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Monday, April 6, 2015

It's Raining.....Junk!

Last Thursday I woke up to an amazing looking ad on Craigslist.  60+ years accumulation in an old farmhouse about 40 minutes from where I live.  Well, I only had to look at a few of the photos to know that I needed to get to that sale.  Fast.  So with barely one cup of coffee in my system, minimal makeup, and a baseball cap, I was out the door, leaving Brian to deal with Maddie and the dogs. 

I got to the sale at 6:00 and was #1 on the list.  The sale was to start at 9:00 am.  You guys must think I'm crazy to get there that early!  But in this area, it is absolutely cutthroat at the estate sales.  You have to get there early if you have any hope of getting anything good.  These sales can get completely picked over in about the first 30 minutes.  And just in case you still aren't convinced that I haven't completely lost my marbles, #2 on the list showed up about 5 minutes later and by 7:00, the whole street was lined with cars. 

Want to hear a crazy story that has nothing to do with the junk at the sale but everything to do with estate sale etiquette?  When #2 got to the sale, she got out of her van and I assumed she was going to put her name on the list.  WRONG.  When the sale started and I had to line everybody up (the task of #1), she wasn't on the list.  She said she didn't know that she had to put her name on a sign up sheet and why the heck wasn't that posted in the ad?!  Someone told her that it was a common practice to have a sign up sheets at estate sales, even family run ones.  And that if the people giving the sale didn't have one up, then the #1 person on the list needed to start one (hence the reason I always have a notebook in my car).  So after waiting 3 hours in her car for the sale to start, she lost her #2 spot and had to go to the back of the line (#63).  She said she had been going to sales for years and had never seen a sale where the sign up list wasn't posted about in the ad.  Wonder where she has been going to sales? 

Anyway....on to the junk!  It was a jam packed sale and I spent about 2 hours going around and around it, always seeing something I hadn't seen before.  I even wondered if they were adding things as the sale went on!


Just in time for Summer!  This Raffiaware Thermo-Temp set colors had my name written all over them!


What I first thought was Lustro Ware actually turned out to be made by Burroughs.  So similar!


Two old freezer baskets waiting to be painted and repurposed.


A stack of Pyrex, including two authentic unmarked Opal's!


Like I have asked so many times before...who gets rid of amazing family heirlooms like recipe tins full of handwritten recipes?!


The top two binders are also filled with newspaper cut outs of recipes along with more handwritten index cards.  I picked up the orange book with the black polka dots to put with my Halloween decorations this year.


These people had so many cookbooks!  Before I checked out, I planted my behind on the floor and sifted through all of the boxes.  If the sale wasn't so far away, I would have gone back for more!


I spotted the big metal scoop in the pictures online.  I has happy to grab it.  It will be perfect for our giant commercial ice machine that we have in the garage.  What can I say...we like ice!  I bought the jar because I always can find uses for old jars but the lid is what really drew me in.


Isn't this lid great?  I promptly filled the jar up with drink packets and put it in my pantry.  See, I actually do use the junk I drag home!


I am going to foster these cute children's shoeboxes, complete with shoes, for a while.  Then they will head off to Magpie Ethel!  Surprise, Laurie!


I've had some pretty good luck selling these old souvenir trays and the match safe was one I didn't already have!


I picked up the sweetest children's dish that spins in the original packaging along with a super cute plastic bib for Miss Norah.  The bib is reminiscent of Hanna's "Spaghetti Coat" that she had to wear when she at spaghetti when she was little.  She was quite the little hog.


Look at the bunnies!!

And there is more!  Lots more!  I'll post Part 2 next time.  I've got tons to do today and I'm in a mad rush to get caught up around here before I get the phone call that Miss Norah is on her way.

Until next time...

~Erica





18 comments:

  1. How fun! I would have been right there with you on the floor with the cookbooks!

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  2. You got such great stuff - I love it all, especially the large jar. I like the cookbooks and handwritten recipes too - do you sell them or keep them?

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  3. "Quite the little hog" LOL. I have the matching hamper to that bib in my booth. Oh, how I long to go to a digger sale like that - one where you are there so long people think YOU are having the sale! I don;t' think they do sign up lists here like that - you just show up. But, I could be wrong since I am not an early arrival at sales. I figure there will still be something when my lazy non-morning self shows up.

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  4. I've been actively junking/antiquing for 16+ years and have never had to place my name on any type of list. Is this a regional thing? I live in Colorado and shop here and Wyoming ALOT.

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  5. Around here (the Twin Cities) we can never get to a sale as late as 6:00AM, and expect to get #1 or something close to it. We have to sleep overnight to get in with the first 1-10 people. I hate it! The competition is such a turn off for me! We don't do lists either, but we "take a number". The first person to get there has to put out a pile of numbers.
    Anyway, you found such great things! I'm loving the yellow canisters! And yes, who the heck gets rid of those recipe boxes??? I'm glad you rescued that one! Miss Norah's gonna rock that bunny bib!
    Erica :)

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  6. You have some incredible sales in your area. No wonder there are sign up sheets. Around here we just wait in line, and a couple times I saw numbers given out by the person holding the sale, not the buyers.

    Love the yellow canisters and the old recipe booklets and box. I have one of those opal Pyrex bowls. Do you know why they are not marked?

    Keep us posted on the baby watch. :)

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  7. Great finds!! Can't wait to see the rest. Hope Hanna has a safe and easy delivery with Miss Norah. :)

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  8. I love seeing your finds!

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  9. What planet was #2 on not realizing how the sales worked if she has gone for years...those lists are pretty much the norm. Good for you being #1...such a wonderful giddy feeling to be first in the door. Shoeboxes!!!???? I've got a big old scoop like that too from a closed school..use it to scoop up my garden soil.

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  10. You really did go to estate sale heaven!! It pays to get there early. Can't wait to see more.

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  11. You scored big time! I have never heard of a list for an estate sale. They don't do that here. You just line up as you come. Went to one last Thursday and found some great stuff. I was number 5 or 6. I have that canister set in red. Missing the sugar, (I think) but have one that says, cookies. Love the refrigerator jar. I use jars in my pantry as well. I never pass up a scoop.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  12. WOW! You really got so many cute and awesome things....I love everything!! I know...who gets rid of those recipes!!.... I guess that's ok because when people like us find them, we get overly excited to bring them home!!! :) Those bunnies are sooo adorable! :) Happy rest of the week!! xo Holly

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  13. Love the tin with handwritten recipes! What a great find!
    I hope you'll find the time to link up with us this week:
    http://milaslittlethings.com/2015/04/idea-box-thursday-link-party-5.html

    xx
    Mila

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  14. You have know idea how much I enjoy your thrifting adventures!! Great story, great finds!!! :) --Fran

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  15. Great finds again! I've never gotten to a sale that early. It sure paid off for you though! I've seen and heard shoppers who didn't get a number or get on the list and have to go to the back. They all say that they've been going to sales for years and have never heard that!

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  16. Definitely a regional thing, but if you are in the region for years you know how it works. I wish it was so civilized around here. Yay for you being so prepared!

    What lovely vintage eye candy you have for us!

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  18. Those canisters are are great! I recently found a complete set of the same brand. I had never seen a teal set, so I had to have them.

    That's interesting that the first person in line is responsible for the list. In my area you know if you arrive first, second, etc. no lists unless the organizers make one. Everyone is nice, generally. Organizers sometimes give out numbers. Crummy day for the second person in line, crazy list.

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