Thursday, January 13, 2011

Braving the cold...


The thought that there might just be something great at those estate sales made me bundle up and brave the cold this morning.    I love to see what the layout of the houses are and imagine how the families lived.   What was taken out of the house before the sale?  This is what goes through my mind when I head to estate sales.  
Today I hit two small sales both very different.  One was a former art teacher and the other was the home of a hoarder.  I really thought they might be filming the show among us and it was day two of the sale!


I found some interesting Christmas items.  A 2 faced Lefton mug, these great felt sequence ornaments, but that darling gnome on the toad stool is to die for.  It is marked Japan on the back and feels like Styrofoam.


A favorite Junior Elf book to add to the collection and 2 very cute Easter picks.


More great kids school books and stories with a cute pack of map pins.


Darling Yahtzee pads, old pipe cleaners and a great multi hanger in red to hang Valentines on!
When I first ran across these tiny pipe cleaners a year ago, it never dawned on me that they were made for anything more than crafting.  Sometimes I need more than one cup of coffee in the morning!


Sewing notions never fail to surprise me.  The plastic bin came in at $1.50 and was loaded with thimbles.  One of which is super tiny and sterling, so cute.  A tin box of millinery goodies only added to the fun.  I rarely find these.




I found this stuck in a box of piano music.  An old litho Smokey the Bear fan.  It was too cute to pass.


Aside from the men that put items the size of dimes on the sidewalk to mark their place in line at the door and the ones that refuse to hand me items while they hoover over all the merchandise, the jewelry table is my next least favorite thing about estate sales.  The women at these tables and I am sorry if you are one of them, but they are like wolves eating their last meal.  They move in for the kill and start picking up jewelry with their manicured nails like a vacuum.  It totally scares me.  I have no patience for that.  I just walk past and leave them be.  You see I don't usually have to fight anybody over a tarnished thimble or a rusted bucket...yet.

Today, the table was open...free of the wolves...and these pieces were waiting for me.  This darling tennis bracelet is sterling, another thing I uncovered once I cleaned it up.  That cute little lipstick...I thought it was a pill bottle until I got home, opened it up and realized it was pink, maybe an eraser, nope the smell gave it away fast, well that and the coral wax all over my fingers.    It is marked with a crown on the top and fuller company. What more can a girl ask for than rhinestones and a pocket lipstick? 

These are the fun things that I like to uncover and for 2 to 3 dollars its worth it to me.  Relics from the past and workmanship that marvels me time and again.

Tomorrow, I am back to my mending.

7 comments:

Diane Mars said...

I think you did pretty good for the 2nd day, and it sure is nice not to have to brave the battle for the jewelry! Hugs, Diane

Nan said...

People are greedy and it's sales like this really bring out the wolves to prey.
That book called AT PLAY I have myself and have been cutting words out of it for my tags!! That silver bracelet is wonderful and those Christmas items too very nice. You found some really great old things.

laurie -magpie ethel said...

I would have braved the cold right along with you dear! I think that is one of the things I enjoy about sales as well..finding snippets of a life from the families that lived there. I love the vintage stuff I find..but it is more than that as well. You did pretty well. Love the Smokey fan. Hoping to get lucky this weekend!

Into Vintage said...

I like the second day of estate sales if only for the more relaxed attitude of the other shoppers. Not a fan those grabby, pushy types who sometimes attend.

I love your cute (& ironic) Smokey fan - really charming illustration on it. :-)

Sandy said...

You scored! Diamonds...whoa and lipstick.... you go girl! Love sales..love bargins!
Have a wonderful weekend.... xoso Sandy O

Debra Ganas said...

I just "found" your delightful blog. I have already book marked it under my favorites and I will visit often.
I started a blog about 6 months ago and I have a lot to learn. Stop by for a visit some time.
Thank you for starting my morning out with some wonderful "images".

Debra

Georgia Peachez said...

Thank goodness for estate sales in the winter! Something to tide us over until the yard sales start up again :->