I Hate Change!

A few weeks ago, I got this email from Junker Newbie, one of the blogs that I follow:

 "As you may know, Google is retiring Google Friend Connect, which means that after March 1, 2012 many blogs will no longer support the Google Friend Connect community"

 She goes on to explain how we can follow her in the future.
"If you would like to continue being a part of my blog's community there are two super easy FREE options!

• Follow me on Google+
• Follow the Junker Newbie blog via Linky Followers..."

Since my followers are all through Google Friend Connect, I'm going to have to find a new way to have followers, too.  Apparently, Blogger is going to take over the following procedure from Google Friend Connect, but no one (at least the places I've checked online) seems to know if followers will be automatically converted or if they'll be lost and have to 're-follow'.  I'll keep Google Friend Connect there as long as it will stay.  I've also added a Linky link to the sidebar.  I've hesitated to join Google+ because I just feel like I don't need one more social network to follow), but it seems inevitable now. 

If you're one of my followers, thank you very much!  I love you all & appreciate your comments and feedback!  Please look for the Linky link on the sidebar.

Have a happy thrifty Friday!

A little shopping . . Lots of bargains

It's been an odd (and very busy) couple of weeks.  I've decided that I have enough stuff and have resolved to buy less and destash.  Those are famous last words...

I haven't been to a good estate sale in a long time and I've really missed them.  It seems like the best ones often start on Thursday and I don't get out of my day job in time to go to them.   The ones on Fridays are too far away or don't look good enough to spend the gas.  So most of my shopping has been at thrift stores.

I went to one family-run estate sale last week that was just a few miles away.  It didn't look like anything I really wanted, but when they're local, I go.  The cheapest thing there was $15  and it was a wooden file/recipe box with pre-printed Betty Crocker recipes inside. The tag said '$15 - Complete Set', as though this was a great bargain!  One man who went in with me was there specifically to see some silverplate flatware.  It was in a silver chest and I couldn't see the price, but the seller  started 'selling' him -- HARD!  She said that it was in the top ten most popular patterns ever (I don't know how she knew that...) and that she'd looked that flatware up on Ebay and 'just a fork was selling for $125'.  She said she'd priced it as she had because 'just a fork was selling for $125' -- I wish I could have seen how much the entire set was!  I didn't want to point out that a person can put any price they want to on an Ebay item -- the trick is to get someone else to pay it!

My next stop was a rummage sale at a church in our next town over.  It was so much fun!  All the little older ladies working there were friendly and just happy to be there -- it was a delight.  I got a few bargains there, too.

Then I came home and cleaned, cleaned, cleaned dishes!  I had been to a thrift and gotten two large lots of dinnerware at an unbelievable price, but they were pretty dirty.  As I was cleaning them up, I realized I'd left all of the coffee cups of one of the sets at the thrift store.  There's no way I'm going to drive all the way back to get them with gas at almost $4 a gallon!  I called them and told them to reprice and resell the coffee cups.  Actually, no one really uses them any more anyway.

Here are some of my thrift store & rummage sale treasures. . .

One of the dinnerware sets

Salem dinnerware -- minus all of the coffee cups!

Pyrex!

I love this 8mm movie camera -- with original box & instruction manual

I've never seen Pyrex bowls this size before -- they're bigger than a ramekin, but not as big as a cereal or soup bowl.

 Last Saturday, I went to a moving sale at a local antique shop -- everything was either 50% off or just $1!  I got lots of stuff and saw several other dealers from our mall there.  It was really fun, but insanely crowded and busy.  So I went back today to see what else might be there that I missed in the crowds.  I picked up a few more things, but a lot of it was gone.  If I get pictures of it all, I post them later. 

So you can see that my destashing 'good intentions' haven't exactly paid off!  Maybe I'd do less shopping if I don't resolve not to shop -- what do you think?

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...

Snowed In

If I'm honest, I'd re-title this post  "Snowed In...well, not really",  The snowpocalypse they promised us last night (6-8") didn't really materialize -- at least not until it had continued to snow all day.  So I could have gone out and done some shopping or gone to the booth this morning, when we only had 2 or 3".  But there's something psychological about snow days and, once you've gotten in the mood to be snowed in, you just stay in!

So I've been catching up on projects around here -- you can almost see the entire top of the pool table in the basement!  Once I have it completely emptied off, I'm going to get out the SEVERAL bushel baskets of linens I've acquired and sort them out by type and whether they need work or not.  THOSE pictures should be entertaining!  I keep finding aprons, dish towels and tablecloths in odd places -- I'm just like a squirrel burying nuts for the winter, I guess.

I wanted to catch you up on a completed project and on a new arrival.  First the project!

Remember when I bought the nasty, smelly & moldy old 4-drawer chest full of sewing supplies?

You can just about see how filthy the bottom drawer is compared to the others (and they were nasty, too)

Well, I sold a white utility cabinet at the booth that I really wasn't expecting to sell, so I had to get something there fast.  I would have normally just kept looking at it and dithering around until FINALLY I worked on it, but necessity got me to get it clean in one hour.  It came out beautifully (Soft Scrub and pad scrubbers worked their magic again)!  The great mid-century knobs really cleaned up well and you could really see the gold starbursts on them.   

Doesn't it look cute with the black & white floor?

There was just a little paint loss on the feet

I know I priced it too low because it was gone in 3 days and that NEVER happens with furniture.  Oh, well -- live and learn.

Now to show you the new arrival!  Mr. KV & I went last weekend and picked up the stereo I'd bought at a friend's estate sale.

I love the turntable & radio combo.  It's SO mid-century!

 I'm so excited to have it here in my 1960s living room!  It sounds fantastic, too.  Don't you think it fits right in?

Hope you're having a great Friday -- maybe you're having a snow day, too!

Mid-Michigan's Largest Indoor Flea Market?

I had a free day on Saturday, so I decided to drive about an hour northwest to a sale in a K of C (Knights of Columbus) hall.  The sale was billed as 'Mid-Michigan's Largest Indoor Flea Market'.  It wasn't a total frog, but it certainly wasn't a prince, either!  If it's the largest indoor flea market, mid-Michigan is setting the bar pretty low and stepping right over it!

They said there were 100 dealers -- I think there were more like 50 -- and 2/3 of them were selling new things like cheap college logo throw-blankets, $1 Made in China flashlights, and Beanie Babies (which I just lump together under the heading 'tube socks').  There were LOTS of 'tube socks'!  Of the 1/3 vintage dealers, most were WAY overpriced!  I got a few things, though -- especially from one dealer who has a booth at Williamston Antiques, I think. 

I like the A.H. Perfect Coffee can -- I've never heard of that company (midwest-based), but it's still pretty.  I think the bank in the front might turn out to be the buy of the day!  I found a similar one online that an antique dealer wants $130 for, claiming it's from the mid to late 1800s.  I think that's a ridiculous price (and they OBVIOUSLY hadn't found anyone to buy it for that much), but who knows?  My favorite thing is the white poppies California Pottery teapot.

A lot of old spice tins, 2 ink bottles a waxed cardboard cottage cheese container, an old Pabst-ette Cheese container and a Royal Winton plate.  I really like the plate, with its tartan bow in the corner. The pattern is called Ye Olde Innes -- how very Scottish!

Some very pretty yellow & white dishware -- no maker's mark

  After the flea market, I went to a private estate sale that was right up the road.  I was almost afraid to go into the house, because the only sign was a hand-written one with marker on a piece of poster board right between 2 driveways.  I was worried that I'd go to the wrong house, but in the end the thrill of the hunt overpowered my possible embarrassment.  It was the right house, but the wrong stuff!   It sounded like most of the good buys had gone out the door early (though I got there about 2 hours after it opened) and almost everything left was also overpriced.   I think too many people watch Antiques Roadshow!  I got a metal canister set that needs LOTS of work, though, a few things from the 25¢ bin and 2 old suitcases that are both a little flawed (super cheap). 

They look nicer than they are...

After the flea market and estate sale, I took the long way back to the antique mall and fluffed my booth and still got home by about 3:00.  All in all, I'd driven about 120 miles round trip and I'd say I'd almost kissed a frog and never found a prince -- BUT the sun was out and it was a pretty drive over the back roads.  Not a bad way to spend a Saturday at all!

Thank You Wuglyees!

I've met the nicest people through my blog and my Etsy shop -- especially considering I'll probably never 'meet' most of them!  As we convo back & forth on Etsy and read each other's blog posts, we share each other's fun finds, rejoice over a long-sought item found, laugh at the silly things to happen to us and share tears and prayers over the sad ones.  There's still nothing like a face-to-face friendship, but blogging (and selling) are definitely social! 

Today I got an Etsy convo (message) from Deb at Wuglyees and made a new blog-friend.  She featured some lamps I'm selling in her most recent blog post and wanted to let me know about it.  What a sweet thing to do!  If you get a chance, be sure to stop by her blog, The Wug's Backyard Blogspot, and check it out.  She crochets and sells beautiful hats & scarves and the neatest little crocheted flowers in her shop on Etsy. 

By the way, you can see the ceramic lamps here.  I just loved these lamps as soon as I saw them and thought their original, really tall & thin terry cloth shades (who makes lampshades out of terry cloth any more?) were wonderful!  I tried so hard to find a place to use them here!  Oh well, my loss will be someone else's 1960s house gain...

Thanks again, Deb -- it was really nice of you to include the lamps! 

Fun Finds at the Local Thrift!

I made a quick trip to the local thrift store after work the other day and found a few really nice things, including a couple of unusual ones.  Since I arrived well after the 'bric-a-brac' shelf stockers had gone home, it meant that other people had just not noticed these great things!  I didn't see the gravy boat or carafe on my first trip through, but I always walk around one more time to see if I missed anything.  I'm glad I did!

Pyrex Spring Blossom Cinderella mixing bowls

A juice carafe, a gravy boat & a REALLY big old glass fish bowl.  It was pretty dirty, so I think people didn't want to mess with it.  I don't know how old it is, but there are bubbles in the glass (does that mean anything)?  Even if it's not old, I thought it would be great in the booth for display.

Here is GREAT FIND #1:  A Metlox Poppytrail Contempora pattern gravy boat. 
Isn't it fantastic?  I just LOVE this mid-century stuff!  I wish I could keep it all!

GREAT FIND #2:  a wonderful 1950s carafe! 
The handle looks like black bakelite (but isn't) and the silver is painted inside the neck.  It was made by Inland Glass and is labeled 'Hand Blown' and even has it's original cork stopper (which is often missing).  It's in really good condition, but was pretty dirty.  Do you think that's why people skipped it?

So my quick trip (and long day) and final walk-through paid off!