Good Choices, Bad Choices & a Trip to Hell

Got you with that title, didn't I?  We'll get to the trip to Hell soon enough, but first, the choices.  And life is all making choices and living with the consequences, isn't it?... I made these good and bad ones in the past two or three weeks.

Bad choice:  Choosing to go first to two estate sales about 10 miles west of my town, which were run by the same company on the same day.  Neither was any good because they were both overpriced and poorly organized.  Only bought a few things.

Good choice:  Putting a pair of Mammy/Aunt Jemima salt and pepper shakers on the 'hold' table at the first sale and then putting it back.  Another lady snapped the set up the moment I put it down, which made me think I'd made a mistake and instantly want it back. Has that ever happened to you?  The very fact that someone else wants something makes it more desireable.  It was a good choice, though, because they're just offensive to me, no matter how popular or collectable they are.

Good choice:  Leaving those two sales and driving to another estate sale 10 miles east of my town (if you're doing the math, that's already 30 miles on the car).  I bought several things there.

Fun styrofoam Santa face.  It will be hard to give this guy up

I really like the Androck whipper in the milk glass bowl!

A great mid-century relish plate -- perfect for cheeseball & crackers.  I may have to keep this for a while

Utensils with bakelite handles

This suitcase is in great condition!

Bad choice:  Taking a chance on an absolutely filthy Pyrex fridge dish, only to find out that the filth was hiding terrible wear.  Seeing mistreated Pyrex like this is so sad!

Bad choice:  Forgetting to make a note on my sale-addresses list of an estate sale the same day that was in my town.  Since I didn't mark 'estate sale' or put a star by it, the address just stayed on my list with all the other garage sales and I forgot to go.  It turned out to be an outstanding sale with lots of stuff.

Good choice:  Going to the forgotten sale on the second day.  I found a few things, but not what I would have gotten on the first day.  Oh well, that's the way it goes.

Nelly Bee loop weaving loom.   Did every little girl have one of these and did we all make potholders for our grandparents for Christmas?

Lots of postcard folders -- I'm always drawn to these!

Two very old (1910s-20s) school composition books with writing inside.  These are really popular with scrapbookers and altered-art artists

Bad choice:  Buying (and paying more than I should have) for a BIG lot of Barbie stuff:  two poor-condition cases, a Midge and a Ken (Ken had flocked hair, but a loose arm -- poor guy) and LOTS of Barbie clothes.  Actually the Bad Choice was taking a garage sale seller's word for the authenticity of all the clothes (in 3 gallon ziplock bags).  When I got it all home and looked through it, I realized that 90% of the clothes were homemade.

Good choice:  Being brave enough to take the entire lot of Barbie, Ken, cases and clothes back to the seller, telling her that it was almost entirely homemade and asking for my money back (I've never done anything like that and it was scary)!  It was only 2 hours after her two-day-long sale had started and she could easily sell the stuff to someone else.   Since I had specifically said "these all look homemade" (as I looked over the big plastic bags of clothes) and she had emphatically told me they were ALL official Barbie clothes, I felt justified.  She finally returned my money, though she did imply that I might have taken some of the clothes out.  I guess I might have thought the same thing in her position, though I don't think I would have said it.

Good choice:  Feeling really rich with my too-much-money-for-the-Barbies returned to me and stopping at another sale on the way home.  I got these cool things there:

My boys used to have this puzzle -- this one is in mint condition

Lincoln Beautyware canisters

These peg hangers are usually brown wood & boring -- this one is really cute

The condiment bowls don't have a maker's mark, but they look like Thermo-Serv

The clock has a roll-cover (from the bottom up).  I don't know if the lucite purse was made for a child or not, but it would be so cute to carry to a dinner or party.

This Fisher-Price light up globe has a little view-master type lens that you put over the circles and see pictures of the landmarks & people of the country the circle is in

A sweet homemade doll cradle

The round thing in the front is a heat spreader for a stovetop percolator

This big (24 x 36) picture has a gold plaster & wood frame

This great industrial cubby hole cabinet.  The yellow dot is the lid of a liter pop bottle on its side with a big hole cut in the 'top'.  The man I bought the cabinet from used it to store his nuts, bolts, screws, etc in bottles like that in the cubbies.  Brilliant!

Finally, the Trip to Hell:  Yes, there is a Hell, Michigan.  It's really big at Halloween and lots of Goth weddings take place there.  There's very little in Hell besides a bar/restaurant and an ice cream shop.  It's about 15 miles from my house, but I like to go to sales there because there because most of the houses are mid-century and there's usually good stuff.  

The day I went, it turned out to be a Bad Choice -- the sale was all new items and lots of 'interior decorator' supplies, flower arrangements and craft supplies.  I left with only an egg beater (a very expensive egg beater, if I factor gas prices).  Still it was a beautiful day for a trip to Hell. 

Fun Thrifting on a HOT Friday!

I go out to the mall on Fridays to check the booth, rearrange and fill any holes left by sales (always a happy thing).  This week, there was an estate sale on the way -- something that seldom happens out here in semi-rural suburbia.  It was billed as a professionally run sale of the estate of collectors and advertised lots of Fenton, Pyrex, Fostoria and salt and pepper shakers. 

That was true...except, perhaps, the professional part.  It seemed, from the way the workers were talking, that it was family-run, and it was certainly priced that way!   The kitchen was loaded with Pyrex -- there were probably 30-40 primary mixing bowls and a few fridgies -- all priced at or above mall prices!  There were 3 double width shelves of salt and pepper sets -- all at $10 each.  Who would pay that at a sale?

I got one or two bargains -- things that were priced lower than they should be (which also points to a family run sale).

As I left and headed for the mall, my GPS took me by the back roads and I passed a sign for a yard sale.  It was SO hot out and I was late for the mall, so I decided to pass it up.  After I was well away from the road it was on and saw 2 more signs for the same sale, I figured I'd turn around and go back -- it had to be a SIGN that I was supposed to stop for it!  It turned out to be another case of 'I'm glad I did!'   There were good things to be had, even though it was about 98-100 degrees outside and closer to 110 under their canopy!

Here's what I found on my quick trip to the two sales:

The tablecloth has a few holes, but the green background with white pattern are great for either a totebag or some throw pillows.  The three suitcases and umbrella were some other true bargains from the high-priced sale

The little chalkware birds and the pitcher are in great shape!

The planter is McCoy -- one of the few items that were underpriced.

I already have more Fisher Price than I know what to do with, but at $4, I couldn't pass up a complete farm!  The high-priced sale sold one in the original box for $30 (not to me!)

I love this spruce green Boonton divided bowl!   I plan to list it on Etsy, but don't know if I'll be able to part with it.  Maybe I'll foster it for a while...  The black and gold elephants are redware

This is a cool chrome thermos.  It has a flattened place in the back and needs to be cleaned up, but it's still great!

Yes, another double cake carrier!  This makes #3 double (though I think they all used to be triple, but the bottom sections were lost or damaged).  I like the pattern & colors of this one, though -- it might be a keeper or a foster-find

 The weather has finally broken and it's *only* 85 degrees today.  Who would ever think that 85 would be classified as cool?  Anyway, it's time to go out and work in the garden!  I hope you had a fun thrifting week of your own!

Oh, as a note on the previous post -- thanks to Jill for letting me know the name of my mystery Pyrex -- Blue Floral! It's so much fun finding unidentified Pyrex!

Fisher Price Happiness!

Garage sale shopping is such an interesting process, combining spontaneity and planning. When garage sale time comes, I check the newspaper & craigslist the night before I shop and try to map out the sales I want to stop at. I use yardsaletreasuremap.com to get a relative route, but in the end I rely pretty heavily on my GPS. That's where any control of the situation ends. If you drive anywhere in the suburbs, you know that the signs sprout up like dandelions in a spring lawn. They're everywhere; neon colored cardboard decorated with balloons & arrows. You'll be on your way to a planned stop and soon your GPS is "recalculating..." at every turn. I've learned, though, that it really pays to go check out those unexpected sales. I often find my best stuff at those.

A while ago, I followed one of those signs down the bunny-trail of the unexpected and hit the Fisher Price jackpot! I love vintage Fisher Price toys -- especially the Little People playsets. I managed to save most of the ones my boys played with, but am also always looking for other ones at sales and flea markets. I saw the farm silo first and grabbed it. Then I looked around and saw more Fisher Price in one place than I'd ever seen outside of a toy aisle. I took it all and got it ALL for less than $30 -- here it is:

Zoo

School (1980s) - with a pull-out playground stored under it

Nursery School (the roof comes off and the other side of it is a playground) -
I've never seen this before and am keeping this for grandchildren-yet-to-be!

Swimming Pool and Silo

Parking GarageSchool bus from 1965 - the first year they made itA Plaskool set of Sesame Street blocks (not Fisher Price, but related)Baby Nursery setPlayground setThis AMAZING box of people and parts!Look at all the great stuff that was in that box!

Since I have all this FP now, I have to decide what I'm going to keep, what I'll sell and what I'll give away. I've been doing LOTS of research about Fisher Price -- I knew it was one of the major toy makers, but didn't realize just how much there was!

Fisher Price started in 1930 and the name was the combined last names of 3 of the 4 founders. They made metal and wood toys until the 1950s when they began using plastic, too. Buzzy Bee was their first toy with plastic on it. The 'Little People' started as 'Play Family' and began in the 1960s. Besides the Little People & playsets, they made the See n Say, Power Wheels, Viewmaster and lots of infant and toddler toys. The original Little People have now been replaced by chunky ones (apparently the original sized ones were thought to be a choking risk). Some of the new versions of the old toys look really different, but a surprising number still have the old designs.

If you need to research and identify Fisher Price toys, I've found this GREAT website: This Old Toy. Every playset, every little person, every animal and every part is identified and sorted by part number and year -- most with pictures! This is one of the most complete and well organized collectors' websites I've ever seen. The little people are even sorted by color of body and type of hair and each accessory in a playset is noted. Kudos to This Old Toy!

My favorite FP toy when I was little was my Timmy the Turtle (#150). I don't know why I loved that little pull-toy so much, but I still remember it and always look for one in good condition while I'm shopping. What's your favorite Fisher Price toy or playset? I'd love to read your stories and I'm sure others would, too. Share a comment or two here and let us know what you FP you remember! Here's a question, too, for my readers from the UK and Commonwealth countries (and there actually are quite a few of you): did you or your children play with Fisher Price toys?