Vintage Junk in My Trunk

Clover Market 2015 Recap, Bryn Mawr, PA

Two weeks after the Clover Market opening day event, the second market premiered in its new location in Bryn Mawr, PA. It was a great spot, with lots of convenient parking and easy access. We had another day of beautiful weather and big crowds!

I took the last of my typewriters and only have three left! This Underwood doesn't work, but the glass keys alone are very desirable. I love it as is for display.

This scale went back to its true home -- the buyer had the same last name!

Vintage Northern Tissue girl framed prints, cast iron shabby decor, and flower frogs.

This vintage book caused many a guffaw!

More randomness…

Wire dress form, fan, and another typewriter. 

Lots of vintage crewels for sale! These are wildly popular on Instagram.

Zenith 1930s bakelite radio and Chicago Watchclock Station and key.

Some figurines, paintings, and bocce and croquet balls.

Lots of drawers and compartments.

Birdcage, roller skate box, and child's pink ironing board.

I did sell the gorgeous aqua typewriter, although it was painful for me to do it. I didn't have a place to display it, and since I do gravitate more towards the 1920s Underwoods,  I was happy when a soon-to-graduate journalism major purchased it to add to her own growing collection. It deserved a special home!

 

Next Clover Market in two weeks, back in Bryn Mawr, PA on Sunday, May 17. Hope to see you there!

Clover Market Opening Day Recap

It's still April, and the yard sales have still been sad. Last weekend there were two town-wides in my neighborhood, and though we split forces and divided, we did not conquer, as Mr. VJIMT and I both came home pretty much empty-handed.

But we've still been busy. There have been two Clover Markets in the last 3 weeks, and they have been doozies! Fabulous weather, big crowds, and lots of treasures! I'm not going to bore you with more talking; we're going to get right to the photos. 

This post is from the first market of the season, in Chestnut Hill, PA. This awesome non-working Underwood typewriter sold as a spectacular piece of art. I took five typewriters with me and sold out!

This beautiful secretary desk also found a new home.

The folding accordion thing on the top right was purchased on a Facebook sale site, and it came in handy for hanging all of my framed prints.

Some random shots of the booth and the wares…

Last minute decision to take this giant bird cage was a good one, as it sold. I loved it, but had no space to display it.

Assortment of blue and clear Ball jars, as well as jars with fun lid graphics.

Sometimes I like the display pieces even better than the sale item -- here is a plaster pedestal planter filled with our vintage doorknob wine bottle stoppers.

A vintage silver spinning lazy susan tray…

…filled up with flower frogs...

…and lots of keys.

Love my cast iron baking mold too. All kinds of tile letters, rusty parts, wood mice, and other fun crafty goodness.

Someone even bought my flower displays at the end of the day!

Clover Market 2015, Spring

Another Clover Market season is upon us! I am sorting and pricing and packing for this Sunday's event in Chestnut Hill, PA. 

You will find me at all the other spring dates too! Those will take place in Bryn Mawr, PA on April 26, May 17, and June 7. See the Clover website for all the details, and please stop by and say hello!

Clover Winter Market Recap

Last we spoke, I posted about the upcoming Clover Winter Market weekend. It was my first foray into the two-day, indoor extravaganza, and what an event -- I'm still not fully recovered! Fun friends, fabulous finds, and festive drinks -- what more could you ask for?

Friday night Mr. VJIMT and I loaded in our wares -- two big cars full of vintage junk. Saturday morning brought in the early-bird buyers, who received bags of swag and free mimosas with their entrance fee. The weather was a little bit snowy, but that didn't stop the crowds.

This was the front of my space on the first day. Practically everything in this photo sold -- telephone table, phone, french horn lamp, teapot, books bound with lace and key, chalkboard signs, and ball jars.

Sue from Vintage Rescue Squad drove three hours from DC to chat with us and a few other vendor friends. She also gave me one of her fab calendars and this awesome porcelain sign as a belated birthday present (our last name begins with "v"):

This guy and his sister stopped by separately to talk about the vintage green Hermes typewriter I had available. He took my business card so he could read the listing from my Etsy shop. 

Later, his mom came and bought the typewriter for him as a 13th birthday present. Cool kid, cool gift!

Here's the front of my space on Sunday morning. Had to do some rearranging once the red telephone table sold.

This was the space previously inhabited by the green typewriter. More rearranging!

I had some Campbell's Soup ads that sold to a man who was the Corporate Chef at… Campbell's Soup!

The black and white photographs were a popular item. Eventually the whole lot sold on Facebook after someone saw this photo on my VJIMT FB page.

Keys, game tiles, crystals and flower frogs were also popular items. I am especially fond of my silver spinning lazy susan tray.

Speaking of spinning trays, everyone wanted to buy my not-vintage metal display piece. Must have been the aqua color I spray painted it!

My BFF Regina spent the entire day Saturday helping me sell, which made for lots of fun. Especially since we had these:

And the best story of the weekend? As we were sipping our lemondrop martinis, a shopper asked if the glasses were for sale. They had actually been part of my display, but were forced into action over plastic cups. We slugged down the drinks, wiped them out with a towel, and wrapped them up as SOLD! Product placement at its finest!

Can't wait to do it again next year!

Make Yours a Vintage Weekend

If you are not local to the South Jersey/Philadelphia area and can't make the Clover Winter Market this weekend, don't worry -- there are still some vintage treasures for you out there!

 

 

Along with a bunch of other vintage and antique dealers, I am participating in an online flea market this weekend, January 23/24/25.

The Vintage Weekend Show is the brainchild of Mitzi (of Vintage Goodness and The Vintage List) and is scheduled to open for sales bi-monthly.

Sign up here for the email newsletter and for further details. The dealer line-up is here; shop from Friday through Sunday, and enjoy FREE shipping!

Have fun! Stay warm! Find treasures!

Clover Market #3 – June, 2014

June's Clover Market was held at a new-to-me location and I was a bit anxious. Lots of "unknowns" to deal with, but everything went very smoothly and I am looking forward to setting up here (Chestnut Hill) again in the fall!

Another gorgeous bright and sunny day with no wind and no humidity! We've really lucked out weather-wise for every one of our shows this season.

This stack of suitcases was much higher when I started.

I am regretting selling this baby head!

Lots of big items sold -- the message board door and chalk frame, all three side tables, and two typewriters.

I also sold four more cameras, the globe, a couple of clocks, and the iridescent peacock wall hangings.

Our schedules finally aligned this spring and I was able to meet up with some other vendors I've only known via social media -- Andrea of Funsize Vintage, Stephanie of In With the Old, and Pam of Penelope and Anastasia. Fun chatting with you girls -- see you in the fall!

Clover Market #2, May 2014

The weekend of the last Clover Market was a real doozy. We had to pack one of our cars two days in advance due to weather constraints, and attended a big wedding the night before.

Getting up at the crack of dawn the next day was a bit rough, as was the rest of the unpacking, setting up, schmoozing for seven hours, and packing back up again.

My feet were hurting from all of the dancing, and I may have had one or twelve of these:

However, I was MUCH happier with my booth set-up this time! 

The reason? I brought ALL of my display pieces with me -- the corner cupboard, the stools, the bookcase -- and it was much easier to style and fluff this time around. Lesson learned.

Another bright, beautiful, spring day. The vintage Mary chalk statue sold first.

No typewriters sold this time around (sold three the month prior), but did sell four cameras, including a movie camera.

And some clocks.

I was even able to hang up my homemade red and aqua pennant -- we didn't raise the tent to the highest option and I could reach!

Oddly, no furniture sold this time around.

But the vintage aqua ball jars flew off the table!

As did the suitcases.

Stella is all set to go to the next one!

This Sunday, June 8, in new-to-me Chestnut Hill, PA location. Hope to see you there!

Clover Market 2014

Sunday is our next Clover Market day and I have yet to show you any photos from the first one three weeks ago! We lucked out with some bright, clear weather and only a little bit of a chill.

The big green metal cubbie we picked up in Bouckville last year garnered a lot of attention and sold early. In fact, a lot of the things I had for sale were from our trip there last summer.

This hooped skirt pink satin colonial dress drew major attention as well. I bought it as a Halloween costume for Little Miss VJIMT a couple of years ago. She wants no parts of it. One little girl loved it and actually tried it on; unfortunately it was just a bit small.

I sold three typewriters, including this brown Royal to a fellow vendor.

 

The yellow one sold too, along with a bunch of smalls that have been sitting in my Etsy shop. Thanks to modern technology, I was able to deactivate the shop listings whenever something sold. Love that Etsy app!

 

 

I only have a handful of pedestal plates left -- I used to take three giant bins full. Guess I'm going to be working on these in the next few months.

This lovely chenille bedspread was thisclose to going home with a woman who went gaga over it; unfortunately, her Debbie Downer husband/boyfriend put the kibosh on the sale. What the heck? Leave that guy at home next time. 

When the round table with drawer sold to a lady for her crafting room, I lost some of my display height.

Which leads me to the learn-from-my-mistakes section of today's blog post. I neglected to take a few pieces with me which I use for display but are also for sale -- a bookshelf, a corner cupboard, some stools. No one ever looks at them because they think they're for display only. And I was tired of schlepping them back and forth without them selling.

Well, guess what? Turns out those display items are good for display! I felt like most of my stuff was on one level and didn't look as "styled" as it could have been. Who cares if they don't sell! It is better to look good than to sell good. Or something like that.

Speaking of looking good, I got a little crafty and made myself a red and aqua pennant banner to brighten up my space. You should have seen the layers of dust on that sewing machine! I am not even kidding.

It's been many years since I've done any sewing projects; I may have been traumatized after our cat baby Leo (who thought he was a dog) ate almost a whole spool of thread off the machine when he was two and required emergency stomach surgery. He lived for another good ten years after that, but I swear that cat used up every inch of his nine lives. Hi Leo!

But I digress. Back to the pennant banner. After all that, I never even hung it up. Why? Because I am too darn short and couldn't reach the top flaps of the tent! Those display stools would have been even more handy! Oh, well, it was an easy project and I'm inspired to make some Halloween and Christmas ones for my holiday shows.

Here are some sneak peaks for Sunday. Framed art, pottery, baby heads, globes, tin boxes, and much, much, more.

Mr. VJIMT painted this old brown cupboard a vibrant aqua and I'm pretty sure it's going to be the star of the show. If it makes it there!

Best. Junking Week. Ever.

This may have been the best local junking week I ever had. Read on --

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SUNDAY, Clover Market

Technically, no junking for me since I never left my booth, but the week of October 13 started off with our second fall Clover Market. It was a gorgeous day, full of sunshine and shoppers.

This pile of suitcases was about three times higher when I started the day.

I didn't even realize I had brought TEN typewriters with me to sell. And that isn't even my whole stash! I may need to start a museum. Or a self-help group.

This little beauty on top went first.

Scales were also a big seller. The orange was the third to go, along with a rusty green one and this turquoise one.

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TUESDAY, Cowtown Flea Market

This New Jersey flea, farmer's market, and yes, rodeo, is a recent haunt for me.

As you can see, I did well in the vintage Christmas department. I am completely enamored with the soft, velvety, sequined tree skirt. I may have to keep it.

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THURSDAY, Columbus Flea Market

I've gotten some pretty kitschy things in the past at this flea market, but this one has got to take the prize. 

The glittery, tinseled, flocked prize.

Styrofoam glass-glittered cones full of fuzzy santas, plastic reindeer, frosted pinecones, chenille candy canes, sparkly tinsel, and spun cotton elves. 

It is truly a marvel. Or a disaster. I can't decide which. But I know someone is going to pounce on this kitschy dream/nightmare come true. So it's listed.

I did find some less kitschy treasures, like this bunch of scraggly bottle brush trees and a cool frame in which to make a chalkboard.

Still more Christmas, and some religious.

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FRIDAY, Church Rummage Sale

This sale is held only once every two years, so it has been eagerly anticipated. Large rooms full with well-organized (and priced) vintage Christmas and Pyrex.

I came out a little woozy and smelling of moth balls.

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SATURDAY, Yard Sales

The week ended with some rescheduled town-wide yard sales. Here's the first load; we had to stop back home to make room!

And the rest of our finds. Pickle jars, new old stock wedding cake toppers, and a giant ironstone platter among them.

So I wasn't kidding, was I? Best. Junking Week. Ever.

And it may well have been the end of the shopping season here on the chilly East Coast, so at least I went out with a bang!

Clover Market, September

We did our first Clover Market show of the fall season last Sunday.

This is how it starts. Lots of finagling of the wares. I wish we had a trailer we could just hitch up to the car. No packing and repacking. Load it once and take it there. Load it back up and take it home. Done and done.

It's a good thing I'm a packrat kind of a girl -- I can cram lots of crap into the tiniest of spaces.

A few hours later, here we are all set up! It was a gorgeous day, and the place was packed! I sold nonstop from 10am until 3pm, when the crowds started to subside.

Most of these suitcases are gone, and a couple of the typewriters.

{side note: What is it about typewriter keys that draw children to them from miles away? One little urchin pressed down with her full body weight on one of the keyboards. I about nearly had a conniption. Which you would have never guessed by my calm "Oh, honey, please be gentle…" On the outside.}

And here's a good story -- see that white organizing unit under the green scale on the right? It is a Mrs. Smith's pie dispenser. The inside is metal; the outer part is plastic.

Here's the front of it. The woman who purchased it had a great aunt who… wait for it… used to deliver Mrs. Smith pies. So she had to have it! Don't you love stories like that; the vintage piece finds its way back to its rightful owner?

Also sold 9 brass escutcheons to a woman who saw a lamp made from them on Pinterest. Like this:

Sold both scales and the white trunk on the bottom. 

I don't have many pedestal plates left in my stash. Guess I need to make a few more. Mr. VJIMT made the clarinet lamp from some vintage broken parts.

Mr. VJIMT also used to make these silver teapot lamps 20 years ago, before we had a venue from which to sell them. I think he should pick it up again.

And I really didn't want to sell the green drawer on the left, so I put a crazy high price on it and am bringing it back into the house!

Hoping the next one (October 13) has similar weather, crowds, and sales!