The Week in Junk 3/26

Saturday The Bean and I hit an Estate Sale with a TON of super nice and super expensive items. I'm talking $300.00 pieces of pottery and $2,000.00 furniture. It was being run by an Auction company and they had NO idea what they were doing. They had only put of the best stuff and the rest of the house was in boxes lined up in a big warehouse, out of touch so you couldn't go DIG. There was a long table full of ephemera, postcards, old sepia photos (one of a lady in a casket) and other thins like I like to buy. But, nothing was priced. So, I had to ask about each item, which resulted in two people pouring over each item, looking things up in a book and on the Internet, giving me a speech about what it was and what it was worth (it sells for $20.0, so you can have it for $18.00) Uh, no thanks. I did end up finding four things to buy. When the auctioneer himself tallied up my items, he said, "$2.00, $2.00, $2.00 and $5.00" That's $8.00 all together. I said, "Are you sure about that?" He said, "YES!" like I was bad at Math, so I paid $8.00 and left. I feel bad not paying the other $3.00, but Jeeze, if you all but point out the error, shouldn't they figure it out? And, it wasn't like it was several hundred dollars. They should have KNOWN that piddly amount. Oh well, don't think badly of me, please. :)

The good news about this Estate Sale is that what they didn't sell yesterday will be sold at Auction on Thursday. They locked the door behind me, so I know what is still in there and it is EVERYTHING. Auctions can be hit and miss. I spotted a few of my old oak splint baskets that I love so - one nearly as big as a coffee table. It was $125.00 marked down to $45.00. At the auction, it could go for $200.00 or $2.00. Just depends who is there and what they want to pay. I, of course, want to pay $2.00. But, I am sure that won't happen. Although, a poorly advertised and badly run auction on a Thursday morning just might net me some DEALS.

Rubber Tod-L-Tot Baby - she squeaks.  

A very old candy tin from England.  I thought a family had had their photo put on it, but then I realized that the little girl on her Dad's lap is Queen Elizabeth.  She was born in 1926, so I am guessing that this tin is from about 1933 or so.

I love this old Whitman's Prestige Chocolate tin.  It's shaped like a chest with a curved lid.  I know it's an old one too.

This old scrapbook was supposed to be the $5.00 item.  I was really surprised the lady told me $5.00.  Based on the other prices, I would have bet it was going to be $25.00.  So, I'm glad I asked.  

It is chock full of old cards for every holiday.  They all belonged to Mrs. Amanda Frances Welch Taylor.  She sounds important, doesn't she?

She wrote who they were front on each card.  They are tightly glued in and I hope I can save them.  But, I might just leave them in there.

Sweet Mother's Day card.

This tiny paper shoe is actually an Invitation to a Bridal Shower.

"A surprise, please."  So cute.

My personal favorite just for those little bellhops.  Too cute.  

Are cards that cute nowadays?  

I think not.

A sweet Valentine Postcard.  "To Mamma". I always wanted to be called Mama.  I am MOM.

Ever notice how people used to write their names on everything?  Even cardboard boxes and sheet music and books?

I hit a couple of sales earlier in the day and found the rest of the photos.

An old Thurnauer bowl and an old metal Slinky.  I think I have a dozen old metal Slinky's.  When I see one, I have to grab it.  Not sure what I will ever do with them....but the new plastic ones are just not nearly as cool.  Love that slank-slank noise they make.

A German Savings bank.  I thought it was a Weather Station at first.  I've never seen one of these.  It was $1.00 and it's a keeper.

An old metal recipe box full of handwritten recipes for things such as Egg Sauce (ick), two tacky 1969 Mr. Christmas decorations and a cup that says, "When I said, "I do", I didn't think I'd have to do everything."  I don't buy much new stuff, but that was too funny to leave for 25¢.

Five vintage porcelain light fixtures for 25¢ total.  They were filthy, but they cleaned up nicely.  I think I will ebay them.  You can't buy the old ones anymore.

Three old copper claw feet from a piece of furniture.  I;m sure long ago there were four, but I only found three.  Some idea to re-purpose them will pop into my head one of these days.  25¢ for all.

And now, the thing I have been looking for for YEARS but have never mentioned.

A vintage Brach's Candy case with the BEST slogan EVER. 

"Candy is delicious food....Enjoy some every day."

My Mom and thought this was hilarious years and years ago, but the slogan quickly disappeared and we were beginning to think we had dreamed it!  I saw the box in a room full of empty boxes at the Estate Sale and snuck in there and put my purchases in it.  A boy had already offered to get me a box, so I knew it was okay to get one.  I just didn't want to have to ask to a specific box like some sort of loon.  Do they still have the bins where you can buy bulk candy?  I haven't seen on in years.  At my first job, you could get five for a quarter and I would buy five on Monday and put them in my locker and eat one every day.  I was a very poor college student living on her own and that was my one and only treat.  

Anyway, I was super happy to find that silly box!

What did you find this weekend?????