Favorite Junking Finds in Greenback Tennessee

August 27, 2017 by Florence 32 Comments

This week I’m sharing favorite junking finds in Greenback Tennessee. What a neat little store! Hubby and I made a little getaway to Tennessee last week to visit our daughter.

And when you’re a true picker like me, you find places to pick wherever you are. You use up phone data to research locations to the local thrift stores. You comb through craigslist for the local estate and yard sales, and you keep your eye peeled for little places off the beaten path. Such was Greenback.

I bet you’ve never heard of Greenback. Well, I guess I really hadn’t either, although hubby reminded me we’d been there once for a parade. And the only reason I found it was because we were taking a shortcut back to the campground. 3 blinks and you’re through it. Oh yes, we stayed in our home-away-from-home while in Tennessee…our vintage RV motorhome, over 20 years old, but comfy.

And by the way, if you’ve always wanted to tour one of those old things, now’s your chance! You might enjoy reading Worst RV Nightmare, the “funny” story that wasn’t funny at the time! That also happened in Tennessee.

When I’m on the hunt, I don’t go to antique shops much because they’re usually a lot more than the garage sale prices I’m used to. I started not to even stop, but it was a cute little storefront.

I was on vacation. Why not? A little bell on the doorknob jingled as I walked into “The Home Decor Resale Store.” Walls of wooden shelves packed with interesting doodads and merchandise greeted me. Larger items artfully arranged were in the center of the store. Slowly I browsed up and down several times so as not to miss anything.

I met the two store cats! Here’s “Connie” with Janet, the store owner. Connie was talkative and followed me wherever I went, but “nosirree bob,” she says. “You aren’t picking me up!”

I forget what this one’s name was.

I later learned the Home Decor Resale Store had been the General Store at one time, and all those fine-looking wooden shelves are original. What I couldn’t believe were the prices! So inexpensive!

I thought this was the cutest little side table.

I loved the prices here….more like garage sale prices! So this is what I found. It doesn’t seem like much. I could have bought more, but I already had a lot from thrift stores and estate sales. I’m dying to show you those…on another day.

Interesting wooden candlestick….$3…Available

I rarely see one of these men’s valet boxes in this good a condition! $8…Available

Showing my ignorance, but I thought this was a fancy dustpan! Do YOU know what it is?

To not keep you in suspense, it’s an antique crumb tray. Very ornate is it not? I can just see this being used in Gone With the Wind. $8

I thought these 3 rose pictures were lovely. All for $15.

So if I’ve whetted your appetite just a bit, and you have a hankering to visit Greenback Tennessee, it’s about 15 miles south of Maryville, off Highway 411 and Hiway 95. (Maryville and Townsend Tennessee are jumping off points to visiting the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.) Turn right on Hiway 95 and go all the way till it tees into Morganton Road, a quick dogleg to the left, and you’re practically at the store. Address is 6710 Morganton Rd. Open Tues, Wed, Thurs, 10-5. Phone: 865-856-2229.

“Offering the finest in second-hand home decor shopping, with unique items at a price that will make it OK to take it home with you!”

I told Janet I’d send ya!

On Another Note~

My hubby and I are very sad this week because we unexpectedly said goodbye to our beloved little “Beezer,” a Maltese rescue we’d had for 15 years. Unbeknownst to us, he developed a brain tumor which had grown into the balance center of the brain, rendering him unable to walk, among other things. It happened so quickly, we were shocked and unprepared. I know we made the right decision, and the vet concurred, but it’s always sad, isn’t it, when you lose a beloved pet?

Have you lost a special pet?

Sharing with these link parties~

Favorite Junking Finds to Shelby Shores

August 13, 2017 by Florence 32 Comments

It’s a broken record, but following my own advice, I now go junking out of town for at least one trip, and usually find some real treasures. Even if it’s the 2nd day, or the 3rd day. Go with me on favorite junking finds to Shelby Shores!

Off to Shelby Shores~

Shelby Shores, easily a 45-minute drive from where we live, we certainly didn’t get there early. By the time we finally found the place (even with the help of GPS), it was well up in the morning. Knowing it was going to be picked over, we proceeded, putting out of our minds what we missed, focusing on the now.

Arriving at the house~

We approached a run-down place situated on a lake, and entered a house utterly trashed by the 1st day pickers. When I arrived, I noticed someone standing guard over a full silver coffee/tea service which, as I learned later, they had managed to pull out of the very cramped, obstacle-course crawl space. “Well! There must be something good left,” I thought to myself. Not that I wanted a full tea service.

But as I walked through the house, I honestly couldn’t see a thing I wanted. And then…I finally found something.

A vintage galvanized check filing box WITH THE KEY! $2. My husband, standing nearby, said, “What do you want THAT for?” (I hear that a lot.) I told myself….

it’s industrial….

it’s galvanized….

it’s farmhouse….

it’s hot.

But then after I got home, I saw with dismay, there are about 3 pages of the same thing on Etsy….sigh

But guess what? It’s SOLD!

Next up…

A vintage rolling pin in nice shape for $3. I haven’t listed it yet. I’m not sure how it will do.

Again, not terribly exciting, but I actually need these, and refuse to pay retail. I keep written Etsy sales records.

A couple of turned wooden legs and a metal clamp I have use for. $2 for all 3.

And the big find of this trip….

A whole sack of shotgun shells! $1. I’ll figure out something to do with them. I have some ideas.

Actually I’m excited about my shotgun shells.

Now then…let’s head to the next sales….

The next sale was in a nice house, but it was the 3rd day. The only thing left I even remotely wanted was glossy papered and decorative cardboard storage boxes…that the owner had written all over with black sharpies, which was why they were still there. I told myself….you can cover that with doilies….but I didn’t feel like bothering. So my husband bought 2 cutting boards for $1, and it was my turn to say, “what do you want THAT for?”

On to the next sale….

Once we arrived at the house, I realized I had been there in the past at another garage sale. I was remembering the cool vintage mailbox I found, and wishing there would be another. And there it was! My treasure!! Which I grabbed…it was priced at $10, but she quickly dropped it to $5.

Even though there are a lot of these on Etsy in various forms, I’ve never had any problem selling them, and it’s SOLD.

And at the last sale….

The first day…I found…

A Methodist Hymnal from the 30’s. $1. These usually sell, and it did. SOLD.

Vintage Whisk Broom for $1…

About 10 pages of these on Etsy, but it SOLD.

TIP: Don’t let the numbers of things on your chosen selling site scare you!

Lastly, a trio of vintage recipe boxes, which always sell for me. They may take a while (everything usually does). The two metal ones have file dividers, and the middle one is wood. All for $1.50.

Would you pin? Thank you!

That’s it my friends. Hope you enjoyed the tour! Which one was your favorite?

Sharing with these link parties~

Favorite Weekend Finds Montevallo

July 23, 2017 by Florence 32 Comments

Hi there friends!

Back with another Vintage Finds update! Before I get too far behind, I decided to show you my “favorite weekend finds Montevallo” from 2 weeks ago. For those who don’t live here, the name “Montevallo” means nothing to you, I know. But I’m following my own advice again by picking out of town…see 5 Reasons I Go Picking Out of Town. I’ve found it to be successful 90% of the time. Pretty good odds, eh?

So let’s get started.

Weekend Vintage Finds~

We hit a sale close to our home right at the beginning, but I thought I was going to walk away empty-handed. I hate to do that, you know? The homeowners are standing there so hopefully. At the last minute I found these 2 glass globes, which I needed to complete a couple of oil lamps before I list them in my Etsy shop, and the price was right at 50¢ each.

On to Montevallo—about a 30-45 minute drive from our house. As we neared our destination, the neighborhood looked progressively seedier. I thought, “well, I’m not going to find anything here!”

This just goes to show you how pre-conceived notions can get you in trouble. Those people couldn’t have been nicer and more accommodating

Take a look at what I found~

Badly tarnished old piano lamp. Can you believe this was only $1? And it works!

I spent an hour polishing it. That elbow grease works wonders!

A cute chandy (chandelier) with glass prisms…only $3, and they offered to give it to me for free because they weren’t sure it worked! It has a few missing prisms, but it has enough to allow it to sell I think. And it does work.

A decorative cart…only $2. This is a keeper because it’s much too big to ship. (I don’t like to ship items this large…although it can be done.)

A nice white paint job would do wonders for this!

Now that was the kind of sale I like!!!

In the next community, I found these~

Vintage alarm clocks are hot right now, and it works $2 (it was $3, and I got them to go down)

Whoopee, a couple of blocks of florist’s foam for 50¢, but I need it for a project.

I sold one of these vintage in/out trays before, and this is made by the same company…a Globe-Wernicke tray, dating from the 40’s. It’s much better looking than the other one was. Keeping my fingers crossed. $2…Available.

Metal file box $3. As many of my followers know, I conduct lots of experiments. This is one of those. I’m taking a chance….don’t know if it’ll sell. They’re all over Etsy. (Don’t let that keep you from listing yours anyway.) I don’t know how many times I’ve said to myself….”they’re a bazillion of these on Etsy….mine’ll never sell.” But it usually does!

Industrial is hot. We’ll see. Available.

I couldn’t believe this was still there when I arrived! Probably a repro, but even repros are desirable…a vintage 60’s lucite box purse….$2. Available…I’m a sucker for purses!

Love at first sight…had to have it. Cappelli purse by Straworld. $2 This is mine!

Aren’t these cute? Package unopened Christmas cupcake liners FREE

There are lots of DIY things you can do with pretty cupcake liners…besides making a muffin prettier.

Sack of miscellaneous battery-operated Christmas tea lights….$2

Embroidery Hoops…these usually sell….sooner or later. I always list these together. All for $1. Available

We’re both a sucker for old books….

The Little Shepherd of Kingdom Come, c.1903…Civil War novel $1

The Circular Staircase, c. 1908…A Whodunit. $1

My husband, who doesn’t read much fiction, read this in an afternoon & raved about how good it was.

I was immediately charmed by this old children’s book, “Boys and Girls of Bookland,” c.1923. It’s a First Edition, but in bad shape. Still love it though, and hope someone else will. $1. Available

Just look at a couple of the old illustrations!

A beautiful afghan! $2

I believe this is wool, and such pretty colors. Very musty smelling, but a 2-day session hanging in the attic took care of it.

Hope you enjoyed the tour! Tell me what you liked!

Please Pin!

Interested in seeing more of what I buy? It’s definitely the “win-some, lose-some scenario.”

Check out these posts:

Favorite Weekend Finds…Getting My Thrift Store Fix

Favorite Junking Finds Weekend Sylacauga

Favorite Junking Finds Weekend Homewood

8 Curbside Finds…a Sneak Peek at a Vintage Picker’s Stash

What Sold on Etsy and Ebay for June 2017

And now…sharing with these link parties~

Favorite Weekend Finds | Getting my Thrift Store Fix

June 11, 2017 by Florence 36 Comments

Hello Friends!

Today I’m sharing with you my favorite weekend finds getting my thrift store fix! You would think I could make more frequent visits to the thrift store since I live down the street from one, but I can’t….LOL. All it takes is one look at all my accumulated junk and the decision is clear. BUT sometimes I need a fix!

I didn’t find too much stuff though….just a few fun finds. I’ve never seen one of the thrift stores I went to soo empty…several totally empty shelves! So I drove across town to another favorite store, and found a few more items.

Thrift Store Finds~

From the empty Salvation Army….

Thrift Store 1

Just the sum total of 3 lampshades~

I’m always looking for lampshades hoping to find the right size for 3 lamps I could sell if only I had the right shades for them. (I’m getting quite a collection because most of the ones I bring home aren’t quite right.) The largest white one is a little bit dirty, but I plan to glue doilies over the spots, turning it into my favorite shabby chic style.

The two smaller shades….99¢/each. The larger: $2.99.

Thrift Store 2~

The thrift store across town, which usually has real junky junk, yielded better finds.

I always grab these picnic plate holders if affordable. They always sell in my Etsy shop. Colored set 25¢. Larger set: 99¢. I usually ask about $2/each for them.

I bought this hummingbird feeder for us. I couldn’t believe it was so cheap! And not a thing wrong with it (at least that I’ve seen so far).

Isn’t this bright green colander cheery and cute?? I couldn’t resist buying it. I don’t need it, and it’s not vintage. Not a thing wrong with it! $2.99. I’ll have to figure something out.

This is a nice quality wooden handcrafted pineapple basket. $2.99. I bought it because I thought I might paint it. I’ve seen these painted and they look really pretty, but I like it like it is too. What would you vote for? Paint or not?

This is a hubby purchase….an emergency light. Do we need one? NO! We already have about 10 flashlights, and 3 oil lamps, not to mention umpteen candles. But hubby loves gadgets. Here he is in the store fiddling with this thing….”it’s got candles!” (he announces excitedly). “It’s all there and it all works!” You would think he found a chunk of solid gold! So we come home with another gadget for $1.99. I don’t know what we’re going to do with it.

And the last favorite find from of the day…..a Hardy Boys Mysteries metal lunch box from 1977. It was covered with stickers on both sides, which I spent some hour cleaning off. Let me tell you….cleaning off old gummed stickers ain’t easy either!!

That’s Shaun Cassidy and Parker Stevenson on the front….teen idols from the 70’s. Aren’t they pretty?? Maybe some girl who felt about them like I feel about the Beatles may have to have this!!! Available now.

And yet another thrift store waaay across town yielded only this….

Thrift Store 3~

It’s a bit tacky as is, but the twig wreath is in good shape and well put together. The little bird things can be removed and re-used. I’m planning on re-working the wreath. $3.14

So this sums it up. Hope you like my finds. Which is your favorite?

Want to see more Thrift Store Finds?

Check these out:

Incredible Thrift Store Haul (most of these have sold)

Hauls from 4 Thrift Stores

Out of Jail Thrift Store Hauls

Favorite Junking Finds Weekend Homewood

May 28, 2017 by Florence 16 Comments

Showing my favorite junking finds weekend is a little overdue because this sale was a couple of months ago. Hope you enjoy seeing what I found! Come share in my lovely junk!

PLEASE PIN!

Homewood is a charming old suburb close to town and mostly occupied by young families. This was a good sale, in that it was an older person’s estate. If only I had gotten there a little earlier, but I haven’t figured out yet how to be everywhere at once…LOL.

Vintage Finds~

Here are my vintage finds, some of which I’ve already sold. Small and pretty little chest with raised swirl designs and old picture on top. Nice lining inside. Probably made in Italy. Cost: $2.00 Sold

A vintage shoe ashtray. I bought this mainly to use in a mobile. 25¢

These can be repurposed into cute towel holders for the kitchen. I can’t remember how much I paid for this. Available in my Etsy shop.

These old wooden thread spools come in handy for various crafts. $1 for the whole box. How would YOU repurpose these?

Old shoebox full of wooden thread spools — Wooden spools

These are not in the best of shape, so I’m thinking about repurposing them….maybe painting or possibly making ornaments out of them. We’ll see. $2 for this set. Too much considering the shape they’re in. Sometimes I get carried away. Anyone else?

Vintage Tin Coasters — Aluminum coasters

I believe this was 25¢.

Tiny pink pom pom trim for a total of 23+ yards. I thought I might have a hard time selling this because I certainly wasn’t the only seller with it! Paid $1…Sold for $12. I usually try to pick up trims when I see them. They can be good sellers.

I think I paid about $4 for these wooden legs or furniture finials. Available in my Etsy shop.

Turned wood legs, caps, or furniture finials — Furniture finials or table legs.

Shiny brass heavy decal. I believe I paid $1-2 for this. The details have skipped my mind….LOL. Available in my Etsy shop.

Memorial Day flags — Happy Memorial Day!

Hope you enjoyed seeing a vintage finds post! I’m a little behind on these. Come share in my lovely junk! And lastly, have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!