Too Much of a Good Thing??

After some yard work this morning, Mr and I decided to hop in the car to check out a small portion of the Heritage Trail Yard Sale. It is on M-12 or Michigan Avenue and it runs from Ypsilanti all the way through the state to the state line. We started in the Ann Arbor area and went as far as Jackson, or where 127 meets up with M-12.

The first stop we made, and the first sales that we saw were at The Rentschler Farm and Museum in Saline. There were several vendors set up on the grounds and tons of people walking around shopping. As I was walking up, I was focusing on getting a shot of the sign and wasn't looking ahead to see what kind of booths there were.

So, imagine my surprise and delight when I looked up and saw this...look at the fence!

 It was LOADED with vintage chenille bedspreads!!! The entire booth was loaded with all the vintage goodies that I LOVE-I was like a kid in a candy shop!

Do you see the pink gooseberry Cinderella bowls?? I've never seen them ITW (in the wild) before and I saw some yesterday and some more today! She had a full set of 4 in very good condition that she wanted $130 for. I asked if she could go any lower, and she had to call someone to ask. They were willing to go as low as $90. What a HUGE discount! Too bad it was too high for me still. There was a single gooseberry Cinderella bowl that was for sale for $23, but I passed on that as well. I'm hoping to some day find them for as low as Auntie found them for yesterday. See the chenille on the fence? Notice anything? I'll tell you about it later.

I didn't buy these hands, but since they were the second pair I had seen in two days, I thought I'd snap a picture and ask you all what they are for...are they just a candy dish? Or do they have some sort of significant meaning behind them?

They even had live chickens on the farm!

We visited all the booths, but nothing compared to the first one, so we quickly hopped back in the car and took off to see what other treasures and adventures awaited us. We drove, and drove and drove before we saw another sale. It was not like the M-29/M-25 sale that Auntie and I visited yesterday. The sales today were very few and far between, and the road was more dangerous, with lots more traffic moving at a much higher rate of speed.

We stopped at all the ones that were right on the trail, choosing to not follow any rabbit trails or side roads, and I have to say, I was very highly disappointed in the lack of sales. I've always wondered what I was missing out on when I chose the thumb sale over this one. Now, I'm thinking I've made the right decision all these years to chose the thumb sale.

We did break the no rabbit trail rule one time. We saw signs for a flea market. They said the flea market was only a mile away so we took a chance. It was way more than a mile away. I almost turned back several times, but kept thinking "what if it's huge with lots of great vendors", so I kept going. We did eventually find it, and it was pretty huge. I'm glad we went, but I'm not sure I'd visit more than once a  year.

The barn on the right is full of glassware, and household stuff. The barn on the left is full of car stuff, tools, large furniture, and other not-my-thing kind of stuff. I'm glad I chose the barn on the right first!

 I did see something that I've never seen before,and couldn't walk away without snapping a quick pic. How awesome is this?!?! I wonder if it is all original, or if it's been restored...


The very first booth I walked into, I found a bowl that I didn't have (hard to believe, I know), so I picked it up and carried it with me. As I walked from area to area, I saw dealers sitting in their booths, but I had seen a giant cash register back at the front of the building across from where I picked up the bowl, so I assumed that was the one and only check-out station for the whole place.

I wandered around for a while, in and out of booths and rooms and then back up to the front toward what I thought was the check out station, but when I got there, it looked as if the cash register was just on display, because it was for sale. So I skimmed through the rest of the booth behind the cash register and the next couple of booths, making my way to the middle of the building where there was an opening to the barn on the left.

I had just turned the corner to head into the other barn (and I wasn't walking fast, I was casually walking/looking at the booths), when a guy came up to me really fast and told me I had to pay for that bowl up at the front. I apologized and immediately followed him.

I told him I was looking for a place to pay but had no idea where I was supposed to go (I wondered if there was another place in the other barn). I told him I wasn't trying to take the bowl, but he just kept wrapping it up. I mean really-how can you steal a big bowl when you aren't carrying any type of purse or bag? I was carrying it right out in the open,not under my shirt, or behind my back. I thought he'd laugh at me and say, no problem or something like that,and when he didn't, I asked if the place was open year round. Somewhat for curiosity's sake and somewhat to let him know it was my first time there. I even mentioned that I had thought that was the check-out but got confused when I saw it was for sale. He said it was both, the check-out area and for sale.

He seemed to soften up a bit toward me after I handed over my money and asked if I was doing the yard sale trail, and then gave me some flyers of other places to stop. It turns out, that particular flea market is only open on weekends May through October. He seemed like a nice guy after we got past the part of him thinking I was trying to steal his bowl.


This is what was missing from the fence...I  can't   believe   I got   a   purple   chenille   bedspread!!!
I am now TOTALLY over the white chenille bedspread with the flowers and red hearts that I walked away from at Collette's last winter. I have regretted walking away from it all these months, but not any more! I'm much happier with this one instead!!

The bowl looks small in this pic, but it is pretty big-not something to hide when you are wearing shorts and a t-shirt and not carrying any bags or a purse.

 I'm wondering if the sales are more plentiful further west...do you know? Have you ever done the M12 sale? Have you had good luck?  I'd really like to hear from you if you have and what your thoughts are on trying it further west, as well as if you could compare it to the M29/M25 sale.