Sales have been so few and far between around here lately, and good sales are almost extinct! I talked myself out of a couple of sales on Thursday (I got out of work at 11am), they were just too far to drive with the way gas prices are, and there really wasn't any WOW factor in the pictures posted online.
Friday, I mapped out 7 sales all within about 13 miles of each other, but getting to them, was the problem-they were a half an hour away! Since there were so many in a cluster, I decided to take a chance and see what treasures I might find.
The first sale was a bust. I never even went in! I got there a little before it opened, and when we were all lined up outside the door and it was 10:03 and they hadn't opened the door yet, some of the people in line started banging on the door. This angered the people running the sale, and when they opened, they said because the shoppers were banging on the door, they were going to only let in 10 people at a time.
That only punished the rest of us, because the door bangers all got in and we had to wait! I waited about 20 minutes and they only let in one couple besides the initial 10. So I left and went to the next one-which was also a big warty toad/frog of a sale. Prices too high, junk too new!
The next sale was the best one of the day and the treasures were skimpy to say the least! The last sale was the furthest out, and I was going to skip it, but I kept picturing the vintage aqua Pyrex refrigerator dishes and kept thinking to myself that I'd never know if I would have had a chance to get them if I didn't try.
As I pulled on to the street where the last sale was, there was total gridlock! It was a country sub with each house having about an acre of land, no curbs-the yards just came out to the road and cars were parked on each side of the road. It was gridlock because one lady decided to not pull her big old Cadillac off on the grass, but leave the rear end hanging out so a school bus couldn't pass.
I guess the bus sat there so long waiting for the lady to come move her car, that the police were called. He arrived just as I did. He walked up to the house and the 30 or so people still waiting outside and found the lady and told her to move her car and told everyone that no one could park on that side of the road anymore.
After I parked and walked a couple blocks to get back, a second police officer arrived and just slowly patroled through the street-it kind of reminded me of jaws. His car was an unmarked silver/gray color and he just seemed like he was looking for prey-ha ha!
He pulled off and sat down the street by where I parked-so that made me really nervous!! I so did NOT want another parking ticket for an estate sale!!! The first officer came back and went into the house, but before he did, he told the people in line to make sure anyone who pulled up knew they could only park on the west side of the street.
While he was in there, Miss Big ole Cadillac had circled the block and had pulled back into the same spot as before with her rear end hanging out just as far if not farther!! Everyone started laughing at her nerve-especially with 2 police officers in the area-one of whom had told her to move her car!! She got out and started walking up just as officer #1 came out of the house!! Everyone roared with laughter and they shouted "Give her a ticket!" He didn't. He gave her grace, and told her to move the car (again), and to not try to park there again or she would get a ticket.
During the short time I was there, I met a man who was leaving who offered me his number...147!! I asked what number they were on and was told 73. One couple who had #80 had been there since 10am and it was 12:18 and they still weren't in! I started marching for my car-no way was I waiting.
As I got to my car, a woman had parked in front of me and I offered her my number. She said she was a friend of the lady running the sale and she was just there to say hi and see how it was going. When I told her how long the wait was, she was totally shocked. She said she was there when they were setting up the sale and there was really nothing in the house worth that long of a wait.
I still keep thinking about the aqua Pyrex, but I'm sure that was probably snapped up in the first 15 minutes, so I feel like I didn't miss anything (kinda, sorta).
Today I found 5 sales all within 4 miles of each other that were closer to home, so I hopped in the car and took off! The first sale was the BEST! I got there 3 minutes after they opened. It was a family run sale. The prices were AMAZING! I still think somebody should pinch me because this is what I found...
Holt Howard Pixieware Olive jar!!! I've never, ever found Holt Howard at any estate sale or garage sale in over 20 years of treasure hunting. I've been seriously looking for about 4-5 years since one of my coworkers absolutely LOVES Pixieware. I found it on my second pass through the dining room, and just about squealed out loud!! I forced myself to be very nonchalant about it, as I picked it up and took it to the box I had started in the living room.
I missed out on a Santa and sleigh with reindeer-blow mold set-6 large pieces for $10 in the basement while I was scoring the little pixie jar, but I was able to get over quickly enough. When I got home I looked it up on Ebay and was very pleasantly surprised at how much they were selling for!! I think I am going to put it in my "Vintage Kitchenware Foster Care System" for a while, and let it join the rest of the things I've found that I'm not quite ready to sell yet.
I had good luck at all of the sales today but one. My car was full to the ceiling, but I had to stop anyway-it was 1/2 off day!! The house was the strangest house I've ever been in. It looked very normal from the outside, but once you stepped in, you were in for a shock! The carpet going up the stairs was black. The carpet in the front living room and dining room was white shag-almost like an animal fur.
Here are a couple of shots from the estate sale listing that was online at Estatesales.net.
The master bedroom carpet was really, really bright grass or kelly green. The majority of the house was wallpapered with really heavy, ornate black and white wallpaper, except one room that had pastel blotches all over the wallpaper-that matched the curtains and the bedspread! They even wallpapered the ceiling in all of the rooms!!! Upstairs had black shag carpet that was so thick it was like fur. Even at half off, their prices were still more than double any other estate sale company that I've visited in the whole state!!
Here are the other things I picked up today...
This is what it looks like all put together.
Santa Sack to "Puddin" from Santa.
Cardboard bowls and paper coasters to match.
I've never seen this before-black Corning Ware. I looked them up on Ebay and they seem to sell for about 10x what I paid for them or more!!
Doesn't this platter seem to glow?!? It was so filthy when I bought it-it was gross!
Vintage egg nog set
My first pair of watermelon hot pads! Thanks Shara for introducing me to them!!! I LOVE them!!
I think this might be Blenko...this is staying with me!
Tea hottles and a very dainty thin candy dish.
I think this might be Anchor Hocking Manhattan.
I can picture this either really pale yellow or white and scuffed up a bit...
This is kinda nasty, but it was only $2, so I took a chance. Needs some serious bleach!!
How did you do this weekend?? Find any good sales?? I'm coming to visit your blog next to catch up on what you've been doing and finding!!
Happy Weekend!!
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