My 2011 Top 10 Thrift Finds

Every year I do a little recap of my years events and my best thrift finds.  I've noticed that a lot of blogs are doing a Thrifting Recap now, so I guess I better keep up with the Jones's and do one again this year!

In no particular order......

 A wonderfully chipped, rusted and worn stool.  This sits outside my garage and helps me, aka Shorty, reach the flagpole each and every morning.

This great old wooden cupboard - handmade and heavy as heck.  It's on the porch holding my vintage lawn sprinkler collection.

I scored this large lot of vintage padlocks this summer in Topeka on the Pickin' Event during  my family reunion.  The price tag said $25.00 for the lot, but when I asked how much to buy one or two, the lady told me I could have them all for $6.00.  Bargain!  

A wonderful and incredibly old gathering basket.  Snatched up from the toy department at Goodwill - chock full of plastic fried chicken and plastic vegetables which I promptly unloaded and re-donated.  This basket is a treasure.

 

This wonderful old photo of Aunt Marge and Uncle Bill.  There is a local family that has sales and keeps selling off items that belonged to marge and/or Bill.  I have rescued many of them, including Uncle Bill's purple heart and personal papers from the Army.  When I spotted this photo at their last sale, I asked if they knew who it was...when I heard the names - I knew I needed to add them to my family since thier family obviously doesn't care about them.

High on my Thrifting Wishlist this year was a tin dollhouse.  One Saturday morning I spent a couple hours looking at dollhouses on ebay, but decided the shipping was prohibitive for ordering one.  I left the house, stumbled upon an Auction and scored this dollhouse for $2.00.  It isn't perfect, but for $2.00 - it's good enough for me. :)

Another big wishlist item for years has been an old metal tin picnic basket.  I finally found one this summer at the thrift for $2.00.  It isn't perfect either, but that's kind of my thing, apparently.

I bought of this high priced glitter for 50¢ a tub with the intentions of repackaging it and putting it on Etsy.  But, I really hadn't thought about the possibilities of having literally POUNDS of high grade glitter available to use any old time I want.  Once I started using a bit here and a bit there, I knew it had to be MINE.  All mine! I use this stuff on an almost daily basis. 

Since I had found the dollhouse at the auction a couple months earlier, dollhouses were no longer on my radar.  But, when I did spot this jewel of a PINK dollhouse at Goodwill a bit later - I freaked!  Tin - vintage - PINK!  OH my!  It is pristine and only cost $5.00.

 And now. The Holy Grail.

The. Pink. Evergleam Aluminum. Christmas. Tree.  Ta-da.

A moment of silence to revel in it's loveliness.

I paid $45.00 for a grocery sack full of vintage ornaments, this pink tree and a silver aluminum tree.  I resold the silver tree for $80.00, so the rest is gravy.  I love this tree.  I want to marry this tree.   It is dreamy.  

But, I have a confession. Don't hate me.

I didn't even use it this Christmas.  

Can you believe it??????

I'm hoping to fall out of love with it and sell it since a similar one recently sold for over $600.00.

But, that seems pretty unlikely - the falling out of love with it part.  

Time will tell......

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My New Year's resolutions are to get back on budget, bring home less and organize what I do have already.

On the getting back on budget part - yesterday I ordered an Iphone and today I bought a new piece of furniture (at a retail store!). 

Whoops.

But, the Iphone will help me look up things when I am out shopping rather than just buying them willy nilly.  And now I have a mobile hotspot, so we can get Netflix on the TV, internet on the laptop and lots of other cool useful uses.  (Plus, I just really wanted it!)

The piece of furniture will help me get organized.  

As for the bringing less home - well, yesterday I bought thirty troll dolls at Goodwill.  Whoops again.  Better get them priced and OUT of here!

What did you find this year?