Two Days, Two Flea Markets -- Twice the Fun!

Last weekend was the big flea market in Midland, MI -- always a great shopping day!  It was chilly and rainy when my friend Bargain Hunter and I set out in the morning.  The sun would peek through to tease us and then the clouds would open up and it just poured!   Thankfully, I had a new pair of Sloggers I got from my sister for my birthday.  On their maiden voyage, they kept my feet warm and dry even though many of the booths were big puddles.

Pretty, cool, aren't they?

Maybe because of the rain, it seemed like there were less vendors there than usual.  And the prices seem to be going up, too.  More of the sellers are dealers selling stuff from their booths, often at mall prices.  I still found lots of cool things, though I bought less than usual -- maybe I'm FINALLY becoming a more discriminating shopper!

Vintage Christmas was the theme of the day (which often seems the case for me)....I think I'm officially addicted to it!  It's so hard to pass up mid-century kitsch, though -- how could I resist?  I laugh with Bargain Hunter and tell her that I'll stop buying Christmas when she stops buying tablecloths.  I hope she never stops!

One of the best buys was also one of the cheapest -- always a nice combo!  It's a tall plastic Christmas tree that looks like a ceramic one.  It needs many little bulbs replaced (fortunately, I've been stockpiling replacement bulbs and stars for these trees, so that's easy).

Not ceramic -- plastic!

The snowman is 'mom art' from the 1960s...a styrofoam shape covered with hundreds of sequins pinned on .  It had to take hours to do!  I was going to sell him, but just can't part with him.  

Napco candle holders, original box  |  Napco girl planter in mint condition

I love Japanese pose dolls and never pass them up -- the same with Bradford wise men.  The little elves are tied together and are (I think) ornaments

Oops!

These glittered cardboard electric candles are mint -- the seller said she thought they'd never been taken out of their boxes

It wasn't all Christmas.  I got a few other goodies, too...

I'd never seen these Holt Howard chick salt and peppers before

Of course, there have to be linens.  The guest towel has a black poodle on it, too.  

Got these hankies for a tiny price.  I think the husband didn't charge me what the wife would have wanted him to.  My gain!  I really like the Grand Rapids hankie -- I've never seen a city one that wasn't New York City or Washington.

Bargain Hunter convinced me to get this Pyrex bowl.  I probably would have passed it by.  

Here are just a few of the cool things at the flea market...

Empty window frame stretched with lace.  I like the idea but the lace is too frou-frou for my taste

Liked the idea of decoupaging a long piece and leaving white space at the top and bottom on this table.

In that same shabby chic booth there was this low table that they'd turned into a chenille ottoman.  Again, I like the idea, but don't like the plain white chenille.  I think a vintage barkcloth would have been stunning

Assorted letters -- some were cut of blocks and magnets added to the back

I really liked this tray -- it's one I don't have.  I didn't like the high price or the rust, though

I spent a little money here!  She had great vintage Christmas

This little house & Santa was $75!  It goes with an old railroad set and gets wired to the track.  When the train goes by, Santa starts to climb down the chimney.

This fountain was really unusual -- I don't know when you'd use it.  The ballerina rotates the entire time it's on

I always want a round laundry cart, but choke on the prices

Lots of lovely Pyrex here....none came home with me

 On Sunday, Bargain Hunter and I went to Mega Mall Antiques' parking lot Flea Market.   There were lots of vendors there -- more than the other 2 times I've gone.  There were also lots of sales inside.  I bought several things, but forgot to take pictures of any of them!   In fact, I didn't take a single picture at Mega Mall.  If you go to Bargain Hunter's blog, you'll see lots of pics from Mega Mall & their flea market.

Of course, half of what I bought was (what else?) vintage Christmas!

I got a tree stand just like this (but in better condition)  I forgot to take a picture of it, so this one is borrowed from Pinterest.

I've been looking for a Santa on a rocket...so mid-century!

On a less happy note, my carpal tunnel is coming back -- a clear sign that I've been doing too much computer work lately.  I've had to switch back to a left-handed mouse and am really trying to limit what I do.  I just can't type one handed, though, and photo editing left-handed is really slow.  That's NOT a good thing with the busy holiday shopping season coming on Etsy!  Hopefully, mousing with my left hand and wearing my brace as much as possible will make it go away.  I might even have to dig out the carpal tunnel exercise sheet I got from physical therapy 3 years ago.

That's it from Kitschy Vintage land...I hope you have a great week!

Mid-Century Christmas Bonanza!

Today was the last flea market I'll get to go to before next spring.  Such a sad time (though my bank account will be happy!)  Davisburg Antique Festival is a spin-off of the big Midland Antique Festival and this was only the second one, so it was still small, though larger the first one...word is getting out to the dealers that it's worthwhile.  My friend Bargain Hunter and I had so much fun at the first one that we were really looking forward to this one.

It was SO chilly and rainy (just like the first one was in the spring)!  I even bought mittens because my hands were so cold!  The grounds were a sea of mud, but the organizers worked hard to make shopping as easy as possible (with boards covering most of the mud puddles) and did a really good job.

I couldn't pass up this great mid-century glassware -- a pink spaghetti-ware martini set and a snack set in the same pattern.  It was hard to get a good picture to see how cool the pink is on the glass, so I added the oh-so-classy trashbag to stand it on.  Nice touch, isn't it?  The photos still don't do the sets justice -- they're just gorgeous!

As usual, I was the big spender (what a surprise!)   I was trying so hard to be frugal, though, and as we walked back to the car, I was congratulating myself that I had most of my spending money left in my wallet.  Until we saw that 'one more tent' that had looked closed before, but now was open.

What a find!  I knew it was going to be bad when, as I walked in, I heard BH laugh and say 'Step away from the vintage Christmas...'  As if I could ever do that!  The older couple who had it were selling off a lot of their own Christmas stuff and there was so much to choose from.

First I got a cardboard fireplace, complete in its box.

Then I saw an aluminum tree, which they were selling with 2 (yes, 2!) colored lights!

It even has the 'reaming tool' to pare down the point on the tree if the wood swells from humidity.

Do you want to see how this works?  I've uploaded a video

That was quickly followed by a Holt Howard angel planter from 1958 (I forgot to take a picture of that one).

The final piece, though was a really cool Glo-lite lighted musical scene from 1949 called 'Christmas Eve Capers'.  It plays Jingle Bells and Santa that flies up the chimney as children that 'run' after him.   It's hard to believe, but I almost walked away from it -- I was trying so hard to not buy so much.  But I didn't and here it is....

You can see a video of it working here

Here are some other images from Davisburg -- stuff I bought and stuff I liked...

This is more Christmas I brought home.  I flat out LOVE the elves with angel wings and tinsel magic wands!

I really liked this booth!  I want to link to her FB page, but have to find her business card first...

I wish I had had time to root through all of these ashtrays (and that they hadn't been out in the rain)

Vintage cameras and photos were really popular

One of my favorite vintage Christmas booths

Check out the ornaments in the jars -- I'm going to do some of those this year!

I HAVE to paint a polka dot chair!

 And while I'm doing show and tell, here's a fun desk lamp and boomerang formica kid's table I got at a garage sale last week...

 If you live in southeast Michigan, try not to miss Davisburg next year -- you won't be disappointed!  Just remember to pack your rain gear.

Gooseberry and Butterprint, Oh My! - Treasures from the Michigan Thumb Yard Sale

I promised a peek at the things I got at the Michigan Yard Sale Trail in the thumb.  I meant to post on Sunday but, as usual, life got in the way...

This pink gooseberry was the highlight of the trip -- I could have gone home immediately and been THRILLED with what I found!

Three butterprint pieces plus one horizon bowl.  

These two Verde fridgies aren't great, but the price was right.  The little clothespin apron is hand painted and embroidered

Remember Margaret's straw hat?  It's 2 feet wide!

The other hat is a more fashionable one from Winkleman's department store.

I broke my self-imposed moratorium on vintage Christmas at the second stop!

This is a vintage Davy Crockett shirt from the 1960s -- it's pretty sad, though.  I really liked the little doll-sized chest of drawers, too.

This is some great made-in -Japan Christmas stuff

Have you ever seen a twin faced alarm clock?  Perfect for Ozzie and Harriet twin beds!

Just a few vintage linens, but they were very nice.

This big lot of feedsack strips (all 2-3' long and about 8" wide) was super-cheap.  I wasn't even positive it was real feedsack, because it looked so bright and new

Here are all the paterns -- multiple strips of most of them

This primitive home-made hen & chicks will go out by the girls.  

I just loved this kitchen from the 1970s-80s.  I almost walked away from it but knew I'd regret it if I did.  I still have to arrange with the seller to pick up the box of 'accessories' (dishes and toy food) that she forgot to bring to the sale

I picked up this sad lamp to make a globe lamp.  It needs to be cleaned up (really dirty) and rewired.  You'll see this one late when the project is done