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Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Thrifting Mojo - I've Still Got It

Yesterday I cleaned out my second booth at the Flea Market.  I had taken everything from my booth in town and moved it to the new place on March 31st.  I left it all sit at the marked prices for one week and sold several things.  Then I had a drastic sale and priced things crazy cheap.  It was all still good stuff, but I had just handled it all so much that I was tired of it.  Really tired of it.  I also cleaned some things out of my regular booth and took out some junk from the house and priced it all yard sale cheap.  In the end, I took in about twenty boxes of things and I pulled about three boxes out to be donated.  I dropped it all off at Goodwill today and it felt great!  So great, in fact, that I didn't even go in Goodwill for a look.  Yea, me!

Having said that - I did have my thrift mojo going today and decided to go to a thrift that is one of my favorites, but that I haven't been to in quite sometime.  I told the boys that I wanted to go to see the ladies that worked there more than I expected to find something.  It is run by older ladies and they are all so sweet to us.  Sometimes I just like to say "Hi" to them.

So, I walk in and the lady that is in charge came running to me asking me where I had been and asking me lots of questions.  She knows that I do resell some things, but she doesn't mind and she often asks me questions about the value of things.  I help her look things up on the internet from time to time.  She is the House Mother at a sorority and once the school year ends, she is left with lots of stuff to clear out.  Today she had fifty nice metal folding chairs.  They would be great for anyone needing lots of extra seating or to have in storage just in case.  The only thing is, these chairs have all been decorated by the different sorority girls, so they are painted hot pink, bright purple, neon green and other horrid colors and then they have rhinestones and jewels and rickrack glued on them not to mention their names in big letters on the back - BRITTINY (spelled just like that).  They are truly gaudy.  But, still with a bit of paint and elbow grease, a good deal to the right buyer.  I helped her put an ad on Craigslist with my phone and she was very excited,  Even though she had no idea what Craigslist was......  Hopefully she found a buyer for them.

Since I was in there, you know I took a spin around.  I discovered that you really do have to look at every single thing because there are treasures hidden in the junk.  But, we all know that, of course.

For instance, in the plastic flower and silk plant department, I spotted this lovely Nantucket basket.  It had a rather garish plastic palm fern sticking out of it.  I pulled out the fern and plopped it into a different basket for another lucky buyer to find.  It was $1.00.
This heavy old enamel coffeepot was sticking out from behind the glass coffee carafes.  It is missing the glass insert, but that is okay by me - I will be planting something in it anyway.  It was $1.00.

The last department I hit is the baby area.  I always scan everything looking for vintage baby bibs and baby quilts.  

I wasn't looking for or ever expecting to happen upon this completely adorable Irmi lamp.  What a wonderful find!


The little girl sitting in the rocking chair is knitting.  I think he chair really rocks and the cat on the cushion turns around.  But, I haven't tried it out yet to see how that all works.  This is my third Irmi lamp, so that makes it a collection - but I already considered myself a collector since I ADORE this stuff.  Too darn cute for words.  I consider finding this sweet little lamp my payback for the Craigslist Good Deed.  Is that wrong?

There a ton of sales listed this weekend, which is surprising since it is a holiday.  Not sure if i will go to many - it is supposed to get wicked hot and I think we all know one thing about me - I HATE THE HEAT.  So, we'll see....

6 comments:

  1. don't be such a tease, you know you will go junking. Just get back home before the heat chokes you out.

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  2. What do you mean you "still have" your thrifting mojo? Did it ever leave??

    That lamp is adorable. You know that collection is gonna come in handy someday down the road when you are a Grandma!

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  3. That Imri stuff is so cute it's irresistible. Kind of surprising Brittiny didn't want to take her chair with her.

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  4. You are a good thrifter! Love that you cleaned out your booth, I know it must feel good. Sometimes I look at some of my Etsy stuff and think its all going back to the thrift shop...soon! Love that little lamp...sooooo cute! Hugs, Linda

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  5. I had that Irmi lamp as a kid. Maybe you turn the cat to wind it up? That is a vague memory and I may have just like turning the cat. :) I also had the light switch plate cover that was a toy soilder at a red and white striped shed and I found one recently. Also found an Irmi mobile in a box that is Mother Goose! There stuff is crazy cute. :) Good finds!

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  6. Just found your blog (and now following). The title of this post made me laugh because I recently wrote how I lost my Ebay mojo. lol! It's coming back, but very slowly. I love the pics in the sidebar, especially the kitties. I have 3 plus a dog.

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