5 Reasons I Go Picking Out of Town:
- *Not as much competition, although there’s still a lot. More locals come out of curiosity. Fewer dealers and re-sellers.
- *Usually more vintage items
- *Enjoying the outing as well as the sale
- *It’s often better priced, (but not always)
- *You can hit off-the-beaten-path thrift stores which are usually a little cheaper
The 5 reasons I go picking out of town is a new thing for us. We enjoy the drive as well as the sale! I’m sorry I didn’t start earlier! First stop, an estate sale in Blountsville, Alabama, known as an early source of healing mineral springs, the site of a historic hotel, and several caves. One of the nearby caves, called Bangor Cave, was a nightclub at one time. Some remains of the honky-tonk are still visible, and it’s definitely off the beaten path.
So on to the estate sale. Arrived a bit late, but still left with some amazing finds!
I grabbed this vintage Hollywood Regency tissue box cover first. I know it looks awful, which is why it was so cheap at $1.
First a bath, then those nasty black water spots instantly disappeared with a little light spray of gold paint…good as new and sold quickly for $19.64!
I know you remember my other Hollywood Regency makeover…vintage trash can cover? Shabby Chic Makeover Hollywood Regency Trash Can Cover.
Old Bible…KJV…these do sell, but it was a bit pricey at $5. Sometimes Bibles are free. It depends on the people running the sale.
The basement was the real treasure trove!
Hubby picked up this oddity. Do you know what it is? I’m not going to make you guess. I thought it was a letter opener. If it hadn’t said “floating fish knife,”on the blade, I wouldn’t have known. $1
Question for all you fishing people out there…it just floats? That’s it? Is it for filleting/descaling while you’re still on the boat? You can tell I don’t fish, but I thought all that happened back on land.
Obviously, whoever lived there had been a fisherman. Here’s another fishing-related item…hot in farmhouse decor….a large galvanized minnow bucket $4.
A vintage kitchen scale $5….
Now isn’t this the ultimate in farmhouse kitsch? Made in Japan, so I know it’s vintage. A wooden spice set…25¢ Look at those painted faces on the spices! Isn’t it adorable?
And my favorite find of the day………………………………Vintage Bird Cage! $4. I know it doesn’t look like much now, but stay tuned for a makeover. It has a good bit of rust now, but wait to see!
Hitting a nearby thrift store yielded these items…..
Brown and aqua dresser drawer set. $3.99 I have a thing for boxes of all types! I just love those snazzy drawer pulls too.
Glass Christmas Tree Oil Lamp $3.99…notice the “crown” cap. This is a keeper for my Christmas decor.
These are all my weekend finds and hopefully you can see the 5 reasons I go picking out of town! Hope you took away some info you can use!
Florence
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Happy Spring Florence! My husband is a fisherman so I’ll ask him about the knife. He has a whole collection of strange things that I know not what they do. I love your tissue holder such a great find. And I know you’ll be able to work your magic on that bird cage. I believe I had one of those back when I was a kid. Florence I went to an estate sale once and it was so overpriced I’m afraid to go back to another one. What do you think? Are they all like that or did I stumble onto the wrong one?
Well, estate sales as a general rule can be pricey, & I think it depends on where you are. I remember once we were in Michigan, & I went to a couple. Couldn’t believe the prices! I thought ours were bad. And people that go to them are usually dealers or re-sellers, or people that want furniture when they’re just starting out, or people who are curious about the house. So yes, they are expensive! Some of the people running the sale are also known to price higher, and some I won’t go to because of that. You might have hit one of those. Since I sell vintage though, I go to them. Thanks for the kind words on the tissue box…it was so easy! Wish they were all that easy!
I love to go thirfting out of town, especially small towns. You always find different things than you find around Atlanta. When I travel I am always on the look out for thrift stores, garage sales, and such.
You & I are on the same page Sharon! Have you opened your Etsy shop yet?
Florence, you really got some interesting items. I liked the pail, of course, but the spice rack was cute.
Thanks Debra…we are of like minds! Thanks for your comment!
Oh, wow! What great finds and at such wonderful prices! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
Thank you Marci…I so appreciate your comment.
Nice finds! Can’t wait to see what you do with the bird cage!
Thanks Tavin! That will be coming soon!
Some really great finds!
Thank you Melissa! Appreciate your comment!
Wow! I have never been to an estate sale, but you found some great items! I love the makeover of the tissue box, and that kitchen scale is really neat.
Wow, Tara, thank you! You should go to one of the estate sales sometime…they are so much fun!! Thanks for coming by & commenting!
I love that tissue box! I haven’t done much thrifting, but it seems like it would be lovely to just wander down the road and in and out of shops looking for treasures!
Thank you Jessica! That tissue box was such an easy makeover…it even surprised me. Thanks for your comment. Sure appreciate it!
I would think that picking out of town would be a bonus – you’d not only be able to scout out new sales, but investigate a new piece of geography, as well!
You’re so right Lisa! My hubby and I love to explore, so we do that at the same time. Thanks so much for your comment!
Some of those finds too me back in time to my great grandma’s house. Especially the tissue box.
Thanks Kellie! I think everybody likes that tissue box! Thanks for your comment!
Some really great finds Florence, I’m a little envious of that beautiful bird cage, I can’t wait to see what you’ll be doing with it. The knife sounds interesting too, I also thought all the descaling and fishy wot nots happened on land.
Thank you Michelle! Oh, I wish the birdcage was a little more ornate & antique-y looking, but that’s what I found. I’m not complaining b/c now I’m loving it. Thanks for your comment!
Florence, all great reasons to go junkin outside town. These are wonderful finds! I love those salt and pepper shakers and the makeover you gave the tissue cover was beautiful, no wonder it sold so quickly.
Thank you Keri! I need to show more finds too….I’m getting a little behind on them. Thanks for your comment!
It is good to get out there and check out other towns. I’m looking to do some picking myself this week. Maybe I’ll broaden my search to out of town as well. I have to say my favorite pick recently was a box of mason jars for $10! I’m sure there are better deals for those out there. But, it was just my first day out. 🙂
That sounds pretty good to me…a whole box for $10. Good luck with your picking this weekend! Thanks so much for commenting!
You always find the best “junk”! And, you have a great knack for making things over so that trash truly becomes treasure. Great job!
Thank you Carol! I appreciate your comment so much! Sometimes I don’t think I have a knack at all.
I wish you were closer and we go junking together. Thats what I call it. We would have so much fun! Its fun to go outside your area and you pick up amazing finds. Plus its fun to stop by a cool cafe too. If you ever come to South Carolina let meet up
Maria
Maria, oh how I wish we could go together! Wouldn’t that be fun? I would love to junk in South Carolina sometime…well, anywhere really! Just a born junker is what I am.
Yes! I need to get out of my town, my thrift store stinks…great finds!
Thanks Kim!
We live in the middle of nowhere so I guess I’m always thrifting out of town. lol. Whenever we go to the cities I still give the thrift stores a try, but I rarely find anything that I’m willing to pay the high prices for. I should really just give that up. The surrounding small town thrift stores here are the best, and I’m so lucky to have them. Whenever we do a day trip anywhere our of our neck of the woods we always check out the local thrift stores. It’s such fun! Love that spice set. It’s too adorable.
You are so fortunate to have good thrift stores near you! I’m with you on some of the others though…pricey! Might as well go buy new to pay their prices sometimes.
Great finds Florence! The hubby and I like to go junkin out of town. Sometimes when we go see my girls we leave a day earlier just to take our time and hit the small towns on the way. Tomorrow the hubby is taking off and we are going to the Antique Alley, which is a 25 mile long drive with vendors set up along side the roads. We’ve never been before, and we are looking forward to it.
I love the vintage scale and the minnow bucket. I will have to see if my mother still has my dads minnow bucket.
That sounds like so much fun Linda! Always love to go with hubby myself. This is such a fun time of year to get out too. Good luck on your hunt!