Fun Finds: Madame Alexander Baby Doll -- Complete!

I found this sweet Madame Alexander baby doll at the local thrift this week and couldn't pass her up!

She still has the hang-tag tied to her wrist and all of her clothes -- from her hat down to her shoes and socks are original!  She even still has a basket with millinery flowers tied to her other wrist.

Her outfit is tagged 'Precious' by Madame Alexander.  I think she's composition and she looks like she's the same age as my Effanbee Dydee baby from the mid-1950s.  Her clothes, though, look more like 1940s.

She has a sweet face and perfect eyelashes (no bare spots)!

If you read this post and know anything about this baby, please let me know!

What Do You Think This Was?

I picked up this very interesting table at the local thrift -- I paid more than a 'thrift' price, because I loved the styling and thought buyers in my booth might, too.

It's all brass (I think) with a wood inset top -- even the legs and shelf on the bottom are brass.  It has casters and they're little metal ones like they used years ago.

The detail on the drawer is lovely.  The drawer is wood and faced with a brass sheet that's been folded around it and nailed in place.

The top is inlaid and looks like oak to me -- it's joined wood, not veneer.

I could see this as a bedside table in the hospital sets of Downton Abbey, or as a bank or cashier's table in The Sting.  It really looks like 1910s to 1930s to me, and the quality speaks to that era, too.  It could be newer, just made to look old, though.

What do you think?  When do you think it was made and what do you think it was used for?  I'd love it if one of you could identify its era and use!

Happy Weekend Finds!

If you love vintage stuff and hunting for bargains at sales, thrifts (and even by the side of the road), you know that it doesn't take much to make you do the happy dance.  I had a couple of days just like that 2 weeks ago, and am just getting to tell you about them now.

The small victories started on Wednesday, when I went to my local thrift after work because it was Senior discount day.  There hasn't been any good Pyrex there in a long time and their prices have gotten outrageously high.  A pricer there told me that they look things up in price guides and online and then charge 1/3 of the value of the item.  They must be using price guides from years ago when everyone was paying top dollar for things.

Regardless, there wasn't any good glassware, but the first thing I saw was this bedspread, which they'd just taken off a bed that had sold:

Total Hollywood glamour from the 1940s or 50s!  It was mismarked as twin, but is really a full sized spread

I went over to the other spreads that were hanging up to see if it had a mate there, because it was labeled as a twin size.  There was no mate, but this great coverlet was also hanging up, just waiting for me!  

Both are in MINT condition -- I don't think either was ever used. 

On Friday there were two local estate sales.  I still have so much stuff in the basement and barn that I've to pretty much only go to sales if they're a) utterly fantastic and irresistable or b) really close to my house.  These were close to home.  The first one, about 8 miles away, turned out to be non-existent, which happens once in a while, but is really frustrating.   Strike one -- not a good start to the day!

I backed to the next sale, which started an hour later but was really close to my house.  Because of the not-a-sale, I got there so early that I was Number 1!  I've NEVER been first in line for any sale -- it was a pretty cool feeling!  Unfortunately, almost everything in the house was new -- boo hoo...

There were only 3 or 4 old things in the sale and the first one was this bowl:

These polka dot Pyrex have been on my wish list for a while and I only needed the yellow and the green.  I was so excited to get this green one!  I also got a couple of cook books and utensils, but that was the end of the old stuff, so off I went to work on my booth at the mall.

The next day, the local Masons held their annual fund-raising antiques show.  It usually has about 30 dealers, but was expanded this year and was pretty good.  I don't shop these sales for items to sell, but just for me (always fun).  

At that sale, I found this Pyrex casserole, which combines 3 of my favorite things:  turquoise, Pyrex and mid-century starbursts.  

While researching it online to find out what the pattern is called & how old it is, I found one just like it for auction at Ebay -- it sold a few days ago for $120!  Even though the casserole is very cool, I can't see any reason why it would go for that much, other than bidding fever.  I'm going to post it on the Pyrex Collective and see if any of the collectors over there can tell me more about it.  

Overall, it was a pretty happy weekend:  #1 (even at a not-so-great sale), Pyrex green polka dots and a great Pyrex casserole.  

I hope you're all doing the happy dance over your finds, too!

I Can't Bring Myself to Sell Them!

I stopped at my local thrift store after work today because it was Senior day.  Actually today was SUPER Senior day!  Normally on Wednesday, the Senior (55+) discount is 25%, but on the first Wednesday of the month, old folks like me get 33% off.  I'm glad there's at least one benefit to getting older.

Today I found this set (sorry for the picture but I snapped it with my phone).  It's a MINT West Bend aluminum drink set -- red pitcher (with a white plastic handle -- possibly bakelite, but I haven't tested it yet) and eight tumblers.  There isn't a single dent and barely a scratch on the entire set!   The colors are so bright -- very jewel-tone.  You can't really see the great detail on the pitcher, but it has scored bands around the bottom and a very cool ice lip.

Aren't they beautiful?

These bring back so many memories -- of drinking home-made lemonade in the back yard under our oak tree on hot summer days, playing with my friends and dipping pretzels (Grippo's pretzel loops, of course) in grape Kool-ade and the all important decision of what color cup to choose.

I don't think I can bring myself to sell them.  At least, not yet.   I might foster the set for the summer and see if I'm able to part with it in the fall.

I also found this in the higher priced 'collectibles' area:  It's a Bauer Moderne casserole & serving rack.  You can't tell so much from this picture, but it's a gorgeous shade of mid-century pink and I love the tripod legs of the rack.  I'll be able to sell this one, though!

Bauer of California pottery casserole

Update on the pineapple lamp:  I guess I'm becoming a hoarder, because I've decided to keep that, too.  I just couldn't bring myself to sell that either.  I'm starting to see a pattern here...

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!

A Thrift Store Adventure -- Stop, Thief!

We've been cleaning out closets and I had to take bags of clothes to our local Salvation Army.  Since I didn't have Mr. KV in the car with me to tell me I didn't have time to shop, I got to stop in and see what was new.

The first thing I saw was a dark green Harlequin creamer -- for less than $2!  I was so excited and snapped it up (doing a mental happy dance the whole time).  Then I saw a small maroon pitcher that looked old -- it was incised (not ink-stamped) Fiesta on the bottom.  I still have to figure out if this is old or contemporary (I think it might be Cinnabar).  I think it's the cream pitcher that goes with a sugar bowl on a special serving plate.  But I digress...

Do any of you know if this is Cinnabar?  Or if it's old?

I found a few more mid-century things (my lucky day, I guess) and went to the check out line.  As I mentally added my stuff, I saw that the harlequin creamer was gone!  I said (no, actually, I yelled) "Someone took something out of my cart!"  All the other shoppers in line were horrified, of course.  If it could happen to me, it could happen to them.  I went to each check-out clerk and told them (I think, a little loudly) that a green cream pitcher that came up was mine and that it had been taken out of my cart.

I spent the next 1/2 hour looking in everyone's carts and what they were carrying.  No creamer anywhere.  Finally, I admited defeat and got back in line.  There, on the jewelry counter right next to the front of the line was my pitcher!  The cart-thief had apparently dumped it when I raised the hew-and-cry.  Crime foiled again!

I'm still wound up about this -- and also about finding a Harlequin creamer.  Harlequin is my favorite Fiesta pattern and I don't have a creamer AND I never find deals like this.

Doing the happy dance once again!

That which was stolen has been found!

Have you ever had a cart-thief adventure?  Did it end happily or sadly?

Greenmead Finds

Greenmead Flea Market in Livonia is always fun!   It only happens in June and September and I think I look forward to it more than any other one I go to, except perhaps Midland (which I'd like more if it wasn't almost 2 hours away).  I went last Sunday and had a wonderful time.  The weather was ideal -- low 70s and sunny -- and it was a perfect day to shop!

This is the only picture I took of the market -- I guess I was too busy shopping...

Mr. KV went with me and it's a good thing he did, because I filled up the granny cart and had lots of extra stuff to carry besides.

Here's most of what I found...

A shabby birdcage with cool pink accents

White painted breadbox

This pillow cover is hand embroidered and painted.  It's in perfect condition!

Souvenir linens

Lots of tea towels and a tablecloth

Lots of RED -- a metal bin with wood handles, a metal watering can, tin tray and a 48-star flag

A collection of kitchen items, including to fired-on individual bakers

I love this little cat & kitten pot holder holder!  It needs new hooks and then it's ready to sell

A collection of glassware, some burlap & melmac bowls and a wood wall plaque for a child's room that has animals & circus people on it.  I have another one like this that's orange and white that I added coat hooks to, but when I took it to the mall, I ended up bringing it right home -- I can't part with it!

A Pyrex tulip pattern casserole with rack

A 1943 boxed set of Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights with woodcut illustrations.  I have this one  myself (it was my mom & my aunt's) and I've always liked it a lot, though the illustrations used to scare me

This yellow formica table is in really nice condition!  I've never bought furniture at Greenmead before, but it was a terrific bargain

These guys are the only thing I bought for myself -- I'm really on a flamingo kick lately

The conference I'm at is at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island -- a wonderful historic all-wood hotel, built in the 1887.  It has the world's longest porch, is quite posh and is a bucket-list destination for lots of people.  It's a little TOO posh for me -- has a strict dress code for dinner in the main dining room and hanging out in the main lobby after dinner.  I'm more of a jeans and gym shoes girl, but I'm managing.

The 1980s movie Somewhere in Time was filmed here and there's even a Somewhere in Time weekend --I've never seen the movie, but it seems to have a cult following.  So far -- in a day & a half, we haven't been out of the building (training sessions all day and all meals provided in-house), but if I get outside and get a chance to play the tourist, I'll be sure to post some pictures to the blog.  In the meantime, check out the Grand Hotel website to learn more about it.

I hope you had a fun weekend and are busily mapping out your thrift shopping route for the coming weekend! 

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.