The “I Splurged” Vintage Haul

June 3, 2018 by Florence 37 Comments

Time for another vintage haul. I’m calling it The “I Splurged” Vintage Haul, which goes back a couple of months. Honestly, I’ve called a recent halt to attending estate and yard sales, as we’re actively downsizing in preparation for moving in a year.

Meanwhile, I’m plowing through cabinets, attic, garage, and basement to set aside lots of goodies for my own estate sale in a few months, so does it make sense to add to all the accumulation? ~~Yes!~~ Uh no. I’m going through withdrawals, but I must be strong, LOL.

My “junk” starts from grandparents who lived in the 1890’s up to the present. I come from a long line of ~~junkers, pickers and cheapskates~~ people who never threw anything away!

Estate Sale Finds

But here’s the latest…

80’s “Rotary Dial” push button phone. I feel sure this will sell. I’ve sold all the vintage and not-so-vintage phones I’ve ever had. (I even had an email recently from someone on Facebook looking for a pink phone with jewels on it. If you know where I can get one like that, please let me know!) Bought from my across-the-street neighbor having an estate sale. Available.

Paid $2

Vintage 60’s “Fat Boy” men’s adjustable razor. These sell well because they’re vintage and adjustable, and also very hard to find! Sold in just a few hours after listing.

Paid $2

I bought this ornate vintage silver hand mirror on the first day, and probably overpaid. Hoping it will sell even though there are others like it on Etsy. I need a better photo too. Lots of photos later, this was the best of the bunch! Available.

Paid $5

Bought on the last day, I thought this was an adorable sunhat. Being wide brim, hopefully will add to the appeal. It’s made in England, and would you believe it’s paper? Available.

Paid $2.50

I found these vintage flame-style Christmas bulbs also on the last day, and hopefully they’ll sell at the right time. Etsy has only a few, but not many. They look quite unique.

Paid $2.50 for all.

That’s all for the neighbor’s sale. Now on to the next. I way overpaid for this practically new clay machine, ~~but I’m buying it for me~~. Do you even believe that??? It was the first day of the sale, so prices are always high as a kite. I’ll probably sell it though.

A clay machine looks like a pasta machine, but you roll clay to flatten it, so sizes are uniform for projects.

Paid $15

This was the only item I bought at the next sale. All 16 of these vintage paper plate holders for $1. Available.

We went really far afield to the next sale, and frankly, after seeing what they had, I was sorry I made the effort, but that’s the risk you take. It can be good to go far afield, as you can see in this post. For my local readers, the sale was in Vincent, AL. However, I scored some good finds here.

I need to tell you about that house! They were mainly trying to unload their massive collection of el cheapo, run-of-the-mill figurines, which were literally stacked floor to ceiling in every available space….imagine 10 floating shelves in one room to hold some of the collection, but also mantle, tables, extra shelves just under the ceiling, & other rooms. Sad to say, no one was even looking at them. It was an unbelievable sight!!

Among all the figurines, I found some goodies:

1.7 yds Blue Toile fabric. Available

Paid 66¢

2 pieces Christmas fabric

Paid 66¢/each

Vintage Hook and Eyes

no extra charge

Vintage “Going to Grandma’s” boy’s suitcase. The case was in great shape, but they ain’t kidding when they call “Sharpies” a permanent marker. I couldn’t get that name off the front for nothing. I tried everything, but someone bought it anyway. It wasn’t the only one on Etsy either.

Paid $5

Box of over 200 brass letter stencils.

Paid $10

OK, I admit it, I caved when I saw this pretty vintage purse at an estate sale on the first day. I have a terrible weakness for vintage purses! Available.

Paid $15

So why did I buy a vintage stapler? They sell! Available.

Paid $1

And for the last sale, I went the 2nd day and got a 25% discount.

Here’s the 2nd candle lantern I’ve found recently, and for the time being, I’m keeping it too.

Paid $1

A wall mount key holder…not vintage…but it was cute, and I liked it!

Paid $1

I was tickled to death to find 4 of these ornate vintage switch plate covers…all made in Italy, and already sold.

Paid $2

An ornate vintage mirror tray

Paid $6

And another vintage beaded bag

Paid $7

Non-Estate Sale Finds

And now for 2 more vintage finds that didn’t come from estate sales at all.

This is a pair of vintage “atomic” over-bed light fixtures…already sold.

Vintage cabinet cards do sell, so I’m trying this family photo I found in a trunk in my attic. Available.

Isn’t that a stunning 20’s dress? I love the photo, and I know my mom and dad would turn over in their graves at the thought of my selling stuff like this, but this is my reasoning: I can’t keep everything; I have no one to pass it on to, and at some point, I have to get rid of all of it. Some will go in the estate sale.

This is a photo of my dad’s sister, Ruth, who died young from a burst appendix.

If you’re interested, I’ll post more photos of oddities, and old junk I find in my own house!

So what was your favorite find?

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Wonderful Vintage Haul

April 24, 2018 by Florence 20 Comments

First vintage haul in a while. I don’t go to them every weekend anymore as I used to. I need to unload before buying more. I’m running out of room! In addition to that, we really need to start major downsizing! As in serious getting rid of stuff so we can move to a house with a smaller yard.

Many weekends I don’t let myself even look at the sale listings. I’ll be sunk if I do! I’m that much of a junkie, LOL.

These were found over a 2-day Friday/Saturday period a couple of weekends ago.

Five Estate Sales

Estate Sale 1

Avon Powder Box

Vintage Avon Powder box…I really liked this cute shape. It’s already sold.

Vintage Melmac/Melamine Sugar Creamer Set

See that cool, retro MCM lid? I loved this set on sight! Available

Vintage Tupperware Coasters

I knew these were Tupperware, but I wasn’t sure what they were! They looked too small to be coasters, but coasters they are! Made to fit the Tupperware narrow glass. They’re called a “Wagon Wheel Coaster Set.” Available.

Estate Sale 2

The next sale was in an old run-down section of town. The house had been trashed by estate sale pickers by the time I got there, so I was surprised to find these treasures, and I paid $10.00 for all of them.

Vintage Tissue Box Holder

Hollywood Regency Tissue Box Holder in great shape. Already sold. By the way, these are good sellers, so grab it if you see one. Even if it’s not in good shape, you can always spray paint it gold again. I’ve done that before.

Like this one…can you believe anyone would pick this up?

Good as new with paint…

So back to the sale,

Family Bible

Many times there’s no extra charge for Bibles.

Ceramic Christmas Tree

Here was the prize even though it had issues…probably why it was still there. Ceramic Christmas trees are getting very hard to find. They’re snapped up so quickly! The hubby can fix whatever’s wrong with it. The tree is much bigger than it looks and has missing bulbs, but I have a huge stash of those.

On the retail market, this tree is worth about $50.

Add to this mix a couple of rhinestone pins which I can’t find at the moment to photograph.

Estate Sale 3

The next sale was a disappointment because though large, it was mostly newer stuff. I had a hard time finding anything vintage until I ran across this lovely old basket.

Old Nursery Basket

A vintage wicker beauty, only 7/8″ thick, from the 30’s-40’s that once held little jars for a nursery. It has a natural chippy, crackle finish, and not the kind that comes out of a can. It has been suggested that I repaint it, but I couldn’t possibly cover up that old finish and patina! Available.

Agree, or not?

I have several remedies in mind for the stain. Let’s hope at least one of them works!

What are your pet stain removers?

Little Oil Lamp

This little oil lamp isn’t particularly old, but I liked it and think I might play with it for a while. It came with a full bottle of oil too.

Estate Sale 4

This was in the home of a heavy smoker…UGH! So you have to be careful what you buy in places like this. That smoke smell permeates lots of stuff, but I thought I was safe with the next items.

Vintage Beverage Warmer

Unused. Available.

Vintage Makeup Mirror

Always good sellers & no smoke smell!

Round Train Case

Also hard to find, in great shape, and didn’t have an odor. Available.

Box of 8 Glittering Rhinestone Buttons

Estate Sale 5

My friend Wanda from JustVintageHome, knows who I mean when I say these came from one of “Art’s” sales. I don’t care for his sales, and usually avoid them.

Art’s assistant priced these next two things for me. If I had been unlucky enough to encounter Art himself, the prices would have been over double. When I see Art taking up money, I suddenly find something else to do, LOL.

Vintage Perfume Bottle

It looks like a silverplate stopper, but I’m not certain. It’s still very pretty. Available.

Vintage Makeup Brush

Silver handle (?) ornate makeup brush. Available.

That’s it, and I still have thrift store and estate sale finds to show you from a trip to Tennessee, as well as those I found last weekend.

Thanks for hanging in.

As a surprise, I thought you all might be interested in an update. An Etsy customer of mine bought these 2 old door hinges from me recently…

And this is how she repurposed them for new uses!

With her permission, I’m showing you these, and while you’re at it, visit her at

Etsy shop, Seven Souls Acrylics…

Repurposed Door Hinges as Business Card Holders…

She added a fishing weight to the front to hold up the cards. Clever or what??

You may enjoy other posts on recent finds and what sold on Etsy last month ….

Latest Thrift Store Haul and Panning for Treasure

March 28, 2018 by Florence 24 Comments

I’m back with the latest thrift store haul! It’s rather small, but keep reading to see what I found when panning for treasure in an unlikely spot! If I gave you 3 guesses, you would never guess where! I haven’t been to many thrift stores or estate sales lately and I’m overdue for a fix, LOL. I get a bit twitchy when it’s been too long.

These are all picks from mostly one thrift store~

I got a kick out of this tea mug. It comes in 3 pieces with a loose leaf tea strainer inside. I’d never seen one like it. I bought it for me to keep, but reality is…I’m not much of a tea drinker, so I changed my mind about keeping it. Bought for $1.59. Available

Wood salt and pepper grinders in great shape, but if they don’t sell as is, I might paint & distress them. $3.18/set. Available

I thought these boho sun napkin rings were a fun looking set. $4.99. Available

This is one of those little buildings for a Christmas village. I have plans for it later in the year. $1.99

I loved this hat! I didn’t buy it for me, but I thought it was vintage. It isn’t, but it has that vintage look. Would you believe the original price tag was $80? Wish I could sell it for that! $3.99. Available

A cute size of a small apothecary jar~99¢. Available

And this cushion I bought for us~

I guess it must be comfy enough…”Wes” thinks so. 99¢

This is a recent find from the little town of Greensboro which we visited recently. We took a day trip to visit a restaurant called “Pie Lab.” Written up in magazines like “Southern Living,” it’s a place we’ve been wanting to visit.

For all my Alabama followers, have you ever been there? If you don’t know about it, they specialize in homemade pies, but they do a nice lunch too. It’s a really nice side trip.

This piece is a vintage tea tin, made in England. Bought for $1 & Available. I think it’s quite pretty.

That’s it for the thrift store finds. Ready for the true story?

My hubby works a lot on our old motorhome, which we keep stored in a public lot nearby. I was over there with him a couple of days last week. To give you a little history, a guy used to keep repo cars in the lot, and whenever he got in a new crop, he routinely cleaned out the junk, leaving it behind on the ground. One day, he and all his junky cars left for good, but the junk didn’t leave. It sat out in the wind and rain for weeks until everyone knew he wasn’t coming back.

If you don’t know me yet, I’m drawn to a pile of junk like a homing pigeon to his roost. I thought I’d have a look at it. Most of it was man stuff…screwdrivers, hammers, socket wrenches, etc, but there was a toolbox…the kind that’s mounted in the back of a truck.

The toolbox contained a few things I thought we could sell in our next garage sale. I got excited when I saw a handful of change in the bottom of a bag. I found a whole 89¢ in change! I get excited when I see a couple of pennies on the pavement, so 89¢ was a big deal!

The next day, I checked the junk again. This time I found a damp, yellow, pollen-covered zip bag containing a pool cue. A few more odds and ends came home with me. I spied an old beat-up, sunburned vacuum cleaner in the yard. “Why don’t you go pick up that vacuum?” I told my husband. “We could sell it for $5 in the garage sale.”

A couple of days later, the vacuum arrived. It was a lot worse off than I thought. It worked, but I don’t think we could even get 5 bucks for it. Hubby took the lid off and it was full of little glass shards…AND more money!

I had a lot of fun “panning for treasure”! Using a cat litter scoop, we took turns combing through the muck and glass shards and came up with $2.18 in change! It was like hunting for Easter eggs!

Any money I find goes into my “found coins jar” I keep for a ministry at our church called the “Pocket Change Ministry,” which goes into buying food for the poor.

As we were combing through the dirt, I saw a glint of gold.

It’s so tiny, it looks like a baby’s pinkie ring. Do they still make pinkie rings for babies? Does anyone know?

3 little clear stones are mounted in the center. Diamonds? With my jeweler’s loupe, which is the strongest magnification I have, I barely made out what looked like the date, 1914. I can’t be certain, but I intend to take it over to some appraisers. I’ll keep you posted.

What is your latest treasure?

Favorite Junking Finds Florala Alabama, Curbside Find and Mystery Item

March 7, 2018 by Florence 26 Comments

Junking Finds

Hello Friends,

Back with another episode of junking finds! We went to a little country town called Florala, Alabama, so called because it’s practically on the state line between Alabama and Florida. It’s claim to fame is a big lake, and we were privileged to be camped lakeside. I really enjoyed the sunset views with Spanish moss floating in gentle breezes beside the lake.

No trip is complete for me without visiting whatever thrift stores I can find, and even an estate sale we happened upon.

Estate Sale Finds

I didn’t know what to expect, but this sale was just a mite expensive and very picked over.

3 Wallet size vintage picture frames~$3.00 Available

Vintage Navy Faux Alligator Box Purse~$4.00 Available.

Isn’t this a gorgeous trash can? Brass-plated on all 4 sides and made in England~$5.00

Eek! I hated to pay what they were asking for this cute plant stand! $7.50. It’s pretty small at just 13″T x 9.25″W. It would be perfect in vignettes or even a table arrangement. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one this small, but it’s cute and different.

This was my favorite find of the day…a handcrafted wooden desk box. I’m enjoying it until I sell it. $7.50

Lucky for me, the little town of Florala is just loaded with antique shops and flea market malls. It’s worth a stop if you have some time and are headed that way.

Thrift Store Finds and Flea Markets

The glass jar below is unusually large at 9.5″T. In fact, I’ve never seen one this large. I have a customer looking for jars of this type, but this was a bit too big for her. I feel sure I can sell it anyway. $5.00

I don’t sell many ash trays. Maybe it’s because there aren’t as many smokers anymore. I don’t know, but I couldn’t resist this collectible pig ash tray by MA Hadley for only $1.00. Available.

Vintage Folding Knitting totes are things I always buy when I can find them in good shape. $3.00

I don’t often run across too much melamine either. I couldn’t resist this adorable set…so vintage and mid-century modern. As the old saying goes about antiquing…Mama threw it away & I’m buying it back.

I hated to pay what they were asking though….$5.00 for both Available

Only time will tell as to whether these 5 cafeteria trays were a dud buy or not. $3.99 for 5. You just never know.

A Curbside Find

I was dying to rescue this old discarded piano on the roadside, but who can pick up a piano?

There’s tons of history in Florala and if you’re passing through on your way to Florida, stop and drive around this lovely old Southern town.

We were camping this trip as we usually do when we go out of town. And it seems that no trip is totally problem-free. The day we arrived, we had just a bit of trouble finding the campground. GPS didn’t seem to know where it was either. By the time hubby had driven about 3 miles down a bumpy dirt road in this,

…we were beginning to think we might not be in the right place. And if it looks lo-o-n-n-ng, it is! 37 feet to be exact. We realized we took a wrong turn, and imagine the difficulty turning around one of these big babies on a narrow, one-lane dirt road! It’s not like you can look in the rearview mirror. There is a backup camera, but you’re basically backing blind. The woman is usually outside directing man where to go so he won’t hit a tree.

So we have this same discussion every time we travel. I’m sure it’s very comical to watch.

“Stand where I can see you in the mirror,” he says.

“If I stand where you can see me, I can’t see where you’re going.” And it’s true. Walkie talkies help a lot, but we usually don’t take the time to get them out and actually turn them on. Sigh.

“Give me the traditional signals.” Translation: some kind of signals men use when they’re directing aircraft. Excuse me, I’m not an auto mechanic or an aircraft mechanic.

You would think saying “Whoa!” and “Stop!” are universal enough.

So I’m out there hollering whoa and stop and waving my arms and it does absolutely no good at all.

That was the first incident, which really wasn’t an incident. It’s pretty much standard when driving a motorhome.

The 2nd incident was about a week later. Our awning was out when up came a blustery wind from nowhere. I no sooner called, “Gary, the awning!” It took off like a balloon and landed on top of the motorhome, puncturing an air conditioner cover, shower cover, and bending all the arms and hardware to the tune of $1700. Luckily the insurance will cover most of it. Just another thing you have to watch out for when you have a motorhome, trailer, or anything else with an awning. And if it’s not the awning, it’s something else. However, they’re lots of pluses, and we really enjoy this mode of travel.

For more motorhome stories, you might enjoy this~Worst RV Nightmare and Vintage Motorhome Tour.

Lastly….

A Mystery Item

And what in the heck is it? (I didn’t buy it.)

That’s it. Which one was your favorite?

Lots of Vintage at the Jackpot Estate Sale

January 31, 2018 by Florence 22 Comments

Yep, it was Lots of Vintage at the Jackpot Estate Sale last weekend when hubby and I went. It was in Eoline, a town even this Alabama girl has never heard of! In fact, if you want to see more fun Alabama names, be sure to read all the way to the end of this post!

We had a lot of fun getting out on one of the first balmy days this winter. I wrote last year about 5 Reasons I go Picking Out of Town and this met every one of the reasons! We got there an hour after it started, then had to wait in line an additional 40 minutes before we were allowed in.

That was not my favorite part…waiting in line to go into an estate sale that’s already started! In fact, it’s a big pet peeve. If there was a way to know ahead of time about those, I would probably skip them, but I’m glad I didn’t!

You see people coming out with stuff and wonder if there’s going to be anything left for you. Most of what I saw coming out were things I wouldn’t have gotten anyway, so I had hope. The estate of a doctor who never threw anything away…the best kind!

Here are my purchases…enjoy!

Western belt…isn’t this unusual with jackrabbits, bears and wolf embellishments? No maker’s mark anywhere, but it’s a size 30, so assuming this is a man’s belt. Bought for my Etsy Western shop, SquareDanceNWestern. $1

I feel certain these 2 strands of brass Christmas bells will sell later in the year $2

2-strands-of-brass-christmas-bells-on-round-brass-loops — 2 Strands of brass Christmas Bells

Now if you could just help me remember what these “clacker things” are called! 25¢

4 snap-clackers — 4 Clicker Clacker Things

This is the back. Push the metal thing sticking up and it makes a loud snap sound.

Rusty Hanging Dragonfly $1

dragonfly-hanging-decoration — Dragonfly hanging decoration

1906 “A First Reader,” book for children from a “Demonstration School.” The cover isn’t attractive, but the illustrations inside sold me on getting it. (See below…) $1

1906-Book-a-first-reader-for-children — A First Reader

charming-illustrations-inside-1906-a-first-reader — Charming illustrations inside “A First Reader”

Since there aren’t many 1890 books still in existence, I couldn’t resist. $1

a-practical-speller-book-from-1890 — A Practical Speller

A modern book, of course, but do you know the history of the Navajo Code Talkers? They were hired for their communication skills during the WW2 era. The Germans didn’t understand their language. A keeper for us. 50¢

When I was growing up, we didn’t buy Dove or Camay because it was more expensive. So I love to find either when I’m estate sale shopping! (But especially Camay.) $2

To me Camay is…creamy, dreamy, and pink. Camay is a svelte, sophisticated woman removing her seamed nylons in her pink and white dressing room, drawing her scented bath, and wrapping herself in a huge fluffy towel. Camay women just sit around looking beautiful and smelling nice. Camay women probably don’t work, and if they do, they’re in a Department store behind the beauty counter, or they’re in a makeup shop, and the most strenuous thing they do all day is open their display cases. Ha! I have quite a vision of Camay.

I don’t often stumble upon a full box of Crabtree and Evelyn drawer liners! $2

Hubby liked it so we picked it up…decorative Brass Bowl…paid $2. It might sell.

I buy embroidery hoops because they always sell! 75¢

Booklet on 100 Houdini tricks. Most are card tricks, and it’ll be interesting to see if it sells. $1

Galvanized metal Lighthouse candle holder, cute and unusual enough that I think it’ll sell…$1

Pair of Left Handed Fiskar’s Scissors $1. I assumed I got these to sell, but hubby says “it would be nice to have a pair of those around.” Okaay, but neither of us is left-handed.

Would you believe this is a portable razor? I didn’t know what it was. See that little knob on the top? Pull it out, and it somehow activates the razor. It works like the pull string on Chatty Cathy doll necks. Made in France. Unusual enough that I feel sure it will sell. $1

Have any of you seen one of these before?

Pamphlet to teach students how to type on a 1916 typewriter. This might be a bomb. You just never know till you try. 50¢

This might be another bomb…a Masonic Apron, made out of white lambskin, dating from the 60’s. It’s a half apron, signifying the purity of new initiates. 75¢

The house had a wealth of books and sewing patterns. It would have taken an hour to look through all the patterns alone, but I found 2 possibles. Patterns this old have a good chance of selling. 50¢

A vintage wedding dress pattern~50¢

A sweet vintage cross-stitched table runner $1

8 Vintage monogrammed coasters. These are in great shape, and monogrammed ones do sell. $1

Hubby wanted this little black pouch to keep his hearing aids in, and up front during checkout, they were like, “what do you want this for??? It’s empty!” 25¢

Vintage 50’s Good Housekeeping Cookbook…$1

I was thrilled to see these 2 vintage scrapbooks still there…

Vintage Scrapbook….$1

Vintage scrapbook #2. Can you see the embossed dragon on the front? $1.

Earlier in the week, we picked this up off the curb…a Bissell Vacuum cleaner…not a thing wrong with it except it needed to be cleaned. It works great!

Do I need a vacuum cleaner? Noo. I’m just a born picker.

Tell me what you think and if you know what the name of those clacker things are, and if you’ve ever seen a razor like the one above.

As we left the estate sale, I saw this little country church, and stopped to get a photo. I mean no irreverence, but please note the name of the church! If you can’t read it…Haysop Baptist Church.

Wonder where they got the name “Haysop?” It always makes me think of other funny town names in Alabama such as:

Burnt Corn, Slapout, Smuteye, Bugtussel, Lickskillet, Arab (pronounced Aay-rab), The Bottle, Pine Apple, Hog Jaw, Beehive, Coal Fire, Normal, Slicklizzard, Brilliant, Screamer, Possom Trot, Frog Eye, Scratch Ankle, Chigger Hill, Scarce Grease, and Zip City.

Do you have any funny town names?

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Dug from the archives, you may enjoy these other posts: