The Week in Junk: Labor Day Yard Sales

Labor Day is notoriously bad for yard sales.  But there is a big craft fair/square dancing event up the street and lots of yard sales spring up along the highway on the way and throughout the small town.  I went Thursday, Friday and Sunday plus hit one local sale up the street on Saturday.  I was focused on vintage Christmas for the Junk Ranch, the booth and FOR ME.  Because I am greedy like that.  :D

I did well finding vintage Christmas.  The funny thing is that I am ALWAYS looking for vintage Christmas.  It's just that I actually found a lot this weekend.  Fall sales usually bring more my way. so maybe this is a good sign.

A very vintage book, melted popcorn Santa, beaded garland, repro glass garland, a nice assortment of old indented ornaments (they were in a shoe box and the lady said, "What's in that box?"  When I told her she shooed it away and said, "Oh, you can just have those old things." That happens a lot.), a few nativity figures, some Lefton carolers and something new to me  - star shaped light reflectors.  I found that champagne bucket at a terrible advertised HUGE ESTATE SALE (they had nadda) and I am using it to hold rolls of vintage wrapping paper.

There you can see the reflectors on the right.  I think they are great as reflectors, but I want to use some in my wreaths and in some of my prize ribbons that I make.  Doesn't that whole pile just make you giddy?  Or is it just me?  

On my way home on Friday, I passed one last sign and did a turn around to find it.  The sign pointed down a gravel road, then it turned onto a dirt road and then I spotted the sale at an old trailer house.  I only mention this because that is where I found this Laurids Lonborg Denmark ice bucket.  Not exactly where I would have expected to find a nice Mid-Century piece.  I also got some nice rocks glasses, some very old books and a pile of other things that I didn't photograph.  

More Mid-Century items - Teak salt and pepper shakers.  

This funny guy is a set of salt and pepper shakers - his head comes off to be the salt shaker.  But what is he?  He has a dog head and penguin feet and weird little bird wing arms.  Yet, he's still adorable.  

I usually like colorful bright things -but I bought a lot of black stuff!  The old megaphone was bought at a sale with about 25 vendors and at least a dozen of them had to comment on the megaphone and ask it I was going to use it on my husband.  It was funny the first time, but after the fifth or sixth time, I was OVER IT.  Giant bent glass tray, an old tin and the stack of old books from the trailer sale.  Zippy the rubber faced monkey came from the free ornament sale.

Saturday I vowed to stay home and work on pricing for the Junk Ranch, but curiosity got to me and I peeked at Craigslist.  A sale started at 1:00 and it was around the corner from me!  Zoom I went!  I got these fun lamps for 75¢ each, a wooden sign that says "Ye Olde Egg Shoppe" which I have NO idea what that was from - but I think some chicken raising junker will swoop it up - and a double size milk crate.  For less than $4.00 and less than ten minutes I had my junk fix!

Sunday we went to the craft fair and then hit a few more sales.  There;s a guy that clears out his shed a few times a year and sells it dirt cheap.  I found this McCoy planter, a piece of thrown pottery and an armful of old office junk for $1.50 total.  As I was walking away I asked if he had any Christmas stuff still in the shed since he doesn't always pull it all out.  He looked at me for a second, then stood up and went in the house.  He came out with a huge box and set it at my feet.  I wasn't really expecting much, but then I found old ornaments and indents and Shiny Brites and some dollar store junk and plastic ornaments an a mixture of old and new, good and bad.  He quoted $5.00 for the entire box, so SOLD!  

I ended up with a good amount of great old stuff.  That figural glass garland was worth the whole $5.00 to me.  I priced most of it for the Junk Ranch.  But, greedy ole me had to keep the cream of the crop!  

I hope you had a good weekend and found a little junk too.

Tuesday is The Bean's Birthday.  He is 21.  Can you BELIEVE THAT?  He was just a lil' feller not too long ago.  SNIFF.