Sunday, October 18, 2015

Pride Goeth

I like to think I’m pretty good at this garaging thing. I’ve done it for years, I go out regularly, I know what I’m doing, right? I mean, I literally wrote the book about it! And yet…

KK and I went out Friday morning (Judy was home with a hubby who had surgery this week), and we had our usual rollicking good time. Mostly nice folks to chat to, and the occasional sale that you walk away from trying not to let the folks hear you laughing. Like the one that had a tableful of jeans – marked $50 each! Good lord. I’d be hard pressed to spend $5 on a pair of yard sale jeans, let alone ten times that. If I spend fifty bucks on something, I want to be able to return it if something is wrong. KK said the weirdest part for her was that people were actually looking at the things.

Then there was the sale that had about eight ads for it on Craigslist. I don’t know how they do that, Craigslist never lets me load an ad more than once even if I change the title. Some of the ads cracked me up, especially the one that promised an “executive family moving sale.” As we drove there, we tried to figure out just what an executive family entails. What would executive children be like? Not to mention executive pets, since our pets are part of the family. I’m trying very hard not to think about executive parakeets.

Turned out to be just one woman, who might or might not have been an executive. I would say she did show executive ability. When we admired the beautiful maple trees on her corner lot, she decried all the leaves on the ground and ranted about having to rake them or hire a gardener. KK said she finds raking pleasant and meditative, and the executive tried to hand her a rake.

So yes, it was a fun morning. Then I got home and started looking at my purchases. One was a vintage pig pull toy, an old Fisher Price, and the more I looked at him the less I knew why I had shelled out a dollar. Very dirty and quite beat up. I decided not to keep him, so off he went to the donation box.

At our first stop of the day I purchased a set of Ikea sheets for our king size bed for $4. New in the package,

Not Marimekko nor sheets

and I love the fabric. Reminds me of Marimekko. When I opened the package, the fabric had a great feel to it. I shook out my sheets – and realized I had not bought sheets, I had bought a duvet cover! I looked at the packaging again and saw that in Ikea picture-speak it clearly indicates a duvet cover. Sigh.

Ikea speak

But Zoe immediately fell in love with it.

Zoe likes it

And Edward likes it too.

Edward likes it

So we’re going to try it as a duvet cover.

not sheets

The pink floral comforter I bought for a couple of bucks about fifteen years ago admittedly looks a zillion times better stuffed into it.

I was quite happy to find a little trinket dish to make into a magnetic pin holder.

Wade trinket dishWade dish

No problems with this buy, although I did clunk it pretty hard on the edge of the table and then nearly drop it, so almost broke the darned thing as soon as I got it home. (Not the first time I’ve done that!) I taped a magnet on the underside

Wade backmagnet

and it really does hold pins. The low rim makes it easy to scoop them out for use.

magnet magic

KK noticed the vintage children’s records. Since they were only a quarter each, I added some to my bag. My heart beat a little faster over finding my absolute favorite childhood song, How Much is That Doggie in the Window.

Doggie songsvintage recordPinocchio

Alas, even though we have the vintage stereo to play them on, they’re not in good enough condition. I don’t want to ruin the needle. But it was interesting to see these names.

My Captain

If you’re anywhere close to my age, you probably know Robert Keeshan better as Captain Kangaroo. I absolutely adored the captain and all his crew. Mr. Greenjeans. Grandfather Clock. Bunny Rabbit. I think I got my 75¢ worth just in the nostalgia of remembering Captain Kangaroo.

Then there was the vintage creamer I brought home.

Not Finnish creamer

It was only fifty cents, and I like the handle on the side. But the actual deciding factor was that I looked on the bottom and saw that it was made in Finland. Cool, I thought, don’t find stuff from Finland very often. Except when I was photographing it, I realized it actually says England, not Finland. Not that England isn’t cool, but English china is far more common than Finnish.

that say's England

And on top of that, when I took it out of the dishwasher this morning, I saw there’s a tiny chip on the spout.

a tiny chip

(Actually much less noticeable than in this nice clear macro photo!) I don’t know whether it was there when I bought it or if it happened after arriving home. But at the same sale I found a 25¢ Melmac sugar bowl in cotton candy pink.

Melmack sugar bowlMelmac

Perfect as a Q-tip holder in our bathroom, along with the other two I use in there.

Melmac lids

A pink midcentury sugar bowl makes up for a lot.      Melmac collection

17 comments:

  1. I live vicariously through your yard saling. The ones near my house are just not very good.

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    1. I go to a lot of them that aren't any good - but I don't tell you about those!

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  2. win some, lose some I guess. I love yard sales, but I'm restraining myself. What do you find in the sewing machine department?

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    1. I see sewing machines all the time. Once in a while I feel a teensy bit tempted, but I love my $5 Singer 201. Even though she doesn't do fancy stitches, she's a very willing workhorse. And I don't know enough to judge a good machine.

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  3. I grew up on Captain Kangaroo too! Loved the Bunny and Mr. Moose and the ping pong balls. And Grandfather Clock and the board that drew the pictures!

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    1. I had forgotten the ping pong balls. Really loved the Magic Drawing Board.

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  4. I don't comment often. I feel bad about that ,because I so enjoy your garage sale adventures. I never miss reading.
    Yesterday I found two Charley Harper Christmas ornaments for 10 cents each! When I got home I discovered each was signed in sharpie by the artist!

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  5. Our car boot sales have finished for the season so I shall look forward even more to reading your posts. I had to laugh about the 'Finland' china and I've never thought about sticking a magnet underneath a dish for pins. xx

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    1. Maybe you could become Andi's Finnish Attic? I have to confess I read about the magnetic pin dish on someone else's blog...but don't ask me whose, I don't remember!

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  6. Hello, that's not a creamer, it's a invalid feeder.

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    1. I'd never heard of such a thing but you're right. Now my pitcher seems kind of creepy!

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  7. MR MOOSE!
    You forgot 'Mr. MOOSE'!!
    ...and as for the creamer chip - the fact that the creamer looks like an Elephant Head makes up for it!!!!

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    1. I just didn't mention Mr. Moose - I would NEVER forget him! And you're right, it does look like an elephant (or haffalump as we always say around here).

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  8. The record covers would make a great wall display if they were framed, either individually or together as a unit. Don't be dismayed, you're still the Queen!

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    1. Awww, thanks! And that's a good idea about framing them. I see frames all the time at sales.

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  9. My mall walking ladies and I were just discussing Captain Kangaroo at lunch today. We all decided we miss him!

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I really love your comments. Thanks for coming along on my thrifty adventures!

 
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