Sad Reason for a Sale...

I went to a sale Saturday morning. It was close to home. It was the home of a former dealer/collector. I almost talked myself out of going because it was the home of a former dealer-usually those sales are ridiculously over-priced. Since I was up and dressed and ready to go, I decided to give it a shot.

I arrived at 8:20. The sale started at 9:00. I was #34! There weren't many cars outside of the house, I later found out they put the numbers out the night before and people took numbers and didn't have to get there early. Too bad for them, they pushed it too close, and weren't there when their number was called-but good for me!!! There were probably about 8-10 people who missed their numbers being called.

The guy running the sale made an announcement on the front porch before he started calling numbers. He told us the house was the home of a very dear friend of his, who had chronic back pain and she went and got a steroid shot for the pain. Unfortunately, the shot was contaminated with bacteria and she ended up with Meningitis, and she couldn't fight it and died from it. How sad!!! I wonder if her family is involved in the lawsuit...

I got it pretty quickly even though it was a small house. I took off on my normal route, kitchen first, then basement, then bedrooms, then whatever else (unless I've seen something in particular in a photo and determine what room it is in, I usually keep this routine for all sales).

I think I was the only person looking at vintage dish towels, hankies and scarves-I pretty much got my pick, until some ladies started moving in to see what I was stuffing my bag with-lol! I was done digging by the time they wandered in to see what I was getting. I got lots (19) of vintage dishtowels, 4 Vera scarves, hotpads, and a couple of pillowcase sets too.

I got a giant basket to use for a quilt-I plan to roll the quilt, kind of like a cinnamon roll, and stand it up in the basket. I've been looking for a basket this size for a while, and $2 was just the right price! I'll have to remove the nasty, ripped up liner, but hopefully that will be an easy job.

It was an old house with very steep steps to the basement and attic. The people running the sale did a great job of spreading out things in all the rooms, so there was a little of everything in everyone room, except 2 which were mostly all books. The prices were pretty reasonable for the most part, but every once in a while there was something with a crazy price.

Here is what I picked up...

 Folding, tilting wooden bed or lap tray.

 The big pile of awesome-ness!

 2 sets of vintage pink pillowcases-never used.

 LOVE these plastic butter dishes!

 19 dish towels and a flamingo pink Pyrex square baking dish.

 Metal trash can, a few drinking glasses and a pair of shorts hot pads.

 4 Vera scarves.

 15 hankies-good thing because I sold a ton of them today!

7 hot pads.

 LOVE this little stool-Eric already tried to get it for himself!

This liner was so dried out it was brittle. It came off quite easily-now to get a quilt rolled up!

I'll be heading over to your blogs soon to catch up on what you've been doing-hope you are having a great weekend!!! The forecast here in Michigan is calling for upper 40's and low 50's this week-woo hooo!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

A Few "Firsts"...

Happy Friday everyone!!! It is a B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L day here! Lots of sunshine and blue skies...even if it is only 43 degrees, it feels warmer! It's the first Friday of the month!

Today was a day of a lot of "firsts" for me. I went to my first church rummage sale, barn sale (3 actually), garage sale (3), and the first time I ran into a relative at a sale this year! I was also the first person at an estate sale (I didn't stay-I left to hit a few other sales instead of wasting time just sitting, and I'm glad I made that decision!), and the first person at an antique store before they opened (I got there 3 minutes early).

I also got busy (for the first time this year) soaking and hanging linens outside to take advantage of the gorgeous sunshine! I hung my wind chime outside for the first time ever (got it earlier in the winter at Hobby Lobby-I LOVE that store! It's a dangerous place for me!), and Eric (wearing shorts-crazy kid!) put up our hammock. Everything at our house is screaming "Hurry up Spring/Summer-we miss you!!"

It was also the first time I've seen a green Harlequin service pitcher in person...and the first time I've ever owned one! YAY!! It was the first time I've ever seen a paint-by-number of Monks, and I couldn't pass it up. It was so creepy, it just spoke to me...and the quarter price made it even easier to put it in my bag! I can't imagine anyone buying it from my booth, but we'll see!

Pretty soon I'll be involved in another "first". I got my in-laws to agree to let me fly down to Florida and drive their car back. I know you're thinking...didn't they drive their car down for them last fall? Yes, both Kevin and I did drive their car down, but this time it will be just me. Kevin doesn't want any part of doing that again. I'm fine with it, maybe I can squeeze in a trip to Jeffrey's and/or the Big Peach on the way back!

I am so thankful that they agreed! I've been praying up a storm for them to relent and not drive themselves! They were insisting they could do it, and I was just sick to my stomach thinking about it. An 84 year old man with advanced Parkinson's, who's reaction time is barely visible, should not be driving, but how do you convince a man who was once very strong, and virile to give it up and let someone else do it? You have to be so very careful to preserve their dignity. I am thanking God today for answered prayer for that one!


Here are my other finds from today:

Here are the piles of linens I've been working on all afternoon:

Have a great weekend~happy hunting!!!

How much stuff can one person collect?

I didn't get everything in my last post...and seeing all of the great comments on the things you collect has inspired me to get the camera out again! Although, there are some things I just can't get assembled together right now-like all of the galvanized tubs, pails and buckets I've been collecting over the years for planted flowers. I'll take a picture of them when it's warmer outside and they are at their best-filled with gorgeous happy flowers!

Here are a few more things I collect...

 This is my second relish tray...the one I got a week ago was actually #3! I forgot about this work in progress. I'm slowly but surely getting the inserts-only 2 side pieces and a center piece to go! It's a good place for the Harlequin nut cups for right now...I still can't bring myself to remove the stickers because I might forget to pinch myself-I really got them for ten cents each!!!

 The cake carrier and the bed tray were bought to sell...as you can see...I can't quite part with them...yet.

 The coffee carafe just moved in this past week-my first. Got it for a steal because it was missing the lid!

 I am slowly going crazy trying to find the bowls with the big daisies on them!!  I can never remember which red dot Fire King bowls I have and which ones I still need-I should write it down!!

 At one point, I had 58 vintage tablecloths. I weeded through them and sold several of them in the booth. I think it's time too weed some more out.

 Vintage ornaments=LOVE!!!

 I picked these up mostly because I thought Kevin would like them...I really like them on the window sill in the sun room.

 I'm very lucky that soap flake pitchers are rare,(around here) and pricey...otherwise....I'd be in trouble!

 My favorites! 

 Chamber pot #1 with vintage kitchen towels and swanky swigs!

 I've been dying for these...got them...and now I don't know what to do with them!!!

 I'd LOVE, LOVE, LOVE a yo-yo quilt some day...I hope, I hope, I hope I find one at an estate sale at a too good to be true price!!!

 Chamber pot #2 with more vintage kitchen towels.

 Plum & chartreuse Fiesta with a couple lilac cups and saucers. Lilac is too pricey, but I wouldn't pass it up if I found it for cheap!

 Amethyst depression glass, and 60's and 70's glass...it has been neglected since I found Pyrex and Fiesta!

 The blue pitcher and glasses are what started it all! They were my grandmas. My dad says they used to have milk in them every Sunday for Sunday dinner! I got them when I was in 11th grade, when she passed away. At the time, I didn't even want them...but after I got married I decided I was glad to have something that was hers. I went through a salt cellar phase for a while too--remember that Auntie?? LOL!

 This dusty cupboard is the left side of my buffet cabinet! YIKES!!! These are all pieces from my grandma...They've gotten pushed aside for the Fiesta and Pyrex. Once we move, I'm going to make sure they come out of hiding so I can see them and keep them cleaner!

 More dusty, dusty stuff-these pieces are in the entertainment cabinet Kevin made for our t.v.. He made doors with wavy glass on each side so I had more display space for my junk treasures. I just don't spend much time in the living room, now that I have the sun room...I'd almost forgotten about them (as you can see by the dust!).

 This is the right side of the buffet, more grandma stuff, and the basket is from my great-great grandma's sister's estate auction. My mom bought it when I was probably 10. She is much better at getting rid of stuff than I am!

 Another jar of ornaments! I think I have 5 or 6 giant jars of ornaments now. I think I am done with ornaments. I won't get rid of any, but I won't (fingers crossed) be buying any more (I hope).

 Pyrex primary set #1-blurry and dusty from Adam's drywall work in the basement.

 Ever since Adam turned our walk-out basement into his studio apartment, I lost my beautiful display and booth storage area! Now, I'm crammed into 1/6 of the space and the cabinets are all moved to make a wall for his bedroom-facing in toward my storage area-away from his living area. I can't believe he doesn't want to look at my junk treasures every day! ;)

On the shelves are more Fiesta, Pyrex, aluminum dessert bowls (two sets) a little black Sambo book, and some other books.

 I have a whole set of these, but the drywall dust was too much, and I practically had to stand on my head to get this shot with how he has everything crammed into my tiny little spot!

 Two egg nog sets-both bought to sell, but I can't let them go! They look really fun at Christmas filled with vintage ornaments and bulbs!

 More grandma stuff...not really my thing anymore...but I can't ever get rid of it!

 Fiesta, Fiesta go-along popcorn (metal) set, and tree toppers!

 An ironstone platter that was Kevin's grandma's (she insisted it came over on the Mayflower!) More Fiesta, Pyrex primary set #2 and some hankies. The gold drink set is from the booth-it just got set on the shelves so it wouldn't get broken- can for sure get rid of that!

 Another bowl set...Kitchen Kraft.

 Pyrex primary set #3.

 Clear glass platters-from my catering days! I collected these like crazy to use for serving. I have a couple of bins of them in the basement...I can probably weed through them and get rid of most of them since I'm not catering any more...but what if one of the boys finds a girl to marry who likes old junk treasures, and she wants a vintage shower or wedding...hmmm...maybe I can hold on to them a little longer---just in case!

 Amethyst crackle glass...I have another pinch vase and a little basket with a clear handle on my mantle shelf. The pitcher was the first piece, and it was a gift from an old boss when I left working for her about 8 years ago. I never thought she liked me, so I was shocked when a co-worker told me they scoured antique malls until she found this for me!

Pyrex primary set #4!!! How many sets does one person need!?!? Obviously 4 is the magic number because I've sold all of the other sets, or individual primary bowls that have come home with me.

I was chatting with my friend Marie one time about how I have a big addiction to bowls (an addiction she admits she shares!) and we were trying to count in our heads how many bowls or bowl sets we have. I gave up counting after a certain number due to embarrassment modesty.

I'm thinking I should get a good count of how many bowls I have for moving sanity's sake, and maybe thin things down a bit.

I'm off for now to a celebration dinner-in honor of Kevin's 20th anniversary at U of M! The whole family is going out to celebrate! Those 20 years sure went fast! I can remember when he was in nursing school just like it was yesterday!!

I'll still be looking for pictures if you decide you want to share your collections-I LOVE seeing what everyone collects and how it's displayed!

Hope you've had a happy weekend! Stay warm & safe friends!