Holiday Vintage Thrift Haul Spree

January 14, 2018 by Florence 39 Comments

I’m a bit behind on sharing vintage hauls lately, so in order to catch up, I’ll share all as one Holiday Vintage Thrift Haul Spree. With everyone else Christmas shopping the last couple of months, I had thrifting on my mind, and even an estate sale in my own neighborhood. I’m very pleased with all the “haul-i-day” finds. Not all are vintage. I get caught up in buying because I like it and plan to sell it. Then I forget it isn’t vintage.

Such is the case with the next 3 items. I’ve been finding lots of shower curtain rings lately, and I buy them if they’re a bit unusual, but $2 a set is the most I’ll pay.

Aren’t these pretty? Bought for $2 and available in my Etsy shop.

Silver Shower Curtain Rings $1.99

I thought these were pretty too.

Another item…not vintage, but pretty. $1.00. Found at the local estate sale.

Bought for $1 at same estate sale and sold. I downloaded the photo from Graphics Fairy to make it look even prettier.

Quite a pretty brass candlestick…I like to sell these as a lot, even if mismatched. Paid $2.

Vintage Needlepoint compact found at same estate sale for $3. Available

Shadowbox shelving unit and the one following were bought together at the estate sale for $10. A lot! And much more than this cheapskate likes to spend, but I was very taken with the items below. I will sell the 2 separately.

These little brass pieces were made in Holland and are collectible. These are about 1-1.5″T.

Also from the estate sale…I buy glass crystals when I see them, both to sell and/or refurbish what I’m selling. Paid $2. See those white cloth things? See a close-up below~

What are they? In the same sack together, but not sure how they are used.

Vintage cassette case (available) found in the trash a few days after the estate sale. Hoping it was full of diamonds, but no such luck. It made me sick that they were also throwing away a beautiful mahogany 4-poster bed, but since we don’t have a truck, we couldn’t get it. I hope someone rescued it. Why don’t people donate? I’ll never understand it.

The next 2 items were found at a local antique shop (The Brass Bear) during Christmas. Paid $1.50. I thought this Filigree Brass Box was a bit unusual. Available.

This pretty piece is marked “Hull Art Pottery.” The seller labeled it “Southern Belle Planter.” There is a bit of paint wear, but I saw 2 others in the same store (different booths) that had much more wear, and theirs were higher. I paid $9 for this. I think I may have made a mistake buying it, but I liked it. We’ll see. Available.

The below is an Anton Pieck box purse, popular in the 70’s. Found at Hoover Salvation Army, it is in surprisingly good condition. Paid $2.99. Available.

Found at the Hoover Salvation Army…this cool retro telephone. Paid $3.99. They make repros from this design, but this is the real McCoy. There are a couple of cracks in the casing base, but I don’t think this is a major flaw.

Found these wicker bells at Lovelady Thrift for $1.99. I totally LOVE them, but should I paint or leave as is? The bow needs to be changed, but even the “fruit” looks pretty good yet.

The next 4 items were found at a new thrift store in Bessemer…the Tupperware dispenser set below. Paid $2.99. Available.

An attractive wooden sconce. Paid 1.99

A Valentine heart wreath, never used…paid $1.99 (keeping)

Ornate Picture Frame…99¢

The last were found at Vapor Thrift Store, which is a higher end spot, and their prices are higher end too. This is definitely off the beaten path for me.

I can’t believe I paid $4.99 for this! Color me insane. The hubby wanted me to get it and I caved. I’ve since polished it, so it looks much nicer. The stem has “thorns” on it, but the bloom doesn’t look very “rose-ish.” What would you call it?

Would you say it’s a candy dish? He thought soap dish, but I don’t see the slightest bit of soap scum on it.

This burlap wreath for $2.99 has definitely seen better days, but I bought it for the metal wreath form.

I bought this Jester Frog Tealight Candle Holder for $4.99 because I sold one exactly like it last year. Available.

Fell in love with this little sheep, but with no label or markings, I know nothing about him. Paid $2.99. Tell me, have you ever seen a sheep with a pig tail…a curlicued copper tail? I mean, I actually googled up sheep tails just to double-check. Sheep tails do not look like pig tails. Just thought you might notice. Available.

Considering how big this Lenox platter is, I was very surprised it was only $4.99. And it is vintage.

A beautiful porcelain spoon rest, made in Italy. Paid $3.99.

Another thing I fell in love with…what I call a “Tealight Tower” and I paid $3.99. I’m going to play with this a while. I might not sell it.

Fell in love with this lead crystal angel too. Found at Homewood Salvation Army on half price day, so I paid $2.50. It’s a keeper.

Lastly, I found these coasters for 99¢. It was the only thing at Vapor Thrift Store that was reasonable. Ha! So I bought them. I need more coasters like I need a hole in the head, but I told myself I will repurpose them. Ha again! They remind me of Spring, and we all need a reminder of Spring, don’t we?

That’s it till next time!

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Vintage Estate Sale Haul

November 26, 2017 by Florence 37 Comments

Hello Friends!

Before we sweep wholeheartedly into Christmas projects, I thought I would share with you a vintage estate sale haul I haven’t covered yet. This was a couple of months ago. I got there on the first day in the first hour, and though I found lots of great stuff, I missed out on a lot too. I saw vintage treasures going out that I would love to have found first, but that’s the way it goes. It was in a really old house in an old section of town.

Most of the treasures were in the basement. I wish I had taken a picture of how bad that looked! Sacks & boxes piled everywhere haphazardly. You literally had to scale a mountain of dusty plastic bags and boxes in the crawl-space basement, picking apart grimy sacks. Dealers were all over it like ants in a disturbed anthill.

Vintage Metal Dishpan…25¢. I’m really not sure whether this will sell or not. But I decided I wanted to keep it. It’s now my favorite dishpan!

5 Old Doorknobs…these should sell eventually…$1. AVAILABLE

Pair of old wooden fruit crates…$1/ea

The hubby picked these up, and I took them reluctantly. Might sell if I get really lucky. 10¢/ea AVAILABLE

Brass finish planter, which will look cute painted. Has claw feet, so hoping it will sell after painted. $1

Pile of old snapshots dating from the 30’s-40’s. People will buy old photos, so we’ll see if these are desirable. Like snapshots, many aren’t good quality, but some are interesting with old cars and old fashions. $1. See how I used a couple of them here.

Rusty old rake head…one thing you can do with this is turn it into a cute flower arrangement! 25¢

Old retro thermos with original label $1

Vintage Coffee Filters…the estate sale person was like, “Coffee filters???” The reason I picked these up is because I’ve sold similar before. They fit old percolators. Just have to wait for the right person to come along. 10¢ AVAILABLE

Toy red ladder…25¢. I’m “toying” with the idea of making a Christmas door decoration out of it if I get around to it this year.

These wooden embroidery hoops always sell. The larger one is gigantic. All for $1

Old metal soap dish…farmhouse style. I think I remember my Grandmother having one of these. 25¢

Turn it upside down, and you can use it to display old photos.

Loved this metal industrial basket! $2 AVAILABLE

A really pretty old light fixture….$2

Old first grade primer…25¢ AVAILABLE

Old wooden drawer….$2

Mid-Century Modern Magazine rack….$2. I promised myself I would never buy another magazine rack because they are slow sellers, but I couldn’t resist the design.

This is a real oddity. Gummed liquor labels dating from the 40’s. Supposedly you put them over the real label to hide that you have liquor in the house. Riiiight…..like that’s going to fool anyone, but it’s a 40’s novelty. 25¢ AVAILABLE

A couple of handfuls of old buttons…another thing I can’t resist. $1.10 (plus one other not shown)

2 sets old aluminum molds….$1

More little junky items….30¢. I used the wooden spools to display old photos here.

One of the few things found upstairs…a gigantic bedspread with embroidered design & 2 matching shams…$2

And a couple of odd embroidered pillowcases….$2

Vintage Raffiaware Mugs….$1. Sold

Add plastic funnel, rope, copper bottom 1 cup measure, 2 sacks ferris wheel beads (I used a few of those here), box of test tubes full of tiny beads, 2 vintage metal band-aid boxes, 2 glass Pyrex beakers, and an 1887 Devotional book…all for another $2.50, and there you have it.

Then a couple of yard sales yielded…

This is a “Bates Secretary” address book. Push the button at the bottom, and dial the letter on the side, and the address book flips open to the names beginning with the letter. These address books are hard to find, but I always grab it when I see it if the pages haven’t been filled out. $1 Sold

This cracker tin is from the 50’s with Spanish language on 2 sides. 50¢

I always pick up makeup mirrors $5

Found at a Thrift store recently…Pig Napkin Holder…99¢. Lots of this identical napkin holder on Etsy, so we’ll see.

I’m having a 20% store-wide sale in my Etsy shop through Dec 19. Pop on over to see if there’s something you can’t live without!

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Big Vintage Estate Sale Hauls

November 5, 2017 by Florence 47 Comments

3 Big Vintage Hauls~

Showing you today 3 big vintage estate sale hauls from several weekends ago. And if you’re new here, I only buy “smalls” for my Etsy shop, Vintage Southern Picks. Drop in and see if there’s something you can’t live without!

Here are a few finds from a house in a depressed area of town. There was very little there I was interested in, so I only bought 2 items. The house itself was unbelievable! I walked from room to room with jaw dropped and eyes as big as saucers. I had never seen decor like that! Dolls and frou-frou everywhere you looked!

Just one example:

Here’s the First Vintage Haul~

Christmas Sweater $3. These usually sell, especially if you market them under “Ugly Christmas Sweater.” Sometimes I describe them as such even if they’re NOT ugly. Last year I didn’t use those keywords and sold it anyway. This sweater is probably borderline…LOL, and I don’t buy if they’re over $3.

3 red ties I found stuffed in a box in the basement. I use these in projects. Buying ties from estate sales is usually cheaper than thrift stores. I never buy ties if they’re over $1.

2nd Vintage Haul~

The next estate sale was in a run-down house in a high-end neighborhood. The owner obviously never threw anything away, but we love those kinds of sales!

Dud buys: Wood mortar and pestle made in Italy (pestle is cracked & discolored & they’re about 8 of this identical mortar on Etsy already). I didn’t know what the other thing was. It looked interesting. Have since found out it’s a sterno can burner. It is vintage and I polished it, so we’ll see. It might sell. Paid $1 for both of these.

Reversible Fall Vest. I bought this for me. Halloween design on the other side. This was $1, and when I get tired of it, I can sell it.

Vintage Oriental hand fan…looks like plastic, but it is made of very thin sandalwood with intricate designs. Made, not in China, but the People’s Republic of China. The box you see there has a glass lid. Etsy has pages of replicas of the exact fan for $1-2. So I was chagrined to find I bought another dud, even if it was vintage. However, it sold to a gal in Australia within a few days, so I guess it wasn’t a dud after all. Hand fans aren’t one of the things I normally look for, but I liked the box.

I don’t check Ebay or Etsy on my phone before I buy, like I see a lot of people doing at yard and estate sales. For 4 reasons:

It’s not always accurate. And it announces to the world that you’re reselling, or that you’re a dealer, and I like to keep that concealed.
I often run into people that have such a sentimental attachment to what they’re selling, like the lady below, that they’re hoping you’re taking it home to treasure it.
I don’t want to discuss with them what I’ll ask for it, especially when things aren’t priced. I hate it when people ask me, “oh do you sew, quilt, scrapbook, etc, etc” if I’m buying those items.
I’m afraid the price will jump if they find out I’m reselling.

Just my opinion for what it’s worth.

Pair of Vintage Eyeglasses…these might be for me…! 50¢

Vintage Picnic Plate holders (8). I never buy unless they’re cheap & they usually are. $2.00 for all

The vintage rhinestone brooch was gorgeous, but it had a bad clasp, so into the scrap pile it will go & I’ll repurpose it. 50¢

Vintage folding knit bag…I always grab these when I can find them. $2. And inside it was the find below…

I love history & old postcards! And I used to be a reader before I started blogging. Perhaps I can sell it if I ever get to look at it, LOL. $1

3 Dolls that I thought were “Nancy Ann Storybook” dolls. I have a sneaking suspicion that they’re knockoffs…vintage knockoffs, but still knockoffs. Would you believe the sale was a month ago, and I haven’t looked yet?? I know. Chicccckken! Maybe I can sell them anyway…sigh. $1

Who can resist these guys? I don’t know what it is about frogs, but they usually sell & I’ll get them if they’re cheap. $1.50. And they’re sold.

I always buy letter openers, too, if they’re cheap & different. $1. This guy is made in England even if I can’t read the brand name. He sold very quickly.

Little tooled leather purse…no brand name. I’m afraid I’m a sucker for purses anyway, but I didn’t buy it for me. $2

Throw in 4 little metal loaf pans, a couple of vintage cookie cutters, a roll of parchment paper (which I needed), and a metal hook, for another $3.50, and you have all of it.

3rd Vintage Haul~

At the next sale, the daughter was attempting to sell off her mother’s crafts, embroidery pictures, finished quilts, fabric, embroidery thread, etc. She was very emotional, and had hardly anything priced. Not pricing, whether it be a yard sale, or an estate sale, discourages buying, rather than the reverse. I wish people could learn that. She had no idea how to price, and would ask the customer, “what do you think?” Not a good idea.

Here’s what I bought:

A pink patchwork throw $4

Pair of stunning Frankoma pottery candleholders, dating from the 60’s-70’s era. Frankoma is collectible, but it’s not on a par with Roseville, for instance. But it’s coming into its own. Pair $4.00.

Owls are almost as popular as frogs. And this adorable guy is a Josef’s owl figurine for $1.

And 4 adorable Josef’s mice $2 (3 pictured because the 4th is in the Etsy shop).

Stay tuned for more fascinating estate sale hauls!

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Here are more posts you might enjoy!

Vintage Junk Treasure Giveaway

October 15, 2017 by Florence 38 Comments

Time again for the Vintage Junk Treasure Giveaway! My first one in May was a roaring success and I had so much fun, I’m back for another! I’m joining 4 other fabulous bloggers who are giving away their own loaded boxes of crafty goodness.

It’s so much fun to put a box together imagining what YOU might like. One winner gets my whole box plus free shipping too! That’s a deal that can’t be beat.

Here’s My Junk Treasure Box!

If you would like to see what’s in my box, I will be doing a series of Facebook videos this week. Go on over to my Facebook page to catch some of these.

Join via Rafflecopter below and follow the prompts to complete your entry.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don’t forget to visit the blogs and giveaways of the other 4 and enter those. Do you realize you could win 5 times if you get really lucky???

The giveaway begins October 15th at 12 midnight CST and ends October 22nd at 12 midnight CST.

Better Read the Nitty Gritty too:

Disclosure: Giveaway closes October 22, 2017 at 12:00 a.m. CST. Open to US residents 18 years and older only, void where prohibited. Winner will be chosen at random by Rafflecopter and contacted by me via email. Winners have 48 hours to reply to the email or they will be disqualified and another winner selected. Shipping of packages will be paid for by Vintage Southern Picks.

Let’s Take a Peek at the 4 Other Boxes!

Kathy Owen from Petticoat Junktion

Sarah Norton Ramberg from Sadie Seasongoods

Rosemary Palmer from Not Just Paper and Paint

Abby Lawson from Just a Girl and Her Blog

I don’t know about you, but I’m totally blown away by what all my blogging buddies are giving away! So hustle on over to their blogs and sign up, but first sign up here!

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Favorite Weekend Junking Finds Birmingham

October 1, 2017 by Florence 40 Comments

I haven’t done a “vintage finds” post in a while, and frankly, I haven’t been anywhere in a while to do one. Not since Tennessee, in fact. I haven’t even shown you my entire haul from there yet. I really slowed down on estate sales due to having an excess, but had to have a fix this weekend! I get like that every now and then, and I’m excited to show you what I found.

We are working now on a massive downsizing yard sale to get rid of things I’ve bought at yard sales, among lots of other things LOL. I’ve been selling a lot on craigslist too. Ready to see Favorite Weekend Junking Finds Birmingham?

Favorite Weekend Junking Finds Birmingham

I stayed close to home this weekend and went to 1 yard sale, and 4 estate sales.

Yard sale finds

Set of 8 black and white cabinet knobs for $5

Cabinet knobs sell for me if I can find cute ones.

More cabinet knobs and a mini spatula set…all in the same sack $4

Vintage Sony Walkman with Cassette Player and Electronic Clock all in same sack $1

I didn’t want the clock and I took a chance with the Walkman. I understand that these sell, but the man at the yard sale didn’t know if it worked. “The man who can fix anything,” better known as my hubby, got it working.

Estate Sales Finds~

2 Tommy Hilfiger ties~$1/ea

I’m on the hunt for red ties to use in a project.

If you want to see one of my tie projects, click here.

Pretty red and gray afghan throw $1. I wonder if it’s handmade though? Does anyone know from looking at the photo? It looks sort of manufactured to me, but if I don’t sell it, I’ll keep it because I really like it.

I found a sandwich size bag with jewelry scrap, which I also plan to use in a project. $3. These are mainly earrings without mates.

It was the only thing I bought in a house loaded with stuff, but everything was out-of-sight expensive, and gaudy to boot.

When I arrive at a sale on the first day, and see only 2 cars, I know there’s a reason. Most everything was removed. But I found 2 things.

Here’s a likely mistake…not a vintage tablecloth, as first thought, but a Christmas sheet sewn together and trimmed in red rick rack. $4.

And of course, there’s a stain, which I didn’t see when I opened it out at the sale…sigh. But it might sell anyway.

I don’t like to attend the sales of the person running this one because she’s known to be high, but it was kind of slim pickings this weekend. So I found a vintage fireplace broom for $5. The handle is a little loose at the top, but I can fix that. This is the right time of year to sell this, so I’ll be listing it pretty quickly.

I finally hit a gold mine on its last day, so all prices you see are already half off. I was surprised there was so much left, but it was a condo sale for the senior set. I wonder if people avoid condo sales? My mentality is this: by the time they’re already in a condo, they’ve gotten rid of everything, so there’s not going to be much there. Does anyone else think this way?

But it proved me wrong this time. I was happy with these finds:

Remember these purses? I wanted one so bad back in the 60’s-70’s when these were popular. See the little turtles on top? So cute! I’m surprised they aren’t rabbits. The person who lived here had rabbits galore. $3

This is the first of these I’ve ever found myself, but I’ve always wanted to find one. Know what it is? A vintage eyeglasses holder $1.50

China rabbit $2.50. Not vintage…it’s for me.

Small rabbit figurine made in Bath England. I usually buy items made in England or Germany if they’re in good shape, and cheap! $2

I left 99 other rabbits behind, LOL.

Here’s another item I’ve always wanted to find…a metal tissue box cover, and this is made by “Ransberg,” who also made trash cans, now vintage as well. $1.50. They are kind of hard to find.

These vintage metal picture frames usually sell. $1.50

I took a chance on these too…real shells used for serving bites of seafood. Found in the kitchen, but probably could be used for crafts too. $1

That’s it for upstairs. Now we descend to the basement. I make a point of that because I’m unsure about the age of some items, but I figure by the time a treasure makes it to the basement, it’s vintage and practically a discard. Right?

Labeled on the bottom “Early American Pewter.” I haven’t had a chance to clean it up yet. It may be hard to see in the photo, but the globe is etched with a design. I couldn’t turn it down for $1

I thought this was especially nice, and it looks older $1

Vintage silverplate cup was interesting with great patina $1. Couldn’t see the markings real well, but believe it said “Wm Rogers.” What is your feeling about silverplate? Prefer some polishing? Or leave it alone?

I was really happy about this little find…a vintage framed sampler. $1. It’s been exposed to too much moisture in the basement, with unfortunate stains on the cloth. The frame is literally falling apart, but I still liked it. I’ll wash it by hand and soak it for a while. Keeping fingers crossed that it comes clean.

I left behind more pieces of silverplate, more unfinished needlework, another sampler (not as cute), more Christmas pillows, pair of vintage TWA airline totes (would have gotten them, but they had a name written on the front), vintage evening dresses, an old handheld metal toolbox (no paint left), box of old clothes, a child size Delft tea set for 4 (1 broken piece and incomplete), a set of “Serendipity” children’s books from the ’80’s (should have bought those), mystery items, and of course 99 rabbits. 😀

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