Monday Thrift Report

Only a couple of things to post from this weekend, but they were pretty good. Also, according to one of my many New Year's Resolutions, since they were big items, they were taken straight to the booth - thus the low quality photography. Oh well, something's gotta give. 

This is such a cute wooden rocking horse.  Looks sort of vintage, but not sure.  I really like the color combo.  Homemade perhaps?

 

 

Couldn't resist this turtle picture.  Not exactly Mad Men, but a fun office piece nonetheless.

 

 

 

I have lots of embroidered linens that I have picked up here and there, but have had no good way to display them in my booth.  This weekend I found this iron bedspread stand, and for now it works as a sturdy display stand.  I had washed and ironed all my linen, but from this picture it looks like I need to improve my ironing skills.   I also have lots more linens to display but lack hangers.  Anyone know where to get hold of hangers for a good price?

  

 

More mugs.  80s kitsch. Flamingos. Florida.  Enough said. Wait, there is a bit of my brown paneling.  Should definitely have placed these against my aqua walls. 

 

So, what were your favorite finds this weekend?  Also, do you sell linens in your booth?  Any tips?

 

Linking up with A Living Space and Young Heart and Sue's Rednesday - check out other fun weekend finds there.

Retro Gold Thrift Haul

I popped into a local Goodwill briefly on Saturday while hubby "volunteered" to take the kids to the grocery store next door and pick up the last things needed for dinner.  I did not expect much besides a little bit of solitude and quiet, which was badly needed for mom at the time - besides, I never have had much luck with this GW on a Saturday.  However, the Retro spirits were shining their groovy light on me.  Check out what I came out with!


Wall flowers mushrooms

 



These mushroom wall plaques are the real deal and about a foot across. Made in the USA back when this country made groovy plastic stuff.

 

 

                  More mushrooms (and butterflies) on these stackable Japanese mugs.  I sell a lot of mugs in my store.

 



 

 

                                This is such a cute vintage mug - I am thinking it will be picked up for Valentine's Day. 

 

 

 

                           I like this pair of groovy vases too, especially the blue, aqua and white color combo.

 

 

 

 

                             A large pretty Pyrex bowl - with no chips or dishwasher fading.  Price was right too.

 

 





 

                                                       Another Pyrex, also in good condition - but no lid.

 

 

 

 

Yes, that right - not one, not two, but three Pyrex finds in the same place! Love this little fridgie - no lid, but I have a few spare ones from before (always pick up these dishes with their lids, even if the actual dish is in bad shape - I prefer to think of it as saving them *for parts*).

 





 

 

Two homemade aprons.  All aprons I have put in my booth has sold.  I price them at $10 a piece. How do you price aprons?

 



 

Not necessarily vintage, but I would love to know the pattern of this bowl/votive.  I picked up a couple of plates in this pattern before Christmas since I liked the design.  They look sort of Scandinavian to me and are quite heavy.  Any ideas?

 

 



 

                              Darling small lime green mustard jar with a weave pattern.  Tempted to keep this one.

 

 

 

                                                         I love this small magazine rack - great design and size.

 

 

 I love the 70s Tupperware cups and have several already.  They are so versatile - picnics, parties, everyday use.  And they have the best colors.  My kids love them equally and are very particular about which color belongs to them.

 

                                                                    And finally - my favorite find of them all:

 

 

 

 

This owl(?) crewel picture is really big, and I love the expression, colors, design, signature and year (74).  When I first spotted it, I thought it would be such great eye candy to my booth.  Then, by the time I got home, I was getting attached.  Now, I have it real bad and can't stomach the thought of being apart. So...he is now hanging in the TV room.  Hey, I do get to keep a vintage kitschy thing once in a while - and even hubby approved.  Eye candy for the home instead.

 

So, all in all, my impromptu visit produced some great items.  Maybe all my items came from the same home?  They certainly look like they could.

 

Is it true that the times you have the lowest expectations, you find the most fun things?

 

Linking up with a living space and Apron Thrift Girl - check out other weekend finds there.



I donated!

Vintage Garfield - always a good seller

Wouldn't it be neat to have a sticker proudly declaring for the world to see that one had donated to a charity thrift (ala the "I voted" or "I Gave Blood" stickers?)  Well, I sorta deserved such a sticker today as I hauled 5 large boxes there with lots of (still nice) clothes, shoes, books, knick-knacks, etc.  It took some effort, really it did.  Especially since I drive a really, really small car.

I took a quick round inside afterwards, but not much of interest - except for this 1978 tray.  His expression says it all. I will refer to it as my "I donated" tray. 

Do you donate on a regular basis?

(Linking up with It's a Very Cherry World)

Black Friday & Local Business Saturday Finds

I actually went to the mall for the first time in about a year this weekend.  What. a. horrible. place! Surrounded by texting teenage zombies, crazed women on high heels and multiple designer bags and pseudohipsters crowding the Apple store, I braved my way to Macy's to return a gift I had no use for (and did not spend a dime of my new store credit). Even my 7-year old was not impressed - and after an hour of retail and parking lot hell, we headed to Goodwill to reset to normal.  Ahhh, what a relief - and hardly any people except for bumping into a dear teacher friend who was there to shop for supplies for her school.  I love normal people!

Anyway, here are my finds from my post-Thanksgiving shopping.

These large cheerful poppy prints in faux bamboo wood frames look very 60s to me.  They will cheer up my booth for a while.  $2.99 each.

A vintage pyrex carafe with starburst pattern.  I actually found two, but one broke on the way home.  $1.99.

Yes, the horse lover in me always shows its bias.  Great covers - at $0.99 each.

This vintage Japanese poodle planter is something I would not have picked up in a million years until I started reading Rae's blog and her love of vintage poodles (and learning a lot in the process).  Now I have embraced all things adorable kitsch, and in the booth it will go.  $0.99.

I love the industrial look of old pencil sharpeners.  I have sold a couple of similar ones, but this is the biggest and heaviest I have found.  And, hello - it's avocado green!  $1.99.

 

 

This is my favorite find, and I am not sure I can give this one up.  It is just so Eames Era elegant.  Made in Romania (huh!?).  Gorgeous at $4.99.  Yeah, I am not giving this one up.  It's my Black Friday designer deal - ha!

 

What did you find over the weekend?  Have you developed an aversion to regular retail malls as well?

 

(Linking up with Apron Thrift Girl - the one and only)

Expanding my horizon

These are the kinds of mid-century items I love - and would keep in my own house.  Elegant design, functionality, and wood with metal and wood with glass.  Timeless. Classy.  Yet these three items have been in my booth for a very long time.  It's almost like my customers don't keep up with the same cool mid-century blogs that I do.

These are the kinds of items I would not keep in my house.  I find them all charming and super-kitschy in a fun way, yet, they would not suit my everyday space.  However, these are the things that my customers seem more attracted too.  I have sold quite a bit of vintage souvenirs, most of them from Florida (pre-Disney World era).  Fun things with owls and butterflies as well as mugs of all kinds are also reliable sellers. 

So, I have gradually shifted my focus.  I used to say that I could keep 90% of my booth in my own home decor, but that is approaching 50%.  Initially I sort of felt like I was selling out in a way.  That is silly, I know - especially since this is not just a hobby but a little business as well. I need to not take it personally that my customers are not necessarily attracted to the same things about mid-century decor as I am.  Also, I am not in a stylish market in New York or on the West Coast, but in a more laid-back part of Maine.  Finally, my sales venue is not upscale at all, which I like, since there is none of that whiff of snootiness that can linger around the more fancy antique stores.    Some might say that I am lucky to get away with selling cute kitsch and not have to hunt down the hard-to-find Scandinavian design pieces etc. All in all, I guess I should be content.

Do you feel like you have to love the stuff you sell in your antique booth?  Do you mostly focus on what you personally like or what you see is selling?  Can a happy compromise be reached?