Vintage Junk in My Trunk

I’ve Got “The Eye”

An eye that has a corneal abrasion, that is. Actually two. 

vintage eyeball courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

I was finally able to open them yesterday, after two days of pain and swelling. I can sort of see out of them today, although the right one (the worse one) is still scratchy. It has a "contact bandaid" on it and I think it may have shifted.

Don't ask me how I did it. Eye doc says it looks like a chemical injury. Maybe something got under my not-worn-very-often contact lenses? Hairspray? Basement dust mites?

So bear with me. I hope to be back to blogging, and seeing, very soon.

A Few Vintage Finds to Ease the Winter Doldrums

Even though it's been a really mild winter here on the East Coast, the junking opportunities have been pretty slim. No yard sales or flea markets, of course, because even a mild mid-Atlantic state winter is too cold to be picking outdoors. Estate sales have been few and far between as well.

So we've made a few day trips here and there to alleviate the cravings. Last month we took a ride to Pennsylvania to check out the Quaker Antique Mall in Quakertown, PA. Mr. VJIMT swore we had been there before, but it didn't look at all familiar to me and it usually comes right back to me as soon as I set foot in the door. It's quite possible he was there without me, as he did have a junking life wayyy before he met me.

Only got a few things here, but the place was big and it was fun being somewhere new. 

Yes, Shiny Brites. The guy was practically giving them away. I like the boxes, even though they were written on.

Big white and blue truck (from the same dealer) to use as Christmas decor. And a lone bottle brush tree to load into it.

I got a boatload of stuff at another new-to-me place -- The Factory, in Silverdale, PA. It was new to Mr. VJIMT, too. We just happened to see it listed when I googled the area. This turned out to be one of my favorite places, one we will definitely return to, as it had three floors and great prices.

I found this wooden train fence in the basement. We painted it white, then Little Miss VJIMT confiscated it for her animals. Easy come, easy go.

How cool is this yellow metal phone? Can't decide if I like it better than my red one, but it also got confiscated before I could list it. She's got good taste, anyway.

A few old books. I liked the embossing and the neutral blues and browns, plus they were only $1.

Tiny cat print in a wooden frame. The whole thing is only about 4 inches high.

Another little tiny thing -- this spy camera and box, about 2 inches wide!

A vintage Infant of Prague statue, with amazing green velvet and satin robe.

And this cool silver clock from the 1930s, which unfortunately doesn't work but has a great Art Deco look.

Not too bad a haul for a gray winter's day!

Valentine’s Day Dress Up

I've been using the fabulous dress form I got here as my decorating go-to girl. Remember her Christmas outfit?

I think I forgot to show you her January attire; maybe there's a photo around here somewhere.

But here she is all dolled up for Valentine's Day.

oops, looks like one slipped!

Sweet little animal valentine day cards with just the right amount of bling.

Using my stash of rhinestone jewelry for pinning.

Along with my stash of scrapbook supplies. I've got a lot of stashes.

Some vintage Valentine-themed post cards I've picked up in my travels finish it off.

Hope your day is especially sweet!

I Got Me a Picker!

It helps to have friends in neighboring states who enjoy going to estate sales. Friends who then text you when they see something you may like. Friends who then pay for and carry the heavy rusty dirty thing for you, all the while looking cute and put together.

Maybe she needs to be my personal stylist too?

Thanks Karen!

One Auctioneer’s Trash…

Two weeks ago I went to the local weeknight auction. The weeknight auctions are junkier than the monthly Saturday auctions -- less coins and art, more paper and tin.

Although the weeknight auction is more my speed, I am still not crazy about the whole auction thing. Kind of leaves a bad taste in my mouth, even if I win the bidding.

Sometimes ESPECIALLY if I win the bidding. I always think “Why in the world did I bid on that?” even if I am only bidding my usual five dollars.

And, unlike a yard or estate sale, where if I see it first and can get my hands on it first, it's MINE. Not mine-if-I-bid-more-on-it-than-you, just mine.

I've discussed it before, here and here. No need to revisit.

Although, of course, being junk-desperate, I revisited.

And this is what I came home with.

First up: this poor old violin. I didn't get a good look at it prior to the bidding, and didn't realize just how terrible its condition was. No strings, piece broken on the bottom, only two pegs on the handle, and something rattling around inside.

I paid $5, and got mocked by the auctioneer for buying it. Geez. Like I need to go to an auction house to get made fun of. Maybe someone would want it for an altered art project or something. Trying to think creatively here.

Then this hat box, full of hats I know nothing about and without a mannequin head on which to position them for Etsy photographs.

I really don't know what I was thinking.

I think this soft pink velevet-y sequined one distracted me.

Anybody want a hat?

There were two of these Harper's magazines from the late 1800s. Again, more paper ephemera I have quite a stash of and no idea what to do with. 

Sell as is? Sell just the illustrations?

I still plan on eventually listing all this stuff, so we'll see what happens.

Because that broken violin? I researched it on Etsy (there was actually one listed that was broken into three separate pieces!), priced it accordingly, and sold it in less than a week for $35.

Bazinga, Mr. Auction Man!

It’s Never Too Late

Way back in mid-December there was an advertised estate sale about ninety minutes away. It sounded fantastic -- old barn, 60+ years of collecting, treasures galore! -- but unfortunately, I had some conflicts and wouldn't be able to make it to the Friday sale.

i wish this was my barn!

Or the Saturday sale.

Sunday, however, was a possibility, especially since we had a Saturday overnight event that was about 15 minutes away. But would it be worth it? What would be left by Sunday?

excuse the blurry

Not only did we get there on Sunday, the last day of the sale, but we got there with only 30 MINUTES left to the sale!

Mr. VJIMT is looking a little too longingly at that ladder

There were only bits and pieces left by then. I can only imagine what I had missed.

{I actually don't want to think about what I missed.}

But I probably wouldn't have gotten the FABULOUS just-take-it-away prices if I had gotten there any earlier.

Two great vintage mirrors…

… and an embroidered frame, which I am dating to the late-Victorian era.

Wonderful silk (?) needlework on a linen background, framed in Philadelphia.

And all these made-in-England porcelain platters and plates!

The guy running the sale just wanted this stuff gone, especially the girlie dishes. That small stack of little floral plates were priced at $10. I got ALL the china for $10!

So if you are hesitant about going to an end-of-day estate sale, or even an end-of-weekend estate sale -- do it! You just may come home with a treasure or two.

Much like this blog post, it's never too late!

Getting My Vintage Craft On

Last month one of my co-workers left for greener pastures. Much greener, Texan pastures. Land of 90-minutes-to-Round-Top pastures.

Sigh. Hoping to shop visit one day.

Although we hadn't been co-workers for very long, and she is about half my age (there, I said it!), we connected on a deep thrifty level. We discovered a shared love of yard sales, vintage treasures, Etsy, warm artichoke cheese dip, and this vintage camper. We even managed to get to this church rummage sale together.

So when she left I felt I had to make her something special -- vintage-y and handmade.

As you know, although I have puh-lenty of supplies, I have yet to make any wearable art except for repurposed vintage earring rings (you can see one here). I thought I might try to make a lace cuff bracelet, one that maybe wouldn't take much time or skill.

I had this vintage crocheted bit that sort of had a bracelet shape. 

I sewed a vintage button to one end to act as a closure base, since the other end had that looped part that could be used as a closure hook.

I also had a crocheted flower piece and a sparkly vintage earring.

This is what it would have looked like after I used some good old industrial-strength glue to adhere them.

Only this wasn't what the final version looked like. E had purchased a vintage earring ring at my last junk party home show, and I had the remaining matching earring. I gave her the option of choosing which bauble she wanted on the lace cuff bracelet, and she did indeed choose the matching earring.

I'm not sure how well you can see it, but the earring was a celluloid flower-shaped piece surrounded with little rhinestones. I also used a vintage piece of brass hardware to separate the two, since they were similar in color and needed something to set them apart.

She's modeling it here. I love the way it turned out!

I had an extra little burst of creative energy and even got out my old (dusty) scrapbooking supplies to make a card to go with the bracelet. 

This was a vintage Easter postcard image that I scanned, printed, and cut out with a scallop punch. It was adhered to a piece of scrapbook paper, then edged with glass glitter. (I {heart} glass glitter!)

Could this be the start of a new Etsy shop? ;)

Ebay, Round Two

I haven't done much selling on ebay; it doesn't seem nearly as friendly (or artsy, or equitable, or trendy) to me as Etsy does. However, there are those items for which you may get a better price, in a quicker timeframe, if a bidding war ensues.

In the past sixty days, I've only listed (and sold) 4 items. Two of which you saw in my last post.

The third was this 1968 Annalee Rabbit Doll, but I'd rather not discuss it. Mainly because the Annalee line scares the bejeezus out of me.

I found this beautifully illustrated hardback on a table full of books at a small church rummage sale.

Then I found another, and another. 

I used my iphone ebay app to see how many were in the set, and how much they were selling for on ebay.

I discovered they are a Time Life series called The Enchanted World, published in the 1980s. The complete set of 21 books was selling for around $200, so I limbered up my hoisting muscles and started to stack.

I wound up finding 19 books in mint condition (some still in their original packaging) and full of fabulous illustrations.

This set wound up being the fourth ebay item I sold last month, netting me $100 plus shipping (I purchased them for $15). Maybe I should sell on ebay more often!

A Fitting Fortune

My “Year of the Dragon” fortune, hyphenated one-syllable word and all.

Creepy Estate Sale Scores

“Shivers. Only shopper at creepy estate sale. Glad my body wasn't found in pieces in the basement. More importantly, I bought something.”

This was my tweet (@vintagejunkgirl) from a November estate sale. A creepy estate sale that on this particular Sunday, had no other customers and was situated on a dreary, desolate street.

I held my iphone in my hand as I hastily searched for treasures. I even told the guy running it that I was meeting “a friend” there and was waiting for her call. I stuck my head down the basement steps but decided the risk wasn't worth it. Plus there wasn't anything down there.

But, as I tweeted, I did buy something.

Two pieces of Little Red Riding Hood pottery manufactured by Hull from 1943 to 1957. Each in perfect condition, with no chips or cracks.

They were $2 each.

After a couple of failed ebay attempts, they sold Sunday night for over $50 each! Glad I risked life and limb!

For more thrilling ebay flips, check out The Ebay Thrifter and Late Night Coffee.