It's Time!

The car is loaded.  There is another load ready to go in the truck in the morning.  I can not get one more thing in the car other than me and The Bean.  It is to capacity to the roof.  I may have to dangle my purse out the window as we drive.  Hard to tell at this point.  

Junk Ranch Rundown: Shara with Monkeybox Vintage Junk, is one of our original vendors. She has the best eye for finding unique vintage smalls & her booth is a treasure chest for vintage housewares, collectibles & handcrafted items using vintage materials. Tons of fun packed in her booth!! You can find her in her usual spot - behind the house & under the Walnut tree.

I have 1/3 vintage, 1/3 Ephemera/Fun Junk and 2/3 Vintage Christmas.  Yes, I know those numbers don't add up - because I have a TON of vintage Christmas including about a dozen blow molds. Lordy, I hope those shoppers are into vintage Christmas.  

Here's a fun article written by my friend, Laurie:  Junk Ranch article

I'll be back next week with yet another JUNK RANCH RUNDOWN.  If you follow me on Instagram, I will post as I set up and as the sale progresses over the next two days.  I have been working on making things and getting things ready almost since the last JR in June.  As usual, I have A LOT of stuff.  

Your support means the world to me.  Buying, making, packaging, displaying, setting up and so forth isn't always appreciated by the people in my real life.  So, it is NICE to know that you guys get it and understand.  :)

A Walking Tour.....and LOTS of motorcycles

Yesterday we went to Bikes, Blues and BBQ as we do every year.  I am a fish out of water there in my pink shirt and pink tote bag.  Lots of leather, orange and black.  This is a very clean rally - no flashing or toplessness or other bad behavior.  I saw a cop put duct tape across the shirt of a guy that made reference to a "cat" a few years ago.  Just a line over the word to keep it clean.

*Don't look if you are offended......

Since we go on the first day, we do see a few naughty t-shirts and badges before they have been asked to move them to the back a bit.  It's interesting to me, these bikers.  Motorcycles are very expensive, puls most of them have campers and toy haulers and they are wearing a thousand dollars worth of leather.  I know most of them are hard working Americans - lawyers, doctors, teachers, etc.  I walked behind a lady yesterday in her leather and chaps and I heard her say "Let's get something for the grand kids".  Whoa, someone's got a cool Granny!

So, as we walked and the boys looked at the motorcycles, I looked at the old storefronts and architecture along the street.  There is a lot and it is wonderful to see up close.  So, here we go - Welcome to Fayetteville, Arkansas!

My favorite photo of the day.  This is US Pizza Company.  The motorcycles were the perfect colors.

Old wrought iron staircase.  Or if it were for sale on Craigslist - ROD IRON.  

The rich folk live up in that mighty fine skyscraper.  Well, it's a skyscraper by our standards.  I would LOVE to be able to go up and sit on a balcony and just watch all the commotion.  

The very old UARK theater.  Another place I would love to prowl.  I'm not sure what it even is now.

This jewelry store has been around my whole life.  They have the nicest jewelry and I think it is open by appointment only which means I cannot afford anything in there.  Luckily, I like feedsack pendants.  :)

Here's the light fixture outside Underwood's.  It is amazing.  

I would really like to put that on ebay. It would take a helluva box.  

George's - THE beer joint, THE outside music venue, THE place to go.  THE place THE Breadman and I told each other we were in love.  BLECH.  That sounds soooo cornball.  But it is where it happened."  (Pay no attention to that lady in the reflection.)

This leads down under a building to a parking garage.  I love all the old exposed brick and stone.  And that is an old fireplace, I guess.  I just noticed it.  

There were motorcycles, I promise.

The train tracks.  We took the train about 3 miles so we could leave our cars in one spot.  Curtis had to go to work.  OH, I mean The Breadman, sorry.  Anyway, he had to go to work, so we go get in line for the train and they say, "It broke down.  It will be a three to four hour wait."  So, here we are on one side of the rally and our cars are on the other side of the rally and he needs to get to his truck PRONTO so he can go to work.  You might say, "Oh, you could walk" and we could have - but it would have killed us.  Fayetteville and especially the area where we were is totally hilly and curvy. Plus we would have had to negotiate the University traffic, the regular traffic and the 200,000 motorcycles.  There is a nice quiet walking trail, but it curves around in a weird route and isn't "as the crow flies" like the train tracks.  Anyway, we were just about to start walking and try to figure out how to get him to work when, I kid you not - the actual conductor in his full conductor uniform pulled up in his personal pick-up and said, "Does anyone HAVE to get to the parking lot right now?" Talk about right place at the right time!  We shoved him in that truck and got him on his way. 

WHEW.  Big relief.  

Then we went back to check on the train and they said it would be another couple of hours.  

Here. We.Go.Again.  

But, then GUESS WHO pulled up again?  The conductor!  ALL ABOARD!  See him driving the truck?  I totally felt like I was still on the train!  He even let out a couple WooWoo's for us.  It actually turned out ot be much more fun that actually riding the train back.

Although, riding the train is pretty awesome.  

Lest you all think it was just greenery and architecture - may I present to you - Bikes, Blues and BBQ.

I love the look of a carnival food truck thingy.  I would NEVER eat from one.  I am too picky and too cheap.  I saw half eaten turkey legs laying by the trash cans.  Those things were $9.00 each.  I would eat the whole thing even if it killed me.  

Sweet sidecar.  I joke that The Bean will drive the motorcycle and I will ride in a sidecar.  I joke because how sad would that be for the kid to take his MOM?  

Oh, another carnival food dealybopper.  This one is my favorite.  

Favorite to LOOK at.  I saw so, so many people eating those foot long corn dogs.  I guess I have a dirty mind, because they just look so...wrong.  But, I have never eaten a corn dog, so maybe that is it. 

Motorcycles.

Motorcycles.

Motorcycles.

Motorcycles.

And a shadow shot to end the day.  Time to go home ans sort out the swag.  

(Awesome free stuff at a motorcycle rally - if you ever have a chance - GO!)

What did you do yesterday?

So, THAT's Why I'm So Damn Tired

What I have made for The Junk Ranch:

I always take staples like the Scrabble words.  Each year I sell a lot, but last Spring I sold SO many, it was nuts. So, I have made a ton of word packets.  I expanded my "line" into Oklahoma and Oklahoma sports teams.  I have no pride when it comes to taking money from people.  :)

Over 50 Scrabble tile racks - each one painted a variety or colors, sanded, tack clothed and priced.

Over 100 vintage milk cap magnets - magnet on back and stuck on an old metal cabinet door that I picked up.

About twenty vintage inspired prize/award ribbons.

Fifteen or more banners for birthdays and Razorback football.  There's one in the center of this photo from the flea market.

Over 200 Domino pendants - each one made with a scan of a package or vintage greeting card from my collection.  Each one displayed in a printers drawer.

About 50 PROBE letter card packets - words picked out, sorted, packed into a cellophane sleeve, topper attached, labeled and priced.

Over 100 packets of flash cards - each packet is 12 flash cards.  That is over 1200 flash cards that I typed, printed, cut, rounded, sorted, bundled and labeled.

Ten Jello Mold glittered pumpkins and a handful of crows dressed for Halloween.

Twenty-five packets of paper straws all in cellophane sleeves, tied with grosgrain ribbon with a Halloween pick added for fun.

About 200 packages of vintage cake toppers, sorted out by holiday or event, stuffed into cellophane bags, topped with a paper topper, stapled, hole punched, labeled, priced and hung on a display rack.

Over 200 different grab bags full of vintage Christmas ornaments and small Christmas items. Placed in cellophane bags, paper topper stapled on, labeled and priced.

Now I see why I am so tired!  And I've only just begun the vintage sorting and pricing!

**I love cellophane sleeves.  Everything just looks better in a cellophane sleeve.  :)

The Week in Junk: Razorbacks, Books and Wire

I am up to my ears in preparation for The Junk Ranch.  I go between not thinking I have enough to OHMYGOD I have too much.  I don't have one place to keep and store all the things I have acquired, so there are Junk Ranch things all over the house, under the bed, the garage, both storage sheds, the driveway ('cause I'm classy) and on and on.  Today I pulled a lot of my better and more fun things from the booth, so now the car is packed full too.  Today is the day I stop acquiring and start pricing and sorting.  I have been doing that already and have quite a bit ready. But, there is always MORE TO DO.  

Since I have been on the hunt for things, I have been hitting sales and the thrifts in search of goods.  I haven't have wild success, but I have found some things that I think I can do well with.  

***Speaking of finding things - I found this giant roll of copper wire today sitting by a pile of trash. Has anyone sold copper?  I mostly grabbed it for the wooden spool, but we discovered it was copper wire and I know that was worth saving!  I normally like to save things and get them in the right hands.  But I am thinking scrapping this would be the best solution.  Anyone?

These are very old handmade dolls.  Tiny seed beads on the moccasins and dress. I don't think they are worth a fortune, but I will research a bit before I list them.  

 Today I picked up all these small things.  I have a favorite sale full of Ziploc baggies for 25¢-$1.00 that happened to be today.  This is just a small portion of what I bought.  The triangle thing on the bottom left says Chicken Furniture.  Now what, pray tell, is THAT????  The big yellow thing is solid sulfur from a sulfur mine.  Who knew THAT existed?  Love the tiny pottery ( I am keeping the white piece) and the two tiny bank bags from competing across the street banks from my childhood town.  

I drove four towns over and fought copious amounts of traffic to go to four thrift stores.  The first one had a huge pile of mattresses by the front door with a FREE sign on it.  I had a hard time getting past the SKEEVE factor in there so I left empty handed.  The second thrift had no skeeve factor, but I still left empty handed.  The third stop netted what you see above and the fourth stop was yet another dud.  But, at least I did find some things.  I spent $8.00 on what you see.  I am keeping the White Rabbit Rolls tin, the rest will go somewhere.  

I picked up this grubby doll crib.  It was in bad shape.  I cleaned it up, removed the plastic lace ruffles and put a new bottom on it.  The kitty graphics made it just too cute to leave behind for the $1.00 price.  

CLOSE YOUR EYES EDDIE.

Giant box full of all sorts of doll heads.  There are some sweet ones in there, but I will have to agree that the whole box is a bit Aiieeee!  

I found this Razorback at my flea market last weekend.  It caught my eye because all Razorback things are red.  As soon as I picked I up, I could tell it was old pottery.  A bit of research and I knew what I had in my hand.  I paid $5.99 for it and it sold a week later on ebay for $85.00.  Now, I had mixed feelings about buying it from someone I know and reselling it.  But, that is half the game of having a flea market - research you stuff before you price it.  My feeling is that the vendor got what they wanted and they were happy with the $5.99.  I was super happy with the $85.00.  :)

And lastly, some of the prettiest Reader's Digest books I have ever found.  There are certain decades that are just the loveliest.  The 1950's had the prettiest covers.  I stopped cutting the covers off the books and I am selling the books as they are at The Junk Ranch.  I have over 100 books, but I will only that the ones that are fall, Christmas and Winter colors or themes.  I have never, ever seen the Redbird cover.  It's a beaut and already sold.  SAD FACE.

So, there's the junk.  I'll try to think of something to blog about that isn't about getting ready for The Junk Ranch.  I never want you to tire of me talking about it.  But, it is a TON of work.  Having said that - I LOVE it and I love doing The Junk ranch.  It is some of my happiest days watching people shop my tent, admiring my things. I really do LOVE it  

BINGO!

There's a lady that lived not far from me that used to like to buy junk and have sales every so often.  I bought a lot of things from her for my booth.  Then she moved, but I kept running into her at sales and the thrifts.  Lara and I saw her one day and we all discussed having booths and she decided she wanted a booth too - so I set her up where I have my booth.  It's funny, I still see her at almost every sale and thrift I go to - it's like we are on the exact schedule only I am five minutes behind her. Sometimes I see her carrying things out to her car that make the mean old jealousy bug bite me. But, luckily, she is super nice and she has started picking things up for me.  Last week she had an old BINGO boxed set and a travel Scrabble game for me.  She paid 75¢, I gave her $2.00 - win-win.

One of the things that she has in her booth is a huge old professional BINGO cage with Pink Pong ball numbers and over 200 chipboard cards.  Every time I go look at it, I just go on and on about it. She had $50.00 on the whole set, which is a super great deal.  Too much for me to pay because I am CHEAP and I don't need it.  I thought she should mark it higher, personally.  I even told her that.

Earlier this week, for no reason and completely out of the blue, she sent me a message - "You can have that whole BINGO set for $20.00."  WHUT?  I never asked for a better deal on it - I kept telling her to price it for more money!  But, she wanted it to go to someone that would appreciate it and market it better that she knows.  That is one of my goals in reselling - get the item into the hands of people that appreciate it and will do it right again.  So, it was nice to have the shoe on the other foot. 

I didn't really realize how huge this thing was until I got it home.  It's a good old one with the metal ball catcher.  Two of the ping-pong balls are a bit squished and The Bean is trying to work out an idea to pop them back out.  This plan consists of an upholstery needle and a bicycle tire pump.  We will see how that goes.  :)

There are 234 heavy duty chipboard cards and thousands of clear red makers.  Plus the cage and the big board that holds the balls after you call them off to people.  

It's super cool and I think $20.00 was a deal.  She told me to sell it wherever I wanted and for however much I wanted.  Isn't that nice?  The BINGO Cage will go to The Junk Ranch and the cards are being bundled up for individual sales in the booths and at TJR.  I figure the cage is really a decorative item and will sell as such.  *Fingers crossed*  It's nice to have junker buddies that "get you", isn't it? I'm new to knowing any other junkers but I have five in my life right now that help me find junk and think of me when they are out and about.  Thanks junking buddies!!!

**The Junk Ranch is three weeks.  Three weeks to get ready minus the time I use for my usual household chores, keeping two booths stocked and ready, thrifting for more junk for those places, a couple of days to go to the HUGE motorcycle rally in town and MAYBE get some sleep - that doesn't leave much time.  The pressure is ON!

***PS - Thanks for all the nice comments ab out our new girl, Dory.  She is fitting in nicely and hasn't lurched for the door in two days.  Along with her love of milk, she also has a love for Deli Turkey.  Open the fridge and she comes a charging.  I told her she was pretty spoiled for being homeless!  If you give a homeless person a cheeseburger, he doesn't say,"I want caviar!"  But she turns her nose up at canned food and wants mil and turkey.  Worst part?  She gets it!  <3 p="">

Three is the Right Amout

Two weeks ago I came  home and there was a cat laying on top of a table on the porch.  It was not our cat.

I spoke to her and she did not run away.  In fact, she came up to me and let me pet her.  I gave her some dry food and water and she ate it all up.  Every time I went outside for the next few days - there she was - she never left the porch or the front yard.

I called City Hall to ask about any lost cats, I put her on my FB page, the local Lost and Found FB page and Craigslist.  She has no collar and no microchip.  I had several texts and phone calls about a lost cat, but none of them were her. That made me sad for all the people that were missing their pets and sad that she was missing form someone's life too.  

We have our two cats that are older and very set in their ways.  I didn't think they would ever accept another cat into the house.  I wasn't sure The Breadman would be on board either.  My heart has been missing my Little Lady for almost a year now.  I can never, ever replace her.  But there was a part of me that knew that this cat came to us for a reason.  She needed a good home.  We are a good home!  

She stayed outside until about last Monday when we brought her in "just to see".  Our cats looked at her and growled a little bit and then went on their way.  We let her in and out for a couple days.  

When she would come in, she would stay right by the front door and wait for it to open so she could dart back out.  

I brought her in the next night and she went straight to my quilt and slept for twelve hours straight. She wanted back out that morning, so we let her.   We've been letting her go out, but trying to keep her in most of the time.  The last time she went out she got closer to the street that I wanted so we shooed her back up towards the house.  The neighbor came out and said "There's the kitty!'  We've been letting her come in our house too."  That was when I decided if she was to be our cat, it was time to bring her in and make her our hostage.  :)  

I brought her in and showed her the bed.  She laid down on it and slept all day long.  She hasn't even looked at the front door since.  Our big boy old man cat got up on the bed and slept about three feet from her all day too.  It's going quite well and we are all pretty darn happy about it.  

She had been picking at her food and hardly drinking water (that I have seen) so I was worried about feeding her.  The other night I was sitting in the floor and I had a cup of milk sitting beside me.  She made a beeline to that milk and drank every drop of it.  So, whoever had her before gave her milk and let her sleep on the bed.  She is a super sweet cat.  Her name is Dory since she a) stays by the door.  b) is a-dor-able and c) is a lot like Dory the fish - can't find her way home.  :)  

I assure you we are not a "crazy cat" family.  There are three of us and three cats  one per lap.  It's just right. 

House Tour of Sorts

I realized that I have a few new displays up in the house that I haven't shared.  It is the time between my Birthday and The Bean's birthday, so we just celebrate for a month with a display.  Then, for no reason at all, I rounded up all my vintage school stuff and made a back to School display.  I don't have a school aged kid anymore (BOOHOOO!) so there's no reason for it.  But I have so much fabulous old school stuff that I just wanted to SEE it all together.  Then there's the "It makes me happy and it looks good together, so I put it all together" display.  It's my favorite.

First up:  Birthday

It's to celebrate my birthday and my "two days and he's not a teenager anymore" son's birthday, but there is a lot of PINK in there.  Mom makes the stuff and buys the stuff, so PINK it is.  

Love the banner.  I won it from a fellow blogger years ago.

I framed this from an old children's book.

Old cards from Heidi, a children's record and candles that I thought I might make and sell SOMEDAY.

Vintage candle boxes, cake slice, more sweet old cards and the Happy Birthday song.

Spun heads from Carol, Party birds from Laurie and an Annalee holding a cake.  

I really think I would leave this up all year if I had space for it.  

Next:  Back to School

So much goodness.

My vintage chalkboard collection and chalk boxes and a tiny box of flashcards, 

There's always an Annalee - a teacher this time, of course.  

A few of my old School Readers.  I have a ton of them and I have found a lot lately.  I need to cull some out.  But, how do you choose what to let go?  More chalk boxes and a graduation girl.  

The "Throw it all together display""

Gnomes, German and red.  That ties it all together, I think.

We all know I love tiny things and I pick tiny things up all the time.  I sell some.  I keep some.  Some, I keep awhile and then I sell.  This is where a lot of that tiny stuff goes.  

I love the old German Weather houses.  The one on the right is actually a bank.  So, I only have two, but it looks like I have three.  And we know what three means.....:)

I thrifted the Gnomes book to sell, but would you look at that - all up on the high shelf where even I can't reach it.  It';s not going anywhere anytime soon.  I made the nesting dolls.  They don't nest though.  They aren't German, but they are red so they fit.  Yes, they do.  

Small cuckoo clock my friend Hope from Fayetteville/the UK sent me.  

Oh wait, there's more!  

I forgot that I threw some deer in there.  Add a toadstool and they fit too!

This was thrifted for resale and it will be someday.  But, ti just fits so perfectly up there on my picnic tin from Chanelle.  

Now that I see all these things, I see that a lot of them remind me of my blog friends and that makes everything even sweeter.