Picking Things Up Along the Way

As I said in my last post, I've been really trying to avoid sales for a few months to try to 'destash' the basement as I sell in the booth and on Etsy.  That was SO hard to do, though!  If a sale was really close by (within 10 miles -- and that doesn't happen often) or if I was driving by the local thrift store, I'd stop by to see what was around.

Here are a few things I picked up along the way.  Not as much fun as a fill-the-car prince of a sale, but good stuff nonetheless...

1960s sewing chair -- has a torn place, so I think I'll recover it in barkcloth and add big buttons.  I think it will look awesome!

It opens up to store your sewing supplies

1934 Brookfield Zoo souvenir pennant

A really realistic looking lacquerware turtle box

A Wolverine toy kitchen cabinet

I LOVE this breadbox -- it just screams 1950s to me!

It's hard to see how nice this picture is -- I got it at the local thrift.

A totally kitschy tin Christmas tray

1959 wedding cake topper -- so cool!

A mirrored tissue box cover.  This looks like Hollywood glam to me!

Faux french provincial jewelry box -- not my style, but cool, nonetheless

I have to tell you about these next little gems... I always search for Queen Elizabeth II and King George VI on Etsy and the third glass from the left came up a few weeks ago.  The seller was in Michigan and said she'd be happy to let me pick it up.  Then she asked if I'd like to see all the OTHER royals' glasses that she had?  Do you think so?  Absolutely!  In the end I bought NINE of them...I only left two behind because I didn't like the graphics on them.

I was going to resell the extras in the booth, but as I started pricing them, I just kept keeping them back one at a time.  The only one that went into the booth was the coronation procession glass, because that was a double for me.

The first three are souvenirs from King George VI's reign -- his coronation and then two from his visit with Queen Elizabeth, Princess Elizabeth & Princess Margaret to Canada.  The last is from Queen Elizabeth II's coronation

Four coronation glasses -- Queen Elizabeth II & her father King George VI

One glass that's not pictured is a green printed 'God Bless Our King' for King George VI -- I liked that one so much it immediately went into the kitchen display cabinet.

The last great thing I bought was a waterfall wardrobe.  It's out in the barn and I keep meaning to take a picture of it, but forget when I go out to put the chickens in bed.  One of these nights I will and then I'll add it here.

So, those are a few of the things I picked up while I wasn't shopping.  Gee, I hope Mr. KV doesn't read this post and see them all!

The Queen's Diamond Jubilee!

Today, June 2, 2012, is Queen Elizabeth II's jubilee -- marking 60 years on the throne.  I know that all my UK followers are well aware of the big celebrations planned, but doubt that many here in the US even noticed.

I think I've mentioned before (a few times, at least) that I love all things British, but especially the Queen!  I've been collecting Royal Family 'souvenirs' for many years, and most particularly Coronation items.  Mr KV laughs that every time a package arrives at our house, the Queen's picture is somewhere on it (I think he exaggerates...)   I have lots of tins -- between biscuit tins and tea tins, there is just such a variety available.  I have lots of other interesting things, though, too. 

I thought, in honor of the Queen's jubilee, that I'd share some of them with you.

This might be my favorite piece -- a teapot with red & blue bakelite handles. 

A hinged tin

Another tin (I always try to turn Prince Philip to the wall)

Lots of tins, a tray and some other, more unusual things:

A spoon with a bakelite handle (the bowl is embossed with the ERII)

A Coronation souvenir penknife

A Welsh lady salt or pepper (with the Coronation date on the back)  I've never been able to locate the other shaker -- I don't even know what it would look like

The London Coronation highlights is a very cool little souvenir pamphlet. 

The tin has the princesses on it.  The snapshot postcard is one of my favorite pieces -- it looks just like a family snap, with the Queen, Princess Anne, her horse and the Corgis

A Coronation plate -- a present from my friend Bargain Hunter (she gave me Christmas cookies on it)

Another favorite -- a home-made, hand colored and embroidered pillow

A Coronation Book of Common Prayer and box.  It has a hard patent leather cover embossed with ER 1953

Several books -- I especially like 'Princess Elizabeth, Wife and Mother' and 'Princess Elizabeth's Wedding Day'

An unusual changeable date desk calendar

Coronation paper dolls & coloring book -- uncut and uncolored!

Another coloring book -- also uncolored

Lastly, another favorite -- a scrapbook put together by a little girl in Surrey.  It looks like it may have been a school project

 Thanks for looking at my collection!
(If any of my British friends want to pick up a little jubilee souvenir to add to the collection I'll HAPPILY reimburse you for your cost and shipping!   I hope you got to celebrate today!)

God Save the Queen!

Not Quite Thrifty, but Lots of Fun!

We just finished up a 1 1/2 week sale at the antique mall -- each dealer gets to choose his discount amount, anywhere from 10% to 50%,  It's both a good and a bad thing to be a floor walker during the sale -- you get to see LOTS of things you want to buy.  Each time I worked I found another treasure or two, including several things that I'd been watching for weeks and hoping would still be there by sale time.

Here's what I bought -- some destined for Etsy and some just for ME!  Can you guess what I'm keeping?

Yet ANOTHER book about the Queen's coronation (I'd been watching this one a while)  It's titled 'Great Events of the Royal Year 1953' has shots of all sorts of interesting things; it's like a 1953 time capsule

Sporting Events

The Royals' version of Brad & Angelina -- celebs to be watched...

Queen Alexandra's Gift Book -- she was Queen Elizabeth II's great-grandmother. 
This book is filled with 'photographs from my camera'

It was given to a little girl as a reward for 'regular & punctual attendance' -- lucky her!

Apparently, Queen Alexandra took these pictures with her little camera herself -- I know, it's nerdy (but cool!)

 Now to the more universally interesting things that I bought ---

A sweet turquoise & white cream & sugar -- I have no idea who made them (do you?)

This 1950s-1960s lunch box -- I just LOVE it!

It belonged to Elizabeth -- I like that a lot because that was my mother's name.   I wish I knew who this Elizabeth was!  I'm going to leave the labels on, for sure

A little 'Japan' figurine and bird salt & peppers.  They have noise makers in them like Holt Howard cats but, as usual, they no longer work.  Aren't they cute?

 I'd been watching this little silhouette advertising wall hanging for weeks and was always worried that it would be gone.  It was given as a gift by a gas station.  I just think it's one of the sweetest things I've seen in a long time!  It's tiny --  only 5" across.

 This was my BIG splurge (I justified it by saying it was for the house) -- a coral red chair from the 1940s or 50s.  As soon as I saw the square button, I was hooked.

It looks fantastic in the living room!

A Better Homes & Gardens Sewing Book from the 1960s

So, even though it didn't come from a thrift store or an estate sale, it was all a pretty good bargain -- and so much fun! 

Now I've got to go check out the weekend's sales.  My niece is coming for a girl's weekend and we're hoping to find some good ones!  Happy thrift shopping to you, too!