Learning the Art of Treasure Hunting

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2012-11-10T19:41:00.001-08:00

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2011-12-27T19:18:00.001-08:00

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2011-10-18T17:54:00.001-07:00

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An Old Treasure Found Again

2011-01-02T13:51:00.000-08:00

So, it has been months since I have posted anything. I really haven't been out treasure hunting all that much. But I recently ran across a treasure that my husband found years ago and wanted to share it. It is the Weasku Inn in Grants Pass, Oregon. We drove down to California for Christmas and stayed there on our way down and our way up. It is nestled along the Rogue River with great cabins and four rooms in the main lodge. It has been there for many, many years, but has been updated. A little history of the place is that Clark Gable and Walt Disney use to stay there frequently. Room number 3 in the main lodge was Clark's. Another bonus are the many Antique shops and Gift shops along Main Street in Grants Pass. Their busy season is the summer, but I loved the Holiday decorations throughout the town during our trip. Here are some pictures of the grounds at the Weasku Inn.

This is the main lodge viewed from the cabins.

This is the view toward the cabins. Each cabin has two to three separate rooms in them. They are duplexes and triplexes.

These are two great chairs that sit in the middle of the lawn overlooking the river and cabins. The main lodge is behind them.

If you are ever in the need for a weekend get away, try the Weasku Inn in Grants Pass, Oregon.

Happy New Year to all!

Finally made it out again!

2010-09-26T17:20:00.000-07:00

So I haven't been able or in the mood to treasure hunt lately. I did sign up to go to an estate sale a few weeks ago and then The Little Treasurer Hunter caught a cold and I was not able to make it. However, I saw an announcement for an Amundson Auction and worked it out with the hubby so that I could go. The weather turned out to be great; although, I wasn't dressed for great weather.

Here are the two treasures I got:

This is three great pictures of the Monterey Bay in California taken in 1934. I am contemplating given it to my parents for their anniversary. They often go to Monterey to celebrate their anniversary so I thought it would make a great present.

These are eight Ice Tea Spoons for my silverware which was my grandmother's. I got a complete set of the silverware (5 piece place setting for eight, 3 serving tablespoons, 1 solid casserole spoon, 1 sugar spoon, and 1 serving fork). Some of the pictures are below. I am not sure whether I am going to keep the set (it is either the dinner set or the luncheon set and I have the other one that it is not) or sell it. I am keeping the Ice Tea Spoons for sure, they are very hard to find.

I spent a lot of time at the auction because, as usual, the items I wanted to bid on were last to come up. Oh well, it was fun getting to know the fellow buyers there.

Until next time, Happy Treasure Hunting.

HOLY CROCK!

2010-08-16T11:59:00.000-07:00

I am offically done buying crocks! :) My sister found me a 5 gallon Crown crock two weeks ago. Then last Tuesday I took my parents to Hippo Hardward so that they could get drawer pulls for their newly remodeled bathroom and closet. Well, while we were at Hippo, my parents bought this 6 gallon Marshall Pottery crock as an early birthday present.

I thought that the 5 gallon and 6 gallon were the only ones that I had left to search for, but was I wrong! Again, while we were at Hippo Hardware, I ran across this beauty and could not resist buying it. Look at the second picture and you will see that it is a 30 Gallon Crown crock. YES, you read that right, 30 Gallon! It is broken and needs to be glued, but I really don't care. I had no idea they were made that big. What a fabulous find.

Happy Treasure Hunting to everyone!

A new crock for the patio!

2010-08-05T21:02:00.000-07:00

So I have found another crock for the patio. This one is a 10 gallon made by the same company as my 8 gallon one, The Marshall Pottery Company, Marshall Texas. I picked this one up from an estate sale held this past weekend by Always P&P.

This great little rocking horse was a purchase made by my husband. We went to the Garrison Auction on Saturday (I had to meet him there since I had to go to the Vintage Gathering first). My husband went to try to get some items for the shop, but got out bid on everything he was interested in. This little horse was the entertainment of our Little Treasurer Hunter the whole auction, so when it came up in a choice bid my hubby grabbed it for $5.00! I think he will get about another month or two of use from it and then he will be too big. But hubby thinks he can make a bigger version.

Good luck Treasure Hunting to all!

Expo Weekend Finds

2010-07-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

My sister, Gina, made her annual visit for the Antiques & Collectibles Show at the Expo. She always comes in a few days before the show so that we can hit Estate Sales & Garage Sales. As usual, we had a great time! As soon as she landed on Wednesday we headed to an estate sale in Milwaukie. My little treasurer hunter fell asleep in the car so my sister had to go in first.

She scored me this great enamel bowl and two flower frogs for two bucks total.

Thursday we went down to the Monticello where I found a glass flower frog (not pictured) for one of my Viking Blooms and Light vases that I got at the auction in March.

Friday started early, but not as early as I wanted due to a certain little treasurer hunter sleeping in. We started in Ridgefield at a sale where the estate of an antique dealer was being sold. This was not the first sale held and there will be others to follow. Not everything was unpacked when we arrived and Gina and I ended up helping finish. There was a great selection of pottery that we got first dibs to because those were the boxes we helped unpack! We also got really fair prices because of our help. The above picture shows what I purchased on Friday. The two white pieces are McCoy, the blue bottle is a Baby Face bottle, and the green piece is not marked.

These two cute McCoy planters were also from the Ridgefield sale that we went back to on Sunday. The spider plants in the pots are also from the sale that were free.

Got these two flower frogs at a garage sale also in Ridgefield. They also work in the Viking vases. Got them for a dollar each. Score!

I got this great table cloth (that is quite big) and these little Santa's for $1.25 total at a garage sale that we just happened upon. Those always seem to be the best sales, don't they?

Here is my sister Gina with her first purchase of the show on Saturday with Beth, who sold her these great Italian lamps.

And here I am with my first purchase of the show. A third Viking Blooms and Light vase. No flower frog in the picture, but I did get the correct one later in the day at the same booth I bought the vase. They were sold separately and I did not realize what was the correct frog. The frog that belongs with this vase has a candle stick holder in the center. I was told that the frogs I have pictured above were the correct ones. Doesn't really matter to me, they all work and look good.

My only other purchase during the show was this great umbrella stand. It was white when I purchased it, but it was peeling and my patio furniture is black so it is now black.

Gina got some great deals on two cement urns, two fabulous chandeliers, a hand painted tray, sold her bag of silverware that paid for the chandeliers and the tray, and cake plate for a friend. All in all, a great weekend with lots of treasures and fun times!

I can't wait for the Vintage Gathering and the Barn House Flea! Should be lots of fun. Good luck to all in your treasure hunting.

What to do with all of this?

2010-07-18T21:40:00.001-07:00

I know that I need to post my finds from last weekend (I am working on collecting the pictures), but I have a dilemma. What in the world to I do with all this lavender?

This basket is overflowing and it is only from one and a third out of six plants that need to be trimmed. I hate the idea of throwing it away, but I really don't need this much.

Here is the remaining to be trimmed. It smells so wonderful and the bees are enjoying it so much. If I let it be, it goes to seed and then I am picking lavender starts from my rose garden like they were weeds. Oh, the dilemmas of summer. :)

BTW, if anyone would like some fresh cut lavender, just let me know.

For the Love of Crocks

2010-06-23T21:45:00.001-07:00

You may have seen some of the crocks that I have found at estate sales and garage sales. My sister got me started with three of them at a garage sale four years ago. I use them as planters in the summer time for herbs and flowers. I thought I would show what they look like. You should have seen the face of a gentleman recently when I told him I use them at planters. He actually thought that I planted directly in them, but as you can see I plant in pots and then place those pots inside the crocks. If you are not aware, NEVER plant directly in one, it will break.

Past two weekends

2010-06-23T09:18:00.000-07:00

The past two weekends have been fun for treasure hunting. The weather has been trying at times, but I have found some fun items and some practical items.

I got this great galvanized bucket with strainer and these two hummingbird feeders on the fun side. And on the practical side, I got two cans of rose spray and a garden hose nozzle two weeks ago.

The hummingbirds are finally starting to use this one since I hung it from my flower basket.

I found this great treasure for my little treasure hunter at a yard sale last week. Both my husband and I each had one growing up and our little one loves it. I also found him the wooden Gordon engine w/tender, Anne, and Clarabel for his train table. All the items were 50 cents each (including the telephone). If you have ever shopped for Thomas the Train pieces, you know that the wooden ones are the most expensive ranging from $12.00 to $25.00 each for one engine. I really enjoyed finding them for 50 cents!

Got these two great books at a sale last week as well. I guess the people holding the sale had one last year. They apparently once had an antique store somewhere and have been selling off their inventory periodically from their house. They were well organized and fairly priced. It was a nice sale.

This great enamelware tub will work get for picnics. I plan to fill it with ice and place the sodas and water in it. I know that is not that original, but I don't have anything like it and have always wanted one for that purpose. And the price of 50 cents was perfect!

Found this great Thomas Moran print at the same sale as the enamelware tub. I didn't know who it was by until I did some research, but I liked it and the price was right at $3.00. I will find the prefect place for it in the house. Hubby thinks it belongs in a cabin, but once he sees it up in the proper place I know he will like it.

Well, that is all for a now. Happy treasure hunting to you!

Small finds

2010-06-21T08:42:00.000-07:00

June has been fun for finding small treasures. Below is a collection of several sales. All at great prices. A couple of the treasures were picked up the end of May.

This is a wide shot of the treasures. I haven't been very good at keeping up with my blogging, so I just took this picture to include everything. It is kind of hard to see everything, there are some close shots below. The table cloth, green Judy planter, poker chip holder, and the rug underneath everything were found at a estate sale in Camas. Got everything for $1.75.

Here is a close up of the table cloth.

Here is a closer view of the Judy planter, a game of Kizmet that I found at one of Patsy's sales and a French-English Dictionnaire I got at a sale in Camas.

I got all this rick rack at the sale in Camas with the Dictionnarrie and the below candle stick coasters (is that their correct name?). I plan on making some really fun cards with the rick rack.

I found this little bin in a sale of Patsy's at the end of May. I also got two larger metal ones for my husband. I got them the last day of the sale so they were all 50% off. Great deals! This has come in VERY handy in my project room. You can already see the rick rack, ribbon, buttons and other crafty things I have filled it with. The stencils on top were in one the boxes for my husband, but I confiscated them. :)

This little tin item was too cute to pass up. It reads Letters, Bills & Misc, and has four hooks for keys. I am not sure where I will use it. It may become a present for someone as well.

I am looking forward to the upcoming Vintage Gathering this weekend and the upcoming Antique & Collectibles Show at the Expo in a couple of weeks. My sister will be flying in for the Expo. We always have so much fun. I really can't wait to introduce her to all the great people I have met during my outings.

Have a great time in your Treasure Hunting!

Rainy, No Luck Day!

2010-05-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

Okay, what is it with people advertising their junk sales as estate sales? I really wish people would be honest when advertising. I recently saw an ad placed on craigslist regarding this very same issue. Today I drove across town to an "estate sale" only to find a garage sale with nothing but holiday decorations (nothing vintage or cool), happy meal toys, jewelry making supplies and a bunch of misc. stuff (I am being kind).

So my Little Treasurer Hunter and I headed over to a multi-family garage sale and found some children's books and a toy truck. Then a stop at Goodwill to find a 10 1/2 in. clear Miss America plate (that was a cool find). Also got the game Boogle (original one with the wooden dice) and some stensils for card making. So it wasn't a bust, but it wasn't what I had in mind either.

This month has not been the greatest at finding treasures, but at least I got out. The most I have found are books for the Little Treasurer Hunter.

I did get this great Santa a couple of weeks ago. He lights up with a bulb at the bottom. I can't wait until Christmas to use him.

Well, good luck to you in your treasure hunting!

April's Treasures

2010-05-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize that it has been over a month since I posted anything. More importantly, I didn't realize that it had been over a month since I made it out to any sales! Here is what I found in April. Only made it out to half a dozen sales and a few of those I got to late, so not much to share.

I got this bag of old clothes pins at an estate sale. I have no idea what I will do with them, but they looked fun and I am sure my little man and I will be able to craft something with them.

I got this trio at an estate sale over in Hazel Dell. I just love crockery. I will add the pot to my collection I use during the summer on the patio. I put potted herbs in them. The bowl is on my kitchen table with apples in it. Looks fabulous. The vase is McCoy.

This handy little box was a fun find at a estate/moving sale held by Amundson Auctions. It is not old, but will come in useful in my project room. I may get my husband to make me another one.

This is a Hull vase. It has the same colors as the one I got at the coast in February. I seem to keep finding only rectangular ones. But aren't they pretty?

Found this fun old book for my little man. It is not in the best condition (electrical tape along the binding), but it is a fabulous dictionary for kids.

Another tanker. This one is shorter than my other one, but I love them. This love may get out of hand. But probably not with my frugalness.

My last find for the month of April was this tray. Now I didn't get this one for the same price as the first one I found (free), but I think I did okay at $11.00. It looks nice in the dining room.

Well, that is all for now. Wish me luck in the month of May. And good luck to you in your Treasure Hunting.

What a Fabulous Auction!

2010-03-14T14:26:00.000-07:00

I had so much fun at the latest Admunson Auction. It was very, very long, but a blast! Being a collector vs. a dealer, I have a different prospective on things. I didn't mind the fact that it took more than eleven hours the second day to get through everything. I am not even sure what time it ended since I had to leave at 7:00 pm and it was still going with a ton of things left to auction off.

Plus I have learned that I just love the auction atmosphere. I enjoy watching the bidding process, get really excited when I am bidding and love it when I or someone I know gets what they really wanted. I am also learning a lot about what things are worth and what the good finds are watching other people bid and buy things.

So here is what I picked up this past weekend:

This is a great picture that another bidder GAVE me! The story goes like this: I started bidding on a great mountain landscape print that was similar to a Thompson, but chickened out and stop bidding when it went too high for my pocket book. A dealer I have befriended picked up where I left off and ended up getting the print. What neither one of us realized is that he got both prints shown and that it wasn't choice of either one. So when he was handed both the prints I made a comment how pretty this one was and he handed it to me! I asked if I could pay him for it, but he stated that he was going to be able to make money on the mountain scape print and I could just have the flower print. I have been learning a lot from him at the past couple of auction. I can't wait to meet his wife, it sounds like we like a lot of the same things.

This flower frog and vase were a partnership bid with a wonderful collector I met that day. We happened to be sitting next to each other and discovered that we would be bidding on the same thing. So well before our box came up for auction we worked out a deal that we would bid as one and split the treasures. There were three of these vases in the box. Joyce wanted the red and yellow ones and I was just looking to add one or two to the blue one I already have (thanks Gina). Since Joyce had a bigger collection of them going and needed the red and yellow, I didn't mind only getting the green one. I really don't need any of them. So for $5.00, I got this fabulous green flower frog and vase to match my aqua blue one.

Okay, I need help with this bowl. I have no idea who it is made by or what it is made of. It is a pretty bowl and came in a box with the following three items all for $5.00. It was also my first official purchase at the auction.

This small bowl was with the above bowl and is China made in England, but that is all I know. I was after the plate that follows and no one else was bidding on the box, so I got them all.

Another nice small bowl, but as you can see, it has a hairline crack in it. Oh well, it is still pretty and I will find uses for it.

This transferware plate is what I really wanted out of the box. It has two small chips in it, but otherwise it is in great shape. And a bonus is that my husband likes it! I would have paid $5.00 just for this, but I got the three bowls with it as well.

This is one of two candle stick holders that I got in a box with the following vase. I was thinking the vase was Bauer, but I am not sure. I like the vase no matter who it is made by, so it does not really matter. My husband likes the candle stick holders, so that was another bonus.

All in all, I spent $34.72 and got some great treasures and had a great time! I can't wait until the next auction!

Great finds!

2010-03-06T13:32:00.000-08:00

Today was a fantastic day! I had four sales mapped out from the paper. Missed the first one because my little man woke up cranky and wanted to sit with me for a few minutes. The second sale was a bust. Just a lot of everyday items that I am not in the market for, but the third sale was the great sale. Finally a sale that was not being put on by an estate sale company, just four of the children (three brothers and one sister) of the former owner. And they wanted to move everything quick.

Are you ready for what I found? Here we go.

I got this tray for....FREE! The daughter quoted me 50 cents, but the brother didn't have change so he gave it to me! Happy Birthday to my sister who collects these. I think this one makes eight for her. It is not in the best of shape. There are some scratches and areas where the black paint has been worn off, but it was a score so who cares.

I love the shape of this restaurant ware tankard for $1.00! It has a crack in the handle, but what do you want for near 100 years old?

I have just started looking for a great glider for my yard and what do you know I found one. I was thinking of repainting it white, but it looks great gray by the cement walkway near the rose garden. I might have to leave it alone. $7.00 for this gem! There were also two other benches the same style and color, but I missed those by a few minutes. Those sold for $5.00 each. Better luck next time.

I saw this sun hat and thought of all my gardening coming up and couldn't resist. What the heck for $1.00. Besides, it looks great on my wall in my project room with my other two hats.

Well, that was it, but it was great fun for only $9.00. When I took my husband back to pick up the glider in the truck, he scored a box full of odds and ends from the garage for $5.00. Including a great smaller shovel I wanted for $1.00. So all in all, we spent $14.00 and came home with some great useful items. Oh, and the little man got some great little cars for free as well. And everyone got something!

Lots of Rain! And a few treasures!

2010-02-26T14:35:00.000-08:00

I found this pretty pictures last weekend at an estate sale during the rainstorm. I got a little wet, but didn't mind when I found these.

They are going to make a great present for my sister. I have not decided when or for what occasion I will give them to her. Maybe a great Easter gift, a bouquet of flowers.

Coastal Adventure!

2010-02-23T16:22:00.000-08:00

This adventure started with a curious look on craigslist on Monday of last week to see if there were any estate/garage sales coming up for the weekend. And won't you know it, I found a great sale starting Friday. I went to the website of the company holding the sales and found the most beautiful china cabinet. I called my husband and told him that I would forward him the link to the site so that he could look for himself. He did and loved the buffet that matched the cabinet. The only drawback was that it was in Oysterville, WA. Two and half hours away and starting at 9am with the sign in at 8am. Oh what to do? My husband and I discussed the dilemma. He offered to take Friday off work and drive out to buy the pieces. Well, after much brainstorming we decided to rent an U-Haul trailer, get a Motel room and drive out Thursday night.

And thank goodness we did. There were forty-four people signed in before 9am and we were numbers 3 and 4.

I have to thank Suzy of Checkered Past Moving & Estate Sales (http://checkeredsales.com/) for all her help. She answered several questions prior to the sale via email and directed us to the correct room so we could get the pieces we wanted.

So here they are, take a look at our lastest treasures:

I will get a better picture of the buffet posted once we get it moved into our dining room. Just need to have a friend come over and help. It is simply too heavy for me!

This was an "Oh, by the way" piece that I saw on the website, but didn't want to overwhelm my husband. Once we were there, he saw it and asked if we should get it. So we did! It looks great at the end of our hallway outside our bedroom.

Here is a fabulous bowl that I found once the adrenaline subsided.

One more Hull planter for me. :)

California Treasures

2010-02-04T10:29:00.001-08:00

Below is a peek at the load my sister and I got at a warehouse in California. I was down there for my father's birthday. The warehouse is owned by a friend of my parents' who sells things from his parents' old antique shop. His mother collected ironstone and his father collected glass. He periodically takes things out of storage and places them in his warehouse to sell. We had a lot of fun finding all these things. And we even left some behind.

This first picture is of both my sister's treasures and mine together. The pictures that follow are of my items only. Quite the find of ironstone and transferware.

We got all of this and a crock pot and Bauer pot for a steal.

There are six of these depression glass dishes. Price $20.00. There were two reasons why I bought them. First, I love clear depression glass. Second, I have never seen six together of the same pattern.

I like ironstone, but especially the square pieces like this creamer.

We each got one vegetable dish. This one has an artichoke on top and great lines up the sides and on the lid.

Great square dish with simple flowers. My first transferware piece.

My sister got this at an estate sale Saturday for me for "free". It is a great Bauer vase. She got a Bauer pot for free the day before at the warehouse. Just at that to the list I mentioned in "Things for Free".

Here is my latest crock pot. This one is really great in that it still has both the handles and a lot of writing including the patent of the company printed on it.

Patented Dec. 21st 1915

And here is the last piece. My favorite! I love the simplicity of this pitcher. Below is the mark on the bottom and the price tag from the antique shop. It is not what I paid though.

Dresser for craft room

2010-01-19T14:56:00.001-08:00

Here is the dresser that I found at Goodwill the day before Thanksgiving. My sister and I had gone treasure hunting at a few second hand stores and the Goodwill. I am kicking myself for not taking a picture of it before I painted it, but oh well. It has helped free up a lot of space in my project room.

I paid $29.99 plus the cost of paint (another $15.00). Just what I wanted for the price I wanted.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-23T14:20:00.000-08:00

I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I will have some great pictures to share with you of the treasures my sister found for my husband and me once I get our camera back from Nikon's repair shop.

Things for Free

2009-12-16T16:17:00.001-08:00

Okay, so the first year my sister and I went to the Antique & Collectibles Show, she (my sister) got handed a Bauer bowl for free from a dealer because it had a hairline crack and was not priced. She jokingly asked if it was "Free today" because there was no price and the dealer said "Sure". I was absolutely floored! I could not believe that she was just handed a Bauer bowl for free. Ever since then, that is our standard line when something is not price in a booth, estate sale, garage sale, etc. You just never know.

The list of things that my sister has gotten over the years for free is large. The only ones I can think of right now are her three vehicles. Yes, I wrote THREE! The first one was her first car, a 1969 Chevy Malibu from our Grandfather when he past away too early. I know that she would have given that one back to have Grandpa back. The second one was her current everyday car, a 2000 Toyota Camry from our Grandmother (other side of the family) who decided to stop driving at the age of 93 and my sister was in need of a new car on a teacher's salary. It just made sense for her to get it. The last one was her current "hauling" vehicle. A 1980 Toyota 4x4 from our father. He had been using the vehicle as his everyday driver around his small town. He bought his friend's 1994 Toyota 4x4 (it has A/C) and decided to give the old one to my sister so that she would have something to pick up treasures in and do yard work at her house with. Now I know that for ten years I got to drive new Toyota vehicles for free, but I get the next family hand me down. And it best not be the 1966 Chevy Cab and Chassy Camper from my Grandparents cross country adventures.

Below is her lastest free thing. The day before Thanksgiving, she and I went shopping at some second hand stores and Goodwill. I found a great dresser for my project room and we went around to the pick-up/donations doors of the Goodwill to get it. As we were waitng for help a couple drove up to make a donation and pulled this chandelier from their car. My sister went skipping up to them and offered to buy it rather than have them donate it. The wife said "20 bucks" and the husband said he "had a better idea, they were there to get rid of it, how about free." The wife handed it to my sister and said Merry Christmas. For those of you who may not know (I certainly didn't), this could easily sell in an antique store for $200+!

I swear, the things she gets for free!

Splendid Finds

2009-12-16T15:55:00.000-08:00

So I have not been the best at posting things in a timely manner to this site. I am sorry. I don't know that anyone even has noticed since I don't have but two followers (and one it me).

Anyway, here is what I got at an estate sale in Washougal at the beginning of November.

This is a Weller pot that has two hairline cracks in it, but otherwise is very nice and I can't wait to put it to good use. I plan to place a pot with saucer inside it rather than plant directly in it. Oh yeah, I paid $4.00 for this treasure!

As you can see, this is a Hull ceramic pot that I got for $8.00! I love the color and it fits well in my dining room on an end table.

This is a McCoy vase that I got for $12.00! I am kicking myself because there were many more there for $12.00 to $18.00 and I helped a dealer collect three rather than grab them for myself. I didn't realize the going price for them in the collecting world and what a great deal they were at the sale. I am really missing a white matted one I handed to the dealer (Dean) that was just gorgeous. I need to learn to put things in my basket and then add up the prices and determine what I really want once the frenzy has pasted. Once again, I am learning!

I did get one more vase, but forgot to take a picture before I wrapped it up for my sister for Christmas. It was a blue matted Bauer vase about six inches tall that I got for $8.00.

I am also kicking myself over a Redwing vase that was there for $4.00. It was priced so low because it had two large cracks in it. But it would have still looked great in my living room. I really have to stop hesitating! My sister is going to kill me one of these days over the things I pass up.

Christmas Village Find

2009-11-08T11:33:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I went to an Estate Sale down the road from my house. I wasn't sure that I would find anything since there was already a sale at this same house a few months earlier. But what the heck, why not look.

What I found was rather surprising. I found the pictured Christmas Village pieces for $3.00 each. What was surprising is that after doing some research, they appear to be Department 56 pieces. The village name is Mickey's Village. I have the complete Disney Village from Department 56 and was under the assumption that there were no other Disney/Mickey pieces since Disney and Department 56 had a falling out in 1998. To my amazement, they are back to making a village related to Mickey/Disney. This could turn out bad for me since I have a problem with needing to have the complete set of things and I only just found out about this village. Whether I find out when it started and how many pieces there are or not, I got a good buy and I can use them with my older Disney Village. Christmas at my house will be quite festive this year.

I also found these three plates for my sister for $5.00. They are ironstone plates in a really cool shape. I have seen this pattern only one other time at a friend's booth at the Expo show. http://kindredroses.blogspot.com/ They will make a great stocking stuffer.

Treasures from the past month or so!

2009-10-27T11:18:00.000-07:00

I have found some good treasures in the past two months. Some for myself, some for others, some for the yard and some in the way of people! Here there are:

Last month I traveled to California for my 20th High School Reunion. While I was there, my sister, father and I went to an estate sale that turned out to be that of my first grade teacher who had pasted away in 2008. I found this cute little beaded purse that I took with me for the reunion dinner. More sentimental than anything being my first grade teacher's.

This threesome was my very first purchase at an auction at the beginning of this month. It is a gift for my sister who collects ironstone pieces. The two creamers are USA and the sugar is England. I am hoping she hasn't found the time to read my blog and give away the Christmas surprise. There were many other wonderful treasures at the auction, I was simply overwhelmed with the items and really don't know yet what a good deal is. I am learning quickly though which will help for the next auction on November 14th!

I also met a wonderful collector/dealer (http://kindredroses.blogspot.com/) who helped me a lot with both items and telling me who in the crowd was a dealer or collector.

This pretty little maple was our next purchase at a nursery auction the following Saturday. (Kindredroses was there too and got some great wired tree baskets). We also got one Burning Bush for the back yard. We (Mark & I) should have visited a nursery beforehand to check prices because there were a lot of good deals being had that we were not aware of. Again, learning as I go!

The following week I hit several estate/garage sales. I found a butter crock (has some cracks and breakage that was repaired) and a shoe box of silverplate at one sale. Some old Hop Along Cassidy books and a jewelry box at another. And Conor (my soon to be three year old) found a Radio Flyer wagon at the last one.

This past weekend was the Antique/Collector's Show at the Portland Expo. I did get to go, but I only went to sell the box of silverplate I got the week before. I didn't sell the whole box, but did get my investment back plus a little for future treasure hunts.