Greenmead Fall Flea Market

I was able to go to one of my favorite events last week -- Greenmead Antiques Flea Market in Livonia, Michigan.  It only happens two Sundays a year and it's a don't-miss opportunity to find some great stuff.

A beautiful, sunny day!

I always get there early (by 9:30, at least, for the 10:00 start).  At $2 admission, it's a bargain!

I've usually filled my granny cart and also had some large items to go back to pick up.  This time, though, I filled my granny cart, made a trip to the car to empty it, went back and filled it again and then STILL had big items to pick up.  Three trips to the car -- WOW!

Here are some of the neat things that I found:

Two old bed-spring pieces.  I'm going to mount these to the wall and hang things off of them.

Felt Christmas tree skirt -- it needs a tiny bit of mending

The green breadbox is pretty shabby, but I liked the polka dots.  The chalkware kitty bank is shabby, too/  I couldn't believe I found a red Pyrex 401 bowl in great condition!   The black salt & pepper are pretty cool, too.  

Do you see the pink Pyrex fridgie?  SO excited about that one!  My son and his wife have already claimed the 1970s giant glasses -- I knew someone would love those...

I know I don't need any more Christmas tins, but Santa (who you can hardly see) is very friendly looking.  And I can NEVER resist souvenir pennants or cameras!  Can you see the mid-century Coronet thermos jug -- it's so cool!

Franciscan Desert Rose salt & pepper, Christmas aprons & more dish towels

Love these tablecloths (the songbirds are a dish towel).  I got the rooster & hen cloth for $1 because it's so stained.  I'll see if lots of soaking will work on it...

I wish I knew who manufactured the big soup mug with the lid.  It's ringed like Bauer, but I don't think it is Bauer.

I just had to have these funky corn dishes.  They're hard plastic (celluloid?) and very thin -- I think they're popcorn dishes

This is a Westinghouse roaster base or cabinet.  I think it would look cool set up as a bar

Lots of storage room for bottles & glasses inside

The suitcase is a project piece.  It's been completely stripped inside, so I get to line it!  

Here is one of my favorite things from Greenmead... I bought it to sell (and still might), but I love it so much that I'm tempted to keep it:

This is a pretty big picture -- maybe 18x24.  It's a 40s or 50s photo of a girl blowing bubbles and she just looks so joyful

 And the BIG STAR is this globe -- it's a Repogle game globe from the 1960s.  I was very excited to find it and when I asked the vendor if he could take any less for it, he dropped it by a lot.  I was doing the happy dance away as fast as I could, before he changed his mind.

 If you live near southeast Michigan, try to go to Greenmead sometime...you won't be disappointed!

Lots of Little Sales

I haven't been to a great sale in a very long time.  On Thursdays after work (usually around 2:00) I go to some local garage sales, but they've always been really picked over so all the good finds and great deals are gone.  I usually try to find some good ones on Fridays before I go to the mall, but even those have been more frogs than princes.

That said, I did go to an interesting sale last Saturday.  It was advertised as 'Cleaning out grandma & grandpa's place, lots of household and linens and barn stuff.  Much of it will be free'.  Seriously -- who can pass up a sale that advertises FREE?

It was about 45 minutes from my house, down lots of country back roads.  It was really a pretty drive on a sunny day and I got there about 20 minutes before it was open.  I saw a lady in the garage and she said she was open and I should come on in.  No kidding -- most of it was free!  Nothing was spectacular and some bordered on junk, but I did get a couple of metal utility carts and a chest of drawers that need to be painted, a mid-century coffee table, small side table, some linens and many games.  There were two great finds:  a mid-century wall shelf unit (one of the geometric ones) and a Hasko Mystic Board.  My van was completely packed (one of the men there had to help me arrange it all to get everything in) and I only spent $12!  That's fun!

Unfortunately, Mr. KV helped me unload it before I remembered to take pictures.  Here's the Mystic Board, though.

It's like a Ouija board and is from the 1940s.
I'd never heard of them, but it's an interesting piece

Here are some other treasures I've picked up in the past few weeks.

Collie bookends.  They've been mended, but are still cool

A hodge-podge of glasses and cups

Linens and Cookbooks

A tidbit tray made from china (I've often wondered if the manufacturers made these or if kits were sold for do-it-your-selfers, as they're obviously made from plates & bowls)

Irmi child's step chair

Pyrex!

Child's tinware

Vintage birthday candle holders in their original boxes

A MARVELOUS mid-century drink set.
It even has a blown-glass stirrer!

Some of these treasures went to the mall and others to Etsy -- some are already sold!   It's a good thing, too, because there are gallons and gallons of gas represented in those few pictures.  I'm really looking forward to the end of garage sale season, so I can go back to estate sales without feeling like I'm missing something by not hitting the road and going from yard sale to yard sale.

Hidden Treasures

I mentioned in my last post that I've been working hard straightening up the basement.  I've found many things that I'd just forgotten I'd bought (or remembered and couldn't find).  Hmmm...one step closer to being a hoarder!   

I thought I'd share some of the things I've found (along with a few little items I've bought in the past few weeks of not-shopping)  -- a few of them have gone to the booth and others have made their way to Etsy, but here are a few.

These two mid-century glass trays are very cool

I don't know what pattern this is, but the covered casserole is pretty neat

I can't remember if I shared these or not -- they're sweet little sherry glasses (very mid-century)

Eight West Virginia Glass Blendo glasses

Two Dillon's grocery store glasses -- I have to research these, as I've never heard of Dillon's.  It's probably a Detroit-area store from back in the day.

This owl is so cute!  It's pretty big (about 12-18" high) and all the 'feathers' are made of vintage fabric.  It matches all my yo-yo things -- quilt, pillows and yo-yo dolls

A Fun Day & A Kiss for a Prince

I went down to Jackson today to have lunch with my friend who moved there (and to pick up the bookcase I bought, but had to leave, last time I visited).  There was an indoor flea market there, billed as a 'Cabin Fever' event. I'd gone to this market a few times and it was always just so-so -- some prices reasonable, lots of prices high and also lots of 'tube socks' (my code for new dollar-store-type stuff).  I wanted to spend the day with my friend, though, so it was definitely worth the trip.

The flea market turned out to be a real prince this year!  We got there about 10:30 and it started at 11.  As in the past, people started lining up at the door then.  In past years, though, they wouldn't let the shoppers in until the stroke of 11.  They'd let you into an entry area of the building where you stood there crammed in like cattle, looking at the dealers (who were all ready to sell and stood there looking at you)!  This year, though, they just let us in!  The prices were still all over the place but there was a lot of great stuff and I bought some of it.

After we shopped, we went to lunch and sat and talked for hours -- we caught up on our families and what we've been doing and went down one conversational bunny trail after another (the way good friends do when they've known each other for years).  I've really missed seeing her all the time and it was just a boost for my spirits to get a long visit.

Maybe you want to see what I bought, though...

I love these little 1950s Japanese figures, too.  I don't think they're going to leave my living room

I love these chalkware elephants! 

The crocheted hotpad is just like the ones with pop bottle caps, but it's jar lids.  I've never seen one this big before.  The little blue hankie has 'To my wife with love  Iceland, 1942' painted on it.

More Gurley candles -- I can't resist!

These ornaments are unusual -- they're plastic and have little figures suspended inside.  At 50 cents each they were worth it

3 really odd postcards from 1905 & 1907.  I have no idea what 'Sure Mike' means!  The ride around town is someone in the back of a police wagon

I saved the best for last!  This is a BIG framed paint-by-number of flamingos (really well painted, too) -- it combines two of my favorite collectibles.  I think I'll keep it. 

  I hope you all had good shopping this week!  I'm off to check out your blogs now...