Monday, June 11, 2012

Cool finds and some tips I thrift by


I think it's interesting that junk has become this fabulous trend all of the sudden.  I come from a long line of dumpster divers and funky junk finders and re-finishers, and it has not always been such a cool thing to do.  Trust me, yard sale/thrift store clothing did not go over well during my school days...quite the opposite.  But I would go through the years of mockery all over again any day, because it taught me to look carefully and think wisely and bargain with people.  All good things to know for sure.

What I like about this shopping style is that I get to find things I really like that someone else no longer appreciates (aka dump bound...yes, I am saving the earth one flea market at a time...), things that are usually no longer in production or not easily found, and at super cheap prices.

 For instance, this awesome Swedish Chef utensil holder, who is in perfect condition...He is the best thing ever in my eyes.  I love him to a ridiculous degree.  I got him at an antique store and he cost me $1.25.  SCORE!!!  And the little chubby lady that holds all my cables when I am not using them: $1.50. But she is so cute and useful.  She holds my cords...the chef now holds my scissors for me.  He used to hold the rose, but noticed how often I lose my scissors, so he is kind enough to locate them and have them at the ready for next time.  Such a gentleman!



This cute little owl bank (he's not so blurry in real life, trust me) cost me a whopping $0.25.  That's right, just 25 pennies at a local flea market in the yard sale stuff section (aka one time vendors as opposed to ones who are there weekly).  This section is hit or miss really, you never know what you'll find, and it seems like everyone has cool stuff that day or else no one does...and they always have the cool stuff on days when my spending money is low...At any rate, this guy has a little chip off the back of his graduation cap, but I can't see it, so what do I care?  He had his little black stopper thingy, and that is always what I look for.  I swear, if there is a sock monster which eats one sock of a pair that lives in the washing machine (and we are all aware that there IS...) then he has a cousin that steals the little black stoppers out of piggy (or in this case owl-y?) banks.  What is the deal with that?  I do not understand how people always manage to lose them!  I wonder if you could buy replacements?  Maybe if you knew the correct name for it...I am scared to know what I would come up with if I googled 'little black stopper thingy'...  (For the record, I just googled "rubber stopper for piggy banks" and you CAN buy them!  This is the best day ever now...)


I got these awesome canisters for $7.00 for the set of 3 at the same local flea market from a vendor who is there every weekend and when I get to go, I always make sure to take my time through his stall.  I love having to sift through and pay attention...those are the places you can strike gold at (in my experience anyway)!  And they are so perfect.  (I love hideous 70s stuff...it is not hideous to me!)  You can't tell in the picture, but they are actually really large.  The biggest one I can fit my entire head in (and my head is HUGE)!





 This next section should be called "Things I Saw That Were Cool, But Did Not Buy":

1.Green cat cookie jar.  I think this cookie jar is pretty nifty.  But am not paying more than twenty bucks for it...Should it have been, say an awesome lady turtle in a gardening hat with a fancy shell (which I do possess, although I didn't pay over $20 for...) I would have bought it...  Its all about what its worth to you...and that is actually more important when it comes to tiny price tags for me.  Just because I kind of like something, and it only costs say a dollar, doesn't mean I will get it.  Don't get me wrong, I have regretted this thinking several times, but it has saved me from becoming an ultra-hoarder, where I live in a shack made entirely of great bargains found at the thrift store.  Which sounds all right until you realize there is no indoor plumbing in my doodad shack...  I have a teeny tiny house, and if I am not careful, it would become me walking a six inch pathway in the middle of heaps of 'treasures'.

2.  This really stinking cute doll.  Ok, I really like this thing so much...I think it is so cute...and yet, I turn my back on her.  For one thing, my sisters said she was really creepy.  I totally disagree, but I could really go for another opinion on this...is she creepy?  The real reason I didn't get this is because she was pretty dirty.  The kinda dirty that doesn't come off in the wash.  This is something I tend to be really careful about.  I have bought filth encrusted things before, because I knew with a little elbow grease, they would be good as new.  But sadly pink hair Paula here was gonna disintegrate into a million adorable particles before she would ever be clean.  So I left her for someone who would love her despite the fact that she was a dirty, dirty girl.



3. Awesome nursery rhyme plates.  I revisit the fact that these were a little pricey...$11.00 for one plate is kind of a lot for me.  However, I would have gotten them if I could have figured out a use for them.  For some people, this would be figuring out your style or the theme of your room or whatever it is you want to call it.  But I have a total mish-mash of everything, and that's how I like it!  I like the fact that if you came into my house, you would be hard pressed to find a corner lacking something interesting.  My criteria is that I have to be able to use the thing in a way that suits me.  And here is where I personally get a little weird.  I like to use certain things for there intended purpose.  For instance, I could not have bought these and hung them on the wall.  Sure, lots of people do that...but I couldn't do it and be satisfied.  (Mostly because have you ever seen a cute plate hanger?  NO!  They are all uniform and hideous and for some reason only come in the most tacky gold color EVER or bright silver...can't a girl even ask for pewter or copper...no ugly and bold about it...stupid plate hangers!)  Or, I could have used them to keep my keys and change in...but I already have an awesome dish for that (it is a glorious chips and dip bowl that is shaped like a fish...it is the greatest...I need to take a picture of it...note to self: take picture...) and these were kinda fragile, so I would have been too nervous to use them for that anyways.  So not being able to figure out how they would work for me...and considering lack of space as well, I left them where they were and walked away.




So, there you go...some neat stuff, and some useful tips...

Do you have any tips?  I would love to hear about them or anything else you have to say, so please leave a comment...I'd be so happy to hear from you.

~Sully


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