear this one again. ;)

Another 80s memory was Garbage Pail kids. I LOVED these (obviously- there are probably about 200 here!) I think I have almost all of the first 3 series. I was looking at some on Etsy not long ago, and wondering whatever happened to mine. Thanks again, hoarder self!

 My kids totally do not understand these! Oh well, I don't get Pokemon either.

Remember Trapper Keepers? Go search for them on Etsy. But make sure you're sitting down- they aren't cheap! I actually look for these when I'm out thrifting, and have never found one. But now I found my own from 6th grade (1987) and all of the original folders! Too bad it's in piss poor shape or I'd have made myself a nice bit of cash. I think I'll use mine to hold my magazine clippings and such- way cooler than the plain brown accordian file I have been using.

And Swatches! I still have my original ones, and I buy them whenever I see them thrifting. They are so fun, I still wear them. I have some listed in my Etsy store as well, so you can enjoy them too!

Now if I can find my Coca Cola sweatshirt and my Esprit pants we will be all set. 

Birthday Thrift Crawl 2014!

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

So, last post was the pre-Birthday Thrift Crawl post, and this is the one with my finds from my actual single-day Thrift Crawl. Which actually fell on my birthday this year, March 1st! I got to 6 stores over about 40 miles in 4 hours. I got a bit of a late start because I had to go to my son's hockey game (he scored 2 goals!) and also got to stop in and visit with an old friend before ending up at my parents' house for dinner. It was a good day. And as I get older it's so much less about the stuff, and much more about the experience...but then again there is always plenty of stuff!

So on with it...

This set of Kromex canisters was a lucky find. They were all scattered about the store and priced individually came to less than $5 total. They're in great shape- I took them over to the booth.

Of course, I am looking for Pyrex first and foremost. The Butterprint 401 and the unmarked green 403 are duplicates for me, so they went over to the booth. I have been looking for this green for a long time, because it enabled me to complete an unmarked primary set for the booth- I have had no luck selling them separately so will try it this way. It's in great condition- amazing for being close to 70 years old!

I found the square flowers 473 at my first stop- and it was a gold mine for Pyrex! Also at that same store I found an unmarked opal 403, and a pixie. This is the second birthday thrift crawl in a row where I found pixies, and I have never found them any other time, go figure. 

I also found this sad excuse for a pink stripe 401

...but it was only 99 cents so I couldn't leave it there. And I don't know about you, but I have never seen pink stripes in person, so yeah, I'll bring it home and love it. But look what I found the next week (last week, at a different store)- mommy stripe! And this one is near perfect! Who knew? Pink stripes in the wild!

 I found this cute nursery set as well. I don't know the maker, but it is really sweet, and has all its pieces in great shape. I wish I had this when my son was a baby- and I don't know anyone else expecting a boy baby, so I will probably list it on Etsy or take it to the booth.

At this point in my travels things were really getting picked over. It's not surprising that almost all the good stuff was found early. I should make a reverse trip some time and see if the stores farthest away are good first thing on a Saturday morning...but I pride myself on my ability to find something good in any store, any time. And I think this is pretty good:

It's an oil painting, almost 3 ft wide. No frame, but I can tell by the stretcher and the keys that it is likely pre-WWII (see, Mom, that museum degree comes in handy!) It's not in the best of condition, but certainly worth the $15 I paid. I have a small collection of vintage landscape paintings at our cabin up in the mountains- this will fit right in!

And this is my last find of the trip- a vintage chenille bedspread. But not your average floral or even a peacock. No, this one has 120th INF (Infantry) 30th DIV (division) and the division herald. I have never seen a military-themed chenille bedspread before- they are usually very feminine. So if you are looking for a full size chenille bedspread with somewhat of a different theme, check it out in my Etsy shop! It's in mint condition- not a mark on it. And as always, since you all are such loyal readers, enter coupon code PIT20OFF and you will get 20% your order!

Pre-Birthday Thrift Crawl Haul!

Hello Friends, it's good to see you again!

It's that time of year again- time for my annual birthday thrift crawl! That's when I take a whole day and go to all the thrift stores that are outside my usual neighborhood. It's good to kind of check in on places a bit farther out, just to see what's available. But I never have quite enough time to get to all the places I want to go in one day, so...I've decided to turn it into a week-long event. As in, get to a different nearby store every day this week, and save the long distance ones for the actual day (which was this past Saturday- that's the next post).

I've had some pretty good luck in spots and some terrible luck in others. (Like today- drove 35 miles and came home empty-handed...) But, you win some, you lose some, and you'll never win if you don't play the game!

I got very lucky in the Pyrex/vintage glass department, and that always makes everything better! I found this charcoal snowflake divided dish with lid- it's my first piece of black snowflake found ITW. The only other piece I have is a space saver I bought on ebay. It's in mint condition and I love it!

Can you believe I found a piece of Fry glass at the pound store? Yep, a Fry oven glass (iridescent) pie plate with a 1915 date stamp for about 50 cents! I think it was $0.89/lb, LOL. I have enough pie plates right now (even tho this is sooo pretty) and no oven to bake them in (hint: watch for a stove update soon!) so this one will be for sale I think.

I also found these Hazel Atlas pretties in the discount room of a different thrift- 25 cents each! Two dinner plates and two cereal bowls. I have mixed these in with my Pyrex turquoise band dinnerware and they look amazing!

I found this Spring Blossom 2 473 the other day. I am not a big fan of the original SB, but the redesign is really growing on me. I like the small flowers! I might hold on to this one for a while to use in my spring display; I don't have a lot of green except for lime. The little chalkware duck was so cute, I picked him up for 50 cents.

I found another space saver! This is actually my second Golden Pine SS found in the wild. It's in much better condition than the first one, so I will be holding onto this one and selling the first. I love this design- it's a combo of atomic and nature, so it speaks to me. ;)

I counted up all the space savers I have found ITW and believe it or not, I've found 7, including a starburst and a rooster (with lid and cradle). I don't think I'm any more lucky than anyone else, just persistent, so they are out there, keep looking!

Probably my biggest score in terms of reselling was this lot of vintage eyewear. I got everything here for $8, including the vintage safety glasses and the 1920s round specs. I always look through the sunglass and eyewear bins at thrift stores, because these can pay off big online. I've sold quite a few pairs for 3 figures when I only paid a couple dollars for them.

So that's it for my pre-birthday week thrift crawl haul!

Stay tuned for the next post on my finds from the big day!

I Love Turquoise!

Hello, friends, I'm glad you're here!

Last time I posted I mentioned how it seemed like my dry spell had been broken. Boy has it ever! And I am sooo glad; I was starting to get a little desperate!

I had some great luck with turquoise this week. First I found the Butterprint 401 which I posted last time. All I needed to complete my Butterprint mixing bowl set was the ever-elusive 404. I have been watching a couple online for a while and I just couldn't bring myself to pay the $50 or so it would have cost for one. I am glad I didn't pull the trigger because I found one in the wild!

I was meeting my mom for lunch and was a bit early so I got in a little thrifting on the way. I couldn't believe my eyes- there it was, just sitting there waiting for me on the shelf. Believe me, I just about had a death grip on that sucker all the way to the register.

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I am so excited I finally completed this set, and it was all thrifted.

And to complete my Turquoise Trifecta, yesterday I thrifted a Needlepoint 443! I just stopped into my local Sally Ann on a whim and there she was. I still can't believe I found one- never in a million years would I expect to find a piece like this at my Salvation Army, but it goes to show that every once in a while, a gem turns up.

I think I am in LOVE!

The Drought is Over!

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

First off, I have to say that I have been getting a little bit worried about the state of thrifting in general. Whether you're out to resell or just to find cool things for yourself, it wasn't looking so hot. I think I walked out of more stores empty-handed than with a purchase, and that used to never happen! It seemed like the pickings were slim since November, especially for Pyrex.

Well, I am happy to say that it seems like my luck has changed, at least for today! And it's funny, too, because I feel like crap today and haven't been out all week, but talked myself into going this afternoon just to get out of the house...

I finally found some Pyrex! The Golden Acorn DD is a duplicate for me, but it was in mint condition and had the lid, so I picked it up for $6. 

The Butterprint 401 is something I sorely needed to work on my 400 series set, and was only $2! I have all the 440s and 400s now except the elusive 404 (4 qt) mixing bowl. I have been trying to keep away from buying online too, because of all the horror stories of stuff breaking lately. So far I've had great luck, but I don't want to push it, plus it's more fun to find it in the wild.

And the clear 502 fridgie in the middle is one of the early ones, only made from 1950-52. How do I know? Well, besides coming with an old-style lid, it has the sunshine stamp on the bottom. They only made clear 501s and 502s during those years, and when the clear ones were re-introduced in the 80s they would have had a microwave stamp.

These printed glasses were $1 each- it's had to tell in the photo but they are gorgeous- they are pink, green and white. I did a post a while back on my collection of printed glassware. I haven't been buying as much of it lately, since I limit myself to buying only ones that come in sets, but I can find space for these!

And finally, I've been having some decent luck finding vintage valentine stuff- mostly crepe paper hearts and candy boxes. This little cherub is actually a planter or perhaps a card holder. I'll do a separate post on Valentines when we get closer to the day!