Can't beat free

It has been over a week since I stopped by a thrift store (gasp!), but I am trying to hold back until I get that larger booth at the antique market since I do NOT need to bring in more items to store at home.  I already have 6 shelves full of future merchandise in my basement, and just thinking about the TV-show Hoarders makes me panic.  However, I cannot refuse cool vintage stuff that falls into my lap for free.  One of my neighbors was getting rid of stuff, among them these 3 cool old-style airplanes.  I got them for the taking. Would have been wrong to refuse, right?

Not sure if they were kits, but they have excellent patina.  The bodies are all made of wood, but the wings on the yellow one are metal.

These would be so cool hanging from a ceiling in a boy's room - or anywhere really. 

 

The only trouble is:  I know nothing about planes and have no idea what to price them.  That is the problem with free - you have no base point.  If I had gotten them for $5 a piece, I would have put a price sticker of at least $15 on them (my goal is always to get a minimum 3x return).  But how do I price them based on free?  Any ideas?  I need more of these problems in my life :-)

 

Do you get free stuff on a regular basis?

 

PS: Linking up with Apron Thrift Girl - the one and only.



Dumpster dive - no can do. Curb swipe - yes, apparently.

Town rescue

I admit I am repulsed and fascinated with people and bloggers who brag about their dumpster diving.  On one hand, I am amazed at the stuff they find/rescue and often shocked at how how much nice stuff gets thrown away by our aggressive consumer society.  But on the other hand, I could never pick around in a dumpster that had both decaying food and smelly diapers - I just couldn't.  Unless I was forced to for survival, that is.  But as a hobby?  No way - unless I was writing some documentary about society and our throw-away culture.  Because then it would give some sort of cool or noble cred, right? (God, I sound like a hipster on speed).

But, I have occasionally been tempted to pick up stuff people leave out on the curb for the garbage truck - and indeed, I have put out furniture myself in the hopes that it would be picked up by somebody other than the garbage man (are these professionals called something else these days, by the way?).  However, I always feel sort of guilty, as if I am doing something bad. Still, the other day, in brilliant sunshine among fall-colored leaves, I overcame my curb reluctance, and I swiped this vintage Fisher Price Village away from its looming fate at the dump.  It is so darling, and I don't know why somebody would just dump it instead of donating it to a charity thrift store.  This particular village was made for a few years in the 70s (in America!), and it came with several additional separate parts and little people, but for the last few days my kids have enjoyed playing with it using their playmobile figures and toy cars.  They especially love the gas pump handle.

Anyway, I am putting this in my booth later this week since it looks as if vintage toys are popular there.  Gotta love a 100% profit!

Have you picked up something from the curb to keep or resell? Does it make you feel guilty?