Playing Catch Up, Recent Finds

Hi Dear Friends. :) It's Me. I'm alive. I hope you've all been well!

OK we'll just skip to the stuff.  I was able to cross off the picnic basket tin on my "WANT" list. It was marked "as is" at an antique store. But of course I don't mind that it's not perfect. The snowflake piece of Pyrex was at the Goodwill for $3.99 so even though I swear I'm not collecting Pyrex anymore (lol) I just couldn't leave it there. And a cute aqua strainer that I've been using a lot, only .99 at GW.

This old candy tin has been at one of my favorite antique stores for a long time. So I finally gave in and bought it, thinking it would take center stage in my Easter display this year. But I didn't get to decorate because I wasn't feeling well. Next year!

One day there was a huge stack of vintage Easter cut outs at the little thrift store. They were marked just .50 each, so I bought them all and I have duplicates of some of them. They'll go in a Market Monday someday soon. Bummer I couldn't do it before Easter.

Aren't they sweet?

Love this bunny couple!

That same day there was a stack of these cute trays! I know I already have one packed away, so I grabbed these for Market Monday too.

I had to grab this unopened box of PAAS egg dye from 1985. This is exactly the kind we used when I was little and those characters on the box bring back memories! And I can never ever pass up a vintage copy of "The Golden Egg Book". I sent this one to a sweet friend.

That rabbit candy tin reminded me of something that I found awhile ago but didn't show you. This wallet was at the thrift store and I think I paid $2 for it.  I love the lantern she's holding, and the white rabbit at the bottom! Such a funky piece.

If you look up Dumpling Dynasty, you'll see cute things! They make adorable pillows with deer and other creatures too!

I found a vintage "Farm Lotto" game with such sweet little cards.

Now and then I get lucky and find vintage x-mas at Goodwill. These Holt Howard candle holders for $1.99 each plus the tin and a bag full of sugar bells and foil leaves were a great surprise!

This is the second time I've found bags of x-mas stuff like this at GW. The last time it was old bottle brush trees with mercury glass beads. Both times the things still had dealer tags attached to them. So I guess antique dealers sometimes donate their leftovers when they quit selling.

So that's that! I hope you guys have been finding some fun things too. Or maybe you've been having fun gardening??? I'm really excited to start buying flowers and to get the yard looking pretty!

Oh! I did go to one estate sale a couple weeks ago. I'll be back soon with pics of what I found.

Talk to you soon-

Erica :)

Another Great Estate Sale!

 It might seem like I'm always going to sales but I think this was only my 4th sale this year. Maybe 5th??? Something  like that. We are fortunate to have tons of sales around the Twin Cities, but I tend to be very picky about the ones I go to. This is because things have become so competitive that I really don't enjoy it.

 

There is this group of about 10 men (dealers) who go to every good sale. And I've always heard rumors about people selling numbers etc, but today I actually saw it happen! The car on the right side of the pic had two guys in it. And I watched them get out, each holding a number, but then one of them shoves a third number in his back pocket! Soooo bad! Then the guy in the denim meets up with them and hands over cash for the number! It made me so mad! I just had to get out of my car and say something to them. Yep, I really did! I said "Did you make some good money for that stolen number"?  Of course they totally denied it. I was number 24, which means if greedy guys like that didn't take extra numbers I probably would have been under number 20 and could have gotten into the house in the first wave! I told myself That's It! No more estate sales!

I'm not gonna compete with these men who get there at 11:00pm the night before! Yes, that's when they started arriving for this one. BUT.................

 

 then I got into the house, and it was packed! And I reminded myself that many people don't want the vintage holiday stuff that I like, like these little Gurley pumpkin candles.

 

I've been wanting real bittersweet but this big box of "faux" stuff looks pretty good I think.

 

 There was an ice cream bucket full of vintage crafting stuff, like this.

 

 And all of this!

 

 A concrete rabbit planter for $2.00!

 

 The pictures didn't show vintage Christmas but I had a feeling that there would be some in the basement. Sure enough! The Santa on the left is a jam jar and the one on the right

 is a Holt Howard bell!

 

 Three medium sized bottle brush wreaths and a cute corsage!

 

 Here's a helpful tip: When you need to know the price of a bunch of "junk" like this, always ask the nearest teenage boy that's working the sale. He will likely look at you like you're crazy and say something like "Ummm .50 for all??" Sounds good to  me!

 

 I wonder if I dare open this German one to fix his berry nose.

 

 This one on the bottom is probably now my oldest piece.

 

 He's a cutie!

 

 A felt tree skirt and 16 kitschy Santa's.  

 

 I think I will keep this Wilendur tablecloth as I seem to have sold all of mine to you guys! lol

A chalk ware chick, and duck, and an egg cup from Japan.

 

Easter Fun! :)

 

 Ha! These are handmade candle rings. But I'll take them apart and use the parts.

OK, are you ready for the BEST IN SHOW?????????

 

 Ta-Da! In the basement I found this antique goose feather Christmas tree! It's about 4ft tall, and has it's original Montgomery Ward's box!

 

Immediately one of the men came and asked if he could buy it from me. I said no of course. I will love and cherish it! I feel so lucky that it's mine.

I did a little research and found out that real goose feather trees like this were imported from Germany to Montgomery Wards beginning in the 1930's. I've only seen them in the pictures of Martha Stewart's magazine. Though I'm sure some of you have one. I'd love to know!

OK, I just have to tell you that these are quite valuable. My cost? $6.00!

So maybe I'm still in the game!

 

I bought some other things but they will be in my Market Monday!

On Monday the 23th at 5pm central time!

 

Hope you're having a great week my friends!

Erica :)

 

I'm linking up with Junkin-Joe's at The Cottage Market for the first time. I always have so much fun looking at everyone's junk, I thought it was about time that I join in!

 

 

 

 

A Weekend At The Flea Markets!

 Hi friends! I hope you all had a great holiday weekend!

Yesterday Angie and I headed to the Trader's Market in Elko, MN. I didn't buy nearly as much as last year, but we still had a really good time! I finally gave in to my temptation to buy a story book doll, and another dealer was selling larger wooden spools for 20/$1.00! Great deal!

 

 I found a box of glass ornaments for $8, and the huge cotton Santa heads are marked Japan and were $1 each. I can't wait to give them bodies and doll them up!

 

 This skier ornament is my favorite!

 

 LOL Ok, for some reason I kept looking at these on EBay last Easter. I just think they look cute in a vintage Easter display, but they can be pretty expensive. This guy's really big and clean, so I got him for $6.00! Angie about died! haha "Eeewwww, gross"!

I told her that I might sneak it into her bed some night! LOL

 

 Has anyone else noticed how expensive these chairs are getting? My Grandparent's used to have a pair of red ones up at the cabin, so lately I've been thinking that I NEED a couple. This one was marked $20, but we got him to take $15 for it. I keep seeing them for like $40 though!

I think I'm going to paint it red!

 

 OK, then this morning I went to my regular flea market. Half of the dealers didn't show because they thought it was going to rain, so that was a bummer! I finally found just the right vintage red plaid "Faribault Woolen Mill" blanket! My Grandma Dorothy was born and raised in Faribault actually. And my Mom, Aunt Judy, and I visited the Mill last fall. I can't wait to put this on my couch at Christmas-time.

When I got home from the flea, my sweet neighbor (who knows I collect x-mas) gave me this wonderful vintage stocking! She said the woman who gave it to her years ago, raised her own sheep and then used the wool to hand-make things! What a generous gift! I just love it!

 

These were my only other little finds this morning. The reindeer is Lefton, and I was happy to find a large bag of glass beads for $2.00! The little bird is so pretty...but I BROKE him right after I took this picture! Boooo! Oh well...

Thank you all for following along! And I'm sorry there hasn't been a Market Monday in a few weeks! I think I'm going to take a little break from buying, and actually do some artsy/crafty stuff! I miss it!

Erica :)

 

Um...Ernie? We are sooo not sleeping like this!  -W





A Post Easter Post :)

 Sandy hosted a great swap this year for Easter! In addition, she and I did a one on one swap. I feel honored that she asked me. And she sent me such great things! This wooden cut-out rabbit ornament is so sweet!

 Jordan Almonds, Glimmery Gumballs, Jewel Toned Flowers, and even a few Christmas Corsage pieces were included!

 But it didn't stop there! This German Egg is jumbo size!

 And I can't believe that Sandy was willing to part with a whole book of vintage Birthday Seals!

And just look at these little Easter Magnets!

I forgot to take a picture, but can you believe that there was also a $10 Target gift card included? On the backside, Sandy wrote that it was to buy something for my new house! It's still in my purse because I want to find just the right thing! A picture frame perhaps??

Sandy, you were beyond generous to me! I don't think I quite matched you on this one, but someday I will "get you back"!

Thank you so much my friend! :)

 OK, the other day at my local little thrift, I was shocked to discover these two vintage ornaments hanging in the Easter section!

They're about the size of a large shiny brite, and the globe is glass.

 That's real lametta tinsel wrapped around them! The price? Fifty cents each!

The bottoms are marked "Made in West Germany".

Has anyone seen them before? I wonder if they were intended as x-mas ornaments. This is the kind of item that kills me! lol Because I love them, but I bet they would be worth selling. Especially for a girl with very limited $$$!

But ooohhh how I love them! Ahh!

What do you guys think? :)

 I hope you all had a fabulous Easter!

Thank you for following, commenting, and being a great friend to me!

I want to let you know that I'm pretty sure I'm going to take the month of April off from blogging. The move is going great, but I'm very slow with things because of my sore ankles. I'm finding that I want to dive in and get things set up and arranged, but I can't stand up for very long, so it's quite difficult. I've also had to face the fact that

 "My Name Is Erica, and I'm Addicted to Vintage Junk"!

Ahhh! I have way too much stuff! So I have to have a garage sale within the next couple weeks. I bet I have at least 50 pieces of Pyrex that have to go!

I can't wait to come back though, and show you all how it turns out!

I think it's going to look cute!

See you in May my friends,

Erica :)