Impulse Buy of the Year

For the past couple of years, I've been working hard at avoiding impulse buys -- they almost always turn out to be diappointments.  Last week, though, I gave in and bought this 1961-62 Barbie Dream House.  It's exactly like the one I got for Christmas back in the early 60s (and I'm NOT telling how old I was then...)

We had a baby grand piano in our living room that had been my grandfather's  -- it took up most of the floor space.  I remember that, after Christmas, I was allowed to set up the dream house and my Barbie dolls under the piano and could leave them up.  So the dream house was set up most of that winter and only was taken down when I packed it up to play barbies at a friend's house.

I've wanted one of these for years, but have always choked on the price -- it's so much money for a fold-up house with furniture made entirely of cardboard that you put together with tabs in slots!  (Now that I think about it, said like that it sounds a little bit like IKEA...)

I went to a flea market last Friday and there was this one on a table by two newer dream houses (pink plastic) and lots of tube socks and Nascar stuff.  It was priced lower than any of the others I've seen, so I didn't even hesitate!

I immediately had buyer's remorse (I do over most pricey buys) but when I got it home and really had a chance to check it out, I was pretty happy.  It has almost every piece and they're all in good shape (especially compared to some of the ones that are being offered for BIG money on Ebay and Etsy)!  It's only missing its cardboard throw pillows and 3 of the record albums.  Not bad for a 50-year-old cardboard toy!

Here's the house tour -- stylish 'Mad Men' furniture, including a tv-stereo unit, drum lamp and armless sofa and chair.  The orange chairs don't go with the dream house and I have no idea where they came from, but they are the right scale, so they'll stay.

Only 3 of the original 6 records are here -- the Lettermen, Vic Damone and the Kingston Trio --definitey a reflection on the early 60s!

It even has its books for the bookshelf, vanity mirror and the framed picture of Ken for the bedside table.

I can hardly wait to get out my Barbies (of course, I saved them all) and set it up.  If only my granddaughter was a few years older!

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!

Updated Chest of Drawers with Desktop

I finished a project!   Sadly, that statement gets an exclamation point, because it hasn't happened for a while...

I've had a cool chest of drawers with built-in desk out in the barn for a few years.  I'd call it a secretary, but it doesn't have the sloped top like my grandmother's did.

It was badly in need of repair, gluing up and cosmetics -- the finish was really worn.  I had to almost take the innards apart in order to restore them, but it was pretty straightforward.

I painted it with a creamy white and painted the desktop green, then added green accents to the knobs to glam them a little.

I lined the drawers with some turquoise and white lined paper to make it look more 'finished'.  I learned this trick from a friend...I line my drawers at home, but had not thought of doing it for furniture I was selling.  

You'll see that I didn't use chalk paint or distress it....  I'm not a fan of chalk paint lately.  It's so expensive and my homemade version is never as nice as the commercially made stuff, no matter how careful I am with it.  And, yes, there's less prep work, but there's so much more work on the other end (I hate waxing)!  I like the way it looks when others do it but just don't have the patience (or money) for it right now.  

I finished a few more little painting jobs, too, as I'm trying to get furniture ready to take to the booth next week.  This little nightstand was structurally great, but badly needed new paint, too.  I forgot to take a 'before' picture of it, but just picture peeling, dirty UGLY paint!

I never get lonely working in the garage -- the whole time I'm out there, Turner -- my protector -- is on the job, watching the driveway to make sure the menacing mail truck, bike riders and runners don't come and get me!

Thrift Shopping Therapy

As I said in my last post, it's been a really busy month.  We've had happy things -- a new grandson, lots of fun times with our granddaughter, lots of houseguests -- and there have been not-so-happy things -- lots of rain (and therefore, LOTS of mosquitoes), lots of yard work, and really slow summer sales.  People just don't buy much in antique malls in July because they're all busy outside or on vacation.  I don't blame them one bit!  Then there's the let-down when all the out of town family leaves and you know you won't see them again until Christmas (or later)...

So, I've just been crabby and down in the dumps.  What does a thrifter do when she's crabby?  Go shopping!

There was a mega-Pyrex estate sale today, but it was an hour away and began at 4:00.  My friend Bargain Hunter and I really thought about going -- they had over 300 pieces of Pyrex!  Look at all this Pyrex (and that's not all of it)!

We figured out, though, that if we weren't one of the first 10 or 20 people in we'd never get any good stuff and we'd use 4 gallons of gas just to get there and back.  We decided at the last minute meet up somewhere and just see what sales were nearby instead.

There wasn't much -- we kissed a few frogs (sales not worth the drive to get them), went to a disappointing local estate sale, an even more disappointing high-priced 'liquidation' sale run by the same company and finally ended up at a resale shop.

I bought one thing -- this fun little vinyl make-up bag or train case.  It's shiny black patent vinyl (like the Easter shoes I used to have when I was little) and has a clear vinyl layer that separates the stuff below from that above.  It was at it's lowest price at the resale shop and was a good deal.

When I restocked my booth at the antique mall today, I shopped a little and found these sweeties, too.  A 1940s never-been-used Hawaii tablecloth with four napkins in its original box!

Each napkin has a different island on it

Even the box is cool!

 I bought two of these turquoise and pink barkcloth panels for a bargain price because they're cutters.  See the big holes on either side (where the table shows through)?  I have a couple of benches to cover, though, that they'll be perfect for!

Even with the frogs and the disappointment of not going to the mega-Pyrex sale, Bargain Hunter and I vented a little and laughed a lot and both felt better for the trip.  Just goes to show that it's not what deals you find or what you buy that's important, it's the fun people you 'hunt' with!

Hope you find some good sales this weekend...as my dad used to say, "stay with the happy people"!