The Weekend In Junk: Sales are BACK!

Friday I went to one garage sale and today I went to five yard sales and the SCT.  The ads are popping up and the signs are on the corners!  Yeah!

Before I show the goods, I have to tell you a story.  Friday I was taking a drive with Mom and we saw a very nice big sign that said "INSIDE YARD SALE 8-6", so I turned around to follow it.  A bit down the road I saw another sign that said, "ALMOST THERE!"  I love it when there are signs along the route.  Then we saw the big "YARD SALE HERE" sign, so I pulled into the driveway.  Although it wasn't a driveway.  It was an entrance to a trailer park chock full of falling down old trailers from like the 1960's - tarps for a roof, dirt yards, homemade fences made out of pallets to restrain the half dozen dogs within, speed bumps the size of small Volkswagen along the road with washed out sections of the road as deep as a Volkswagen.  We drove through the trailer park and came across a sign that said, "INSIDE SALE".  I sped up a bit as we reached the trailer.  My Mom pointed and said, "There it is, you are missing it!"  And I said, "Oh no I am NOT!" and I drove myself right out of that hillbilly squalor and right back into civilization!  I pictured a man in an lazy boy with a rifle on his lap waiting for women to step into his lair.  "You got a purty mouth, missy."  Eiiiiiiieeeeeeeee!  SKEERY!  (Yes, there really are places like this in Arkansas.  There is also a plethora of mansions and millionaires).

This morning at the very first sale I went to, I found something that I have been obsessed with finding - I look at every sale, every thrift and on ebay and etsy.  I need a vintage spinning rack to display things in the booth  - ephemera packets, buttons, jewelry, whatever.  

They were sitting on a table covered up in cheap plastic pony bead key chains and some other junky jewelry.  But, I saw those racks immediately and swooned.  They were vintage and exactly what I have been looking for - BUT, where they for sale?  I doubted it.  I asked the lady wearing an apron - "These racks aren't for sale, are they?"  She looked at me and said, "Those?  You want those?"  "Do you  make jewelry?" she asked. "Yes!  Yes! I do!"  Then she looked at those racks long and hard and finally said, "Would you give me a dollar each for them?"  I jumped up and down and screamed, "Yes! Yes! I would have paid you twenty times that!"  No, I didn't silly - I calmly said, "Uh, yea, I guess I could do that."  THEN I skipped to the car clutching them to my chest so no one would see them and attempt to rob me of my FIND OF THE CENTURY! (No one did.)

The rest of the days finds.  

The sale where I picked up the racks was an Estate Sale, but they had must piddly stuff in the driveway by the time I got there.  I heard from a neighbor that the street was blocked each direction when they opened, so they must have sold all the big stuff right away.  But, as you know, I like piddly stuff, so I still found some things.  Especially once I realized the prices were going to be low.  I found this cool old orange cup rack and the little tile that says, "Thank you for the food we eat."  

I rummaged through the Christmas stuff and scrounged up this little angel and a spotted reindeer.

These came from a different sale.  The worst cake decorations EVER.  I only saw the deer and trees in the baggie.  The hunter was a bit of a surprise when I opened the bag.  I found that big wooden cup rack at the "Estate Sale".  

Big roll of tickets from another sale.  

Tiny tape measure from an artificial limb dealer.  

Alrighty then....

Colorful old jingle bells and an elephant made out of a walnut.  Off to the right there is a tall green piece of pottery.  Even though I just culled out all the green pottery.  And I'm not supposed to buy anymore.  But golly, it was a QUARTER.  I had to rescue it.  It's a sickness.

A hillbilly kneehugger.  I think it's fun when I find kneehuggers of the non-pixie variety.

I found this little duck at a sale for 25¢.  I still adamantly deny that I collect pottery ducks.  This is #7.  Whoopsie.  (I still have 1990's Flying Country Geese trauma).

A stack of old Oklahoma coin purses and a stack of old Arkansas address books - things that will sell at the booth for a couple bucks each.  A Junior Stewardess pin - I actually bought two, but I could only find one when I got home and now I can't find the one in the picture - or that AA recovery coin.  They must be in the backyard.  

Everything is displayed on this old handmade desk organizer.  It will be great in the booth to hold smalls.  'Cause I like to sell smalls.  Did you know that?

I marveled at this old Japanese tray, wondering what exotic place someone had traveled. I turned it over thinking there might be a masking tape strip with "Trip to Japan with Effie and Gladys -  1956" or something cool.  This is what I found......

Oh.  

A big handful of necklaces with beads that look like Indian pottery.  

These will go to my Step Dad to sell at his shows.  

Many years ago, some magazine featured a big bowl full of old souvenir ashtrays in a bowl.  I was crazy about it and wondered if I would ever find any.  I did find a few, but then I didn't find anymore, so I stuck the ones I had in the booth.  Now I need those back!

I found Oklahoma.

Missouri.

Tijuana! 

And Arizona.  

I did wonder why these weren't silver like the other ones I had seen in the past.  

I quick spritz of bleach brought them back to silver.  

I found this handmade bear at the SCT - he needs eyes and  a little primping.  I like the bear, but I sure wish I could have found the original chenille bedspread instead!  Gorgeous!  The pretty dresser scarf and bowl will go to the booth.  

A cute vintage crib sheet.  I bought it to cut up and make things - but I don't know if I can bear to do it.  (see the aforementioned teddy bear....)

Friday morning I picked up this cool handmade cubby.  It will be perfect to hold all the flash cards, bingo cards and other packets I sell.  I think I will paint it with chalkboard paint. 

I also found the little McCoy pottery piece (at the same sale I went back to on Saturday and found the pottery duck - the ones I don't collect) and the big old tape measure.  I also picked up the old wagon wheel. There was a pile of them and they were great.  I would like to have bought them all.  But, the lady recognized me from the Barn sale and wanted to know what I was going to make out of them and quoted a too high for me price.  CURSES.  The hazards of being in a small town.  So, I just bought the one.  But, I want the rest of them! 

And, lastly.  A hot pink un-drilled Viz-a-View bowling ball.  I think I can sell this on ebay for four or five times what I paid for everything I bought this weekend.  That, is a good weekend in my eye.  

I hope the junk is picking up in your area.  It's just starting here.  But I am excited!  :)