Ann (@magicsummervintage) and I go to sales of some kind every Friday during the summer. Estate sales, church sales, thrift stores - if we can rummage around in someone else's cast offs - we are there. This year we both decided to blog about the experience. So after you get done here, go over to Ann's blog and check out her version of the adventure.
This week is Ann's penultimate sale week. Next week will be the last time we can sale together on a Friday before she goes back to teaching. So, we really put our backs into it and did it up right. We went to: Three estate sales, one church sale, and a thrift store! We are what you'd refer to as: Hardcore.
First up was an estate sale on my side of town (always less attended than other parts of town) where we ran into Heidi @upstatevintage ! I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Instagram "vintage" community is among the best on planet earth. If you have a chance to meet someone in person, it's even sweeter!
The sale was not what I'd call "a digger", but there were lots of things to look through and quite a few deals to be had. The people who were running the sale knew Ann by sight as the "vintage dress" girl! She'd bought them out once before.
I saw but did not buy this cute as heck vintage dollhouse table and chairs.
This house had a random basement toilet. Lots of old houses have them. They also generally have two perfectly good normal bathrooms with functioning toilets on the main floors of the house. Yet, apparently, in the 20s - 50s there was a great need for an extra toilet in the basement. And I'm saying toilet on purpose. Not bathroom. Toilet. Because this john just sits out in the open somewhere. Fully functional - just... out there. In the basement. Being a toilet. Now, I ask you, what kind of bowel problems are these people having that they need a basement toilet on top of having two perfectly good bathrooms?? In what scenario are the other two bathrooms occupied and a third - random basement toilet with no privacy what-so-ever - that needs to be called in for backup because you just can't wait? The mind boggles. And also sort of cries a little bit.
What I really love is that this basement toilet is all set up for use. With not just one roll of toilet paper - but an extra one in a little basket on the back of the tank. I'm kind of surprised it doesn't have a rack of magazines. As a girl who has seen her fair share of digestion issues, I'm gonna say that if you have these kind of potty problems - where you need to just use a toilet no matter where it is - in a prison like setup even - maybe a basement toilet isn't the answer. Maybe you need to see a doctor instead.
I was able to at least look at, handle, and decide if I wanted all the items I'd seen of interest in the pre-sale photos. One item in particular, I was very happy to purchase! A set of lightweight drawers covered in blue quilted vinyl with handles that may or may not be Bakelite. (haven't test them yet - don't honestly care very much) My friend Heather has a smaller set of drawers in the same color that I've drooled over for years. I'm so happy to have my own! I'm going to put my craft supplies in it. (Seen here alongside the Cosco cart that Heidi bought.)
I also saw a vintage lilac colored tissue box cover in the pre-sale photos and BAM! It was still there when I got in to the sale during the "first wave". Delicious! I also spotted the rainbow plaid item in pre-sale photos. I was hoping it was a purse, but it turned out to be a travel case for jewelry. That's ok by me! There were a few tables of Christmas and I was able to snag three mercury glass garlands. The beads are a larger size than I'm used to, so that was fun. The putz house is the thick cardboard kind and is purple! A first for me! I dug the pink pineapple emblazoned nail clippers from a bin in the bathroom. So fun!
The Brownie handkerchief is something I've never seen before - so cute! The bird planter is a color that @hmcamma didn't already have.
The little nun is a Jospeh Originals trinket box that has been broken a time or two and reglued - only in the back! I'm pretty excited about the cute parrot wind-up toy! Such a fun design and colors! This is my first Halloween tin - also exciting!
Rolling up on the second estate sale, we knew it was day #2 of the sale and that meant:
One of my very favorite things to hear.
Ann and I generally check out the jewelry first, since this company tends to keep it right inside the door at the checkout. I think Ann found a few things. I didn't.
I did find these adorable nuns for my mom, right away.
There was lots of stuff to look at, but not much needed to come home with me.
I'd seen in the pre-sale photos that they had stashed Christmas out in the garage. Garage-ho! (This is the call of all true treasure hunters. Either that or one very cheap hooker.) There were three boxes of Christmas debris and other assorted figurines and whatnots scattered around. I found this cute little lady, but she didn't come home with me.
I also found a lute. For Ann. 😉
These were all the way at the bottom of one of the boxes of Christmas debris. The L is broken, but the others are intact and looking quite happy to be discovered.
Here they are hanging out with the nuns.
Some items I dug out of the Christmas boxes. The aqua foil number is a tree topper!
Some more Christmas digging fun. The boot is a wall pocket. The mangled up thing on the right is a garland of spun head angels, mercury glass beads, and gift packages. I've never seen anything like it!
I have one of these metal flourish decorations with bells in red! Very happy to add another to my collection, in different colors! The garland underneath is new - but iridescent, so you understand.
I just wanted to show you how very strong I was. I did not buy this adorable Cosco stool! I want to buy all the stools and all the blankets. But I don't. Because strength.
Ann found a crap ton of vintage dresses. So many that she had to make some hard choices about which she'd get and which she'd leave. This little number caught my eye and had to come home with me. A vintage shrug in pink velvet! It's going to look so smashing with a black dress. Or maybe even black jeans!
I really wanted to want this pink shawl. It had tinsel in the yarn and it was so frothy and pretty. I knew I wouldn't wear it, but didn't have another idea of what I would do with it. Seeing it again now, I have the regrets. I could have used it for a cute window treatment at the very least!
The third estate sale was also a day #2 situation. But this sale had been much more "clean" on day one, not much to dig through on day two. We did a good job of investigating every nook and cranny though. The first thing I saw was this vintage bank. Holy memories. My grandparents had one that I was obsessed with. In order to get me to go (peacefully) back home to my parents they would pay me in pennies for my red bank. Yes, I had to be paid. My grandparents were awesome, and you'd want to stay at their house forever, too, if you had half a chance.
I saw these lovely delphite charm teacups, but did not bite.
One of the weirdest things I saw: Koala bookends.
Just around the corner from the Koala bookends I found this beauty. And, of course, texted Ann an emergency alert. What a neckline! 💖 I wandered out to the garage (With the dress on my arm - I wasn't about to put it down!) and soon I heard a "Where are you?!" I responded and was able to reunite the dress with it's rightful owner.
This ridiculously large vintage baby doll was holding court in the garage. I was tempted to take her home, but she was just too big.
In the basement I found this cool shopping list.
And this amazing Richard Simmons VHS set. It's hard for me to describe how much I love this man. If I still had a VHS player, I would have bought this in three seconds.
After the basement I went up to the second floor. Most of it was occupied by the largest master suite I've ever seen. I took a photo of the bathroom because it is larger than my kitchen. No lie. It's bigger than Grant's Tomb. (Which is just something I heard on the movie, Annie. I have no idea who Grant is or why he has a very large tomb.)
They had a collection of Hard Rock Cafe t-shirts. Just like my cousin did.
Their stairwell was fancy and tall. (Hello, Ann!)
I didn't end up buying anything at the third estate sale. But since we were doing all the things, we sallied forth to a church sale. This is the oddest thing I saw there. A paint-your-own ufo statue. With beads, much like vintage ceramic Christmas trees. So hysterical.
I got some fun 80s stuff at the church sale. For cheap! I always think of these as Saturday morning cartoon sets. You eat your cereal in front of the television and your parents offer up prayers of thanksgiving that you and your brother are busy and quiet for five minutes back to back.
I also found some dolls! This is only my second time finding My Child dolls. Ann swooned over Rainbow Brite. She got a large one for Christmas one time, and holding the dolls still give her the same feeling. Don't you love things that do that? Might as well be a damn time machine! In an instant you are right back to eight years old, Christmas morning, in your flannel pajamas and uncomfortable but cute Cabbage Patch Kid slippers.
Ann got two gnomes for The Sanctuary. (Has she explained this yet?) One of which had a dog! After we wrapped up things at the church sale, we of course, went to a thrift store. I don't generally shop at Goodwill since I feel like their prices have gotten out of all control in our area. At least their clothing prices. I guess I need to give them another chance on everything else. Because, I found some great stuff for good prices.
This is the strangest thing I saw. A glass lamp filled with pompoms. Teetering on the edge of cute, but not quite making it.
Ann found a huge stuffed dog to ride.
These are my fashion finds. Two pairs of flats. The black was half off! (Pictured along with the hot pink shrug from the estate sale.)
I found some great vintage Hallmark. It never ceases to bring a smile to my face.
Among my favorite things to find are Hallmark Merry Miniatures. (And others like them from different companies.) I've found quite a few Halloween Merry Miniatures but Christmas seems harder to come by, so this was a special find. The teensy mouse is just about killing me.
Trunk shot of loot from one estate sale, one church sale, and one thrift store stop.
Next week's blog will be the last dual post for a while. Ann has to go back to teaching kids about music (singing in particular) so I'll be going it solo until her first Friday off. It's a bummer. We both really love summer and panic a bit when it ends. At least she really loves the job she's going back to.
For more photos of our finds, check us out on Instagram at:
@thesnugbungalowshop
@magicsummervintage
Or if you have a hankering to get yourself some vintage treasures, visit our Etsy shops:
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