Friday Finds

I went to the mall today to fill in and re-arrange my booth.   I'd sold a table and a laundry cart while I was out of town and I knew that everything would be scattered all over.  The floor walkers do their best at putting things in good places and doing a little staging when they empty a cart or table for a customer, but there's only so much they could do.  Usually I can get in there in a day or two to fill the hole, but this time it had to sit that way for over a week.

I stopped at a sale or two on my way in to the mall.
At one of them, I found a few mid-century goodies and then saw some large pictures.  I bought 2 large framed crewel embroideries, a framed paint by number and a framed watercolor.  I negotiated with the husband and he asked if I was sure I wanted them.  His wife started laughing and told me she was already getting the "I told you so" look from him.  SHE thought they were junk and no one would want them!  She said "Those old things?" -- EXACTLY right!

The sweetest part was when the wife and her daughter helped me take them to the van and her daughter said that Grandma would be really happy that someone wanted her artwork!  It was really nice to think that something that might have been thrown away will now make a great addition to someone's mid-century decor.  One man's trash...

Here's what I found at that sale:

These beautiful sherry or liqueur glasses -- they're really delicate

The jewelry box belonged to the lady's mother

She threw in the Baptist Sunday School pins for free -- they'd been hers when she was a child. I remember getting similar ones for perfect attendance & being really excited about them!

8 Made-in-Japan lacquered paper trays.  They're really beautiful!

Here are 'those old things' -- I really like them! (I couldn't get Leo the cat to get out of the picture)

At another sale, the garage was so dark you could hardly see what you were buying.  I found a complete set of Pyrex Butterprint fridge dishes and was pretty excited -- until I got them home and unwrapped and realized that the two smallest ones had lime etching on the lids (ruined), the medium one had an etched lid AND the pattern was almost completely gone and only the large one was really sellable.  I know there will always be things I'll buy that I'll regret, but I hate when it happens.

At the dark, cave-like sale, I also found these:

A 'mammy' apron and a tea towel

3 boxes of unused assorted greeting cards from the 50s and 60s

A doctor's-bag-sized leather suitcase or briefcase

At the last sale I went to, I found these in 50 cents each box:

They're 4 plates, 4 bowls and 4 cups in the Monterrey Western Ware pattern from the 1950s or 60s.  I think they used to give them away as a bonus at the grocery store or in soap.  They're pretty collectable right now and these are in near mint condition!  I guess they redeem the bad Pyrex buy in the weekend shopping tally.

Now I have to decide if I'm going to drive up to Midland Antiques tomorrow.  My shopping buddy, Bargain Hunter, hasn't mentioned it -- I've barely had time to talk to anyone at work all week -- so she might be going with someone else, or skipping it.  I've got so much work to do here, I could use the day at home...