Weekend Junking
This past Friday was my last day off of the summer schedule we have at my workplace. Combined with the Monday holiday, it gave me a long, four day weekend. I decided to spend some of it doing what has become a favorite past-time... estate sales, garage sales, thrift stores and my kind of "lower end" antique stores - ya know, the ones with the rusty, chippy, bent and just plain old or vintage stuff - not a lot of expensive family heirlooms.
At the antique store I found a small, etched hanging mirror like my grandmother used to have and I nice old vintage, linen tablecloth that I have plans for (more on this in the future). I knew that I'd be going to the sister's sale on Saturday, so I tried not to over do it on Friday.
At the last minute Saturday morning, my Mom decided to come too (since my Dad is still here). We had a great day hitting the first sale at 9:00 am. Since this was the last sale for the sisters, most of their items were being sold in boxed "lots" for $5.00 each. I got 2 boxes and my mom got 1. When we got home we sorted through them exchanging things we each wanted. Some of the items will be donated to the thrift store since they weren't anything either of us wanted. I got a box full of jars, old bottles (including 2 small milk glass bottles), an Alred Meakin ironstone platter, a sixties looking aqua platter, an ironstone fruit bowl, and a cool old aqua drink cooler that I'll use as a vase.
I also purchase a teapot (Arthur Wood) from one of the sisters for $4.00.
The next sale I spent a total of $2.00 and I scored a round marble trivet or cheese platter. I'd been looking for one of these for my kitchen counter for quite awhile... ever since I'd seen one here while researching butcher block counters last spring. I also got a square angel food cake pan, it will be interesting to see how it works out. Since I've always got an abundance of eggs from my chickens, I'll even try making one from "scratch".
The third sale was were I made my last purchases for the day. It was in an old barn, at a farm I pass by frequently, a place that is all overgrown and I've always been rather curious about. It was pretty rustic - I felt a little like the guys from American Pickers! There was a lot to look through, no prices on any items, but for $1.25 I got a vintage - Orange Crush gallon bottle (I guess syrup came in it), a milk glass candle holder and the jack pot of 2 Beistle halloween decorations - a door sized, 5 foot moveable witch and a smaller pumpkin man, also moveable arms and legs. The witch has a few condition issues but the pumpkin man is in great condition. Last night I found the pumpkin man had just sold on ebay for $45 so I'm pretty excited about him.
We stopped at a number of additional sales, but I came away empty handed. Although one sale had boxes and boxes of books from a fourth-grade teacher, many of the books were available in multiples. Some of my favorites - Island of the Blue Dolphins, A Wrinkle in Time, The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. I managed to refrain from purchasing any of these elementary school favorites.
On Friday, having the day to myself, I hit my favorite thrift store and antique store in Lynden WA. The thrift store has just started putting Christmas decorations, dishes and ornaments out. I got a fantastic Commodore Santa/sleigh/candle holder for $4.49 - it takes really small, almost birthday candle sized candles. I started collecting some of the old Commodore pieces a few years ago because of the cool, old green boxes that they originally came in. Sadly, this piece didn't have it's box. I also got a red, Martha Stewart wreath for $1.99- the kind that looks like old christmas balls glued together on a wreath form. I saw an idea here last year to glitter one of these (since they're plastic and not real glass balls).
At the antique store I found a small, etched hanging mirror like my grandmother used to have and I nice old vintage, linen tablecloth that I have plans for (more on this in the future). I knew that I'd be going to the sister's sale on Saturday, so I tried not to over do it on Friday.
At the last minute Saturday morning, my Mom decided to come too (since my Dad is still here). We had a great day hitting the first sale at 9:00 am. Since this was the last sale for the sisters, most of their items were being sold in boxed "lots" for $5.00 each. I got 2 boxes and my mom got 1. When we got home we sorted through them exchanging things we each wanted. Some of the items will be donated to the thrift store since they weren't anything either of us wanted. I got a box full of jars, old bottles (including 2 small milk glass bottles), an Alred Meakin ironstone platter, a sixties looking aqua platter, an ironstone fruit bowl, and a cool old aqua drink cooler that I'll use as a vase.
I also purchase a teapot (Arthur Wood) from one of the sisters for $4.00.
The next sale I spent a total of $2.00 and I scored a round marble trivet or cheese platter. I'd been looking for one of these for my kitchen counter for quite awhile... ever since I'd seen one here while researching butcher block counters last spring. I also got a square angel food cake pan, it will be interesting to see how it works out. Since I've always got an abundance of eggs from my chickens, I'll even try making one from "scratch".
The third sale was were I made my last purchases for the day. It was in an old barn, at a farm I pass by frequently, a place that is all overgrown and I've always been rather curious about. It was pretty rustic - I felt a little like the guys from American Pickers! There was a lot to look through, no prices on any items, but for $1.25 I got a vintage - Orange Crush gallon bottle (I guess syrup came in it), a milk glass candle holder and the jack pot of 2 Beistle halloween decorations - a door sized, 5 foot moveable witch and a smaller pumpkin man, also moveable arms and legs. The witch has a few condition issues but the pumpkin man is in great condition. Last night I found the pumpkin man had just sold on ebay for $45 so I'm pretty excited about him.
We stopped at a number of additional sales, but I came away empty handed. Although one sale had boxes and boxes of books from a fourth-grade teacher, many of the books were available in multiples. Some of my favorites - Island of the Blue Dolphins, A Wrinkle in Time, The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. I managed to refrain from purchasing any of these elementary school favorites.
I did pass a few things up... such as a $14.00 coffee pot by Johnson Brothers at the thrift store, the kind with brown transferware flowers, well I found that on ebay too... going for $84 to $124... oops. I must have come back to that coffee pot 3 or 4 times, should have gone with my instinct and purchased it. I've been wanting to put together a fall table centerpiece using old china in fall colors. Oh well, maybe next time.
Hope you are all out enjoying the last long weekend of summer. Don't forget to take a peek at my GIVEAWAY, it ends on Tuesday night!
Chris at Red Gate Farm
Hi Chris: Thanks for sharing all of your finds. You've been a busy girl this weekend. Thanks for the offer of some assistance with my blog. I'm having a hectic weekend and this is a new computer and not set up properly for email yet. I hope you don't mind but I'll contact you when I'm back to work on Tuesday. Yuck ... I hate the thought! Have a good one!
ReplyDeleteLisa@SuburbanRetreat