Happy 2014.

Let's make it a good one.

Melissa

Favorite Finds from 2013

With the end of the year upon us, I thought I would take a look back at some of my favorite finds.  I'll be going through chronologically.  As you can see below some months and days were better than others.

April:

This chippy green shelf has been featured in many photographs and is now a staple piece in my antique booth.

This basket of old school supply numbers and letters was a fantastic purchase.  So many folks bought them for journaling.  Or because they remembered eating them during class instead of using them...

June:

This bar cart is now in my kitchen and holds all of my cocktail supplies and snacks to go with those cocktails.

Of course some vintage Christmas had to make the list eventually.  All of these made in Japan spun heads and putz houses have found new homes this year!

I scored some Led Zeppelin records at an auction in June too.  That was my boyfriend's favorite purchase this year.

And, even though I'm not through showing all of my favorite finds from this year, I knew when I found this it would be my favorite find of the year.

My aluminum Christmas tree!  She was also the only decoration I had to time to set up this year.

July:

I love this stack of vintage suitcases.  They have all found new homes this year. 

And the yellow new dots bowl!  It is sitting with the blue one I already have.  Still looking for the orange and green for a good price.

September:

I bought a lot of cameras this year.  This one is by far my favorite.  Aqua blue... swoon.

October:

I hit an auction in October that blew me away.  And my friends started calling me the Pyrex Whisperer.

October was so good to me.  The same weekend I hit this auction, Mom went garage sale-ing.

This awesomeness of October continues.  It was my favorite month for great buys.  The annual Covered Bridge Festival left me a lot of good stuff.

November:

This primitive cabinet was my favorite furniture buy from the year.  It is the center piece in my booth.

This 24 drawer parts cabinet was probably my second favorite find of the year.

And more Beatles records for my vast collection.  Still looking for a vintage record player to play these on.  It's just not the same on a new record player.

I found lots of Pyrex this year.  But my Black Friday Pyrex haul was by far one of the best days for Pyrex.

What was your favorite find from 2013?

Happy New Year!
Melissa

Linking to:
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
The Nifty Thrifty
Thriftasaurus
Remnant
Junkin Joe
We Call it Olde
Thrifty Things Friday

The Tale of Three

I sometimes get lucky and have a good thrift store day, like my Pyrex Motherload Day.  Well, I've hit a thrift store 3 times in the past few weeks.  Trust me, not as much as I'd like.  Each time, it was a different thrift store.

From the first week of December, from my Pyrex hot spot:

All of these will eventually make their way to my booth, if they haven't already.

From the second week of December, from the same Pyrex hot spot:

I may have to keep all of these.  I collect Spring Blossom/Crazy Daisy and I don't have these.  And ya know, the verde green one matches...

From the Salvation Army today:

Pyrex, of course.

Some vintage Christmas.

THE CUTEST 1967 Hostess set.

Jar of super tiny feather tree ornaments.

And, apparently there's a vintage Christmas tin fad right now. :)

This lamp is AMAZING.

I think it will be my new bedside lamp, just needs a shade.

And I love this red Club dutch oven.

It will be perfect for some Christmas chili!

If you didn't notice, I did a blog redesign myself.  I created a new banner and blog button using scans of old advertisements and editing them a little.  I plan to run around the internet grabbing buttons from my favorite bloggers, but won't you please take mine and display it on your page?

<div align="center">
<a href="http://melissasantiques.blogspot.com" title="Melissa's Antiques"><img src="https://scontent-a-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/1476626_442322282534146_2127707393_n.jpg" alt="Melissa's Antiques" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Happy Holidays!

Melissa

Linking to:
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
The Nifty Thrifty
Thriftasaurus
Remnant
Junkin Joe
We Call it Olde
Thrifty Things Friday

O, Aluminum Tree!

O aluminum tree, O aluminum tree!

Thy leaves are so shiny.

O aluminum tree, O aluminum tree!

Thy leaves are so shiny.

Not only silver when summer's here,

But also when it's cold and drear.

O aluminum tree, O aluminum tree!

Thy leaves are so shiny.

O aluminum tree, O aluminum tree!

Such kitschy joy you bring me.

O aluminum tree, O aluminum tree!

Such kitschy joy you bring me.

For every year, the aluminum tree,

Brings us all kitschy joy and glee.

O aluminum tree, O aluminum tree!

Such vintage Christmas joy do you bring me.

O aluminum tree, O aluminum tree!

You'll always be so shiny.

O aluminum tree, O aluminum tree!

You'll always be so shiny.

Each Shiny Brite,

Each strand of beads,

No tree displays these as well.

O aluminum tree, O aluminum tree!

You'll always be so shiny.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to you all!

Melissa

Linking to:
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
The Nifty Thrifty
Thriftasaurus
Remnant
Junkin Joe
We Call it Olde
Thrifty Things Friday

Some Early Christmas Gifts For You!

I'm finally finished with this semester of grad school.  Many more to go, still.  Now that I have a little more free time, I plan on fully immersing myself in Christmas!  So I'm hoping to get a couple more posts up by the end of the year.

So, remember that snowy Sunday sale I went to about a week and a half ago?  I forgot to photograph and even mention the best part of my purchase.  I got over 1000 1910s-1930s vintage holiday greeting cards and so many tourist/travel postcards.  Most of these beauties are unused.

I am here to share with you a few of my Christmas cards.  Feel free to use the images - it's my early Christmas gift to you guys!  Some of the individual cards and lots more of these images will be available for purchase from my Christmas etsy shop.

I still have some recent finds to share with you guys.  I hope to get to that this week.  Also, Central Indiana Goodwills are having Customer Appreciation Day on Saturday, December 21st.  So, since there's no prospects of any good auctions or sales, I will be hitting up my local Goodwills.

Melissa

Snowy Sunday Sale

Last Sunday I battle a slight snow storm, some sleet, and unplowed country roads to get to a really great looking sale that was taking place about an hour south of me.  I grew up in the Midwest, so driving in the snow doesn't really phase me.  In fact, I recall the day after I got my driver's license when I was 16, it had snowed about 6 inches.  I think they even let us out early that day because it kept snowing more and more.  What's the craziest thing you've ever done or craziest weather you've ever battled to get to a sale?

2 cake carriers, a japan Santa candy holder, and ORANGE
ornaments!  I NEVER find orange!

It wouldn't be a sale, if I didn't pick up some Pyrex.  I really
want to keep the snowflake dish, but it will make it's way
to the booth this weekend... maybe.

Some great older toys.  I love
the little pail and shovel.

More toys.

So, I bought a metric ton of vintage linens this weekend.  I have been working on soaking and ironing for several days now.  I didn't get the chance to photograph most of them.

Check out this AMAZING
crazy quilt (top).  It is probably
full sized.  The hand sewing
and embroidery is amazing.

The most amazing cute old
baby quilt.  I posted this to
my Facebook earlier tonight
and it already sold!

This aqua blue and white wool
twin sized blanket is so
kitschy!  It screams 70s.

The view of half of a queen sized chenille bedspread.  It has
a few spots, but they should come right now after a good
soak.

We're expecting several more inches of snow this weekend.  I haven't seen any good sales, so I will probably just go to spruce up the booth.  What are you guys doing this weekend?

Melissa

Linking to:
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
The Nifty Thrifty
Thriftasaurus
Remnant
Junkin Joe
We Call it Olde
Thrifty Things Friday

Let's Talk About Sales

So, I may not be the super experienced booth seller like a lot of you out there in blogland.  But, I want to talk about sales.  No, I'm not going to talk prices.  I want to talk about what's selling in my area.  I want to get all of you other dealers talking about what's selling in your area.  I think this will be a great way to take a look a trends and help us all be smarter junkers.  I want to know what other items I should be looking for at the auctions, estate sales, and flea markets.  Don't you (that is, if you resell)?  Or maybe you're thinking about reselling?

So let's take a look at what I sold in November.  I will try to link back to pictures of some items.

DATE	DAY OF THE WEEK	ITEM
11/02/13	Sunday	child's fishing pole
11/02/13	Sunday	argus camera flash
11/02/13	Sunday	college pendant
11/02/13	Sunday	2 bakelite cake slicers
11/04/13	Monday	snowflake garland pyrex casserole
11/04/13	Monday	pyrex primary fridge set
11/04/13	Monday	polaroid camera
11/05/13	Tuesday	smith corona typewriter
11/08/13	Friday	folding ruler
11/08/13	Friday	purple glass coffee canister (as is)
11/08/13	Friday	small crock with lid
11/10/13	Sunday	pyrex old orchard fridge dish
11/10/13	Sunday	orange pyrex fridge dish
11/10/13	Sunday	2 pyrex spg blsm fridge dishes
11/12/13	Tuesday	2 christmas ornaments
11/12/13	Tuesday	blue pyrex s&p set
11/15/13	Friday	mini brown crock jug
11/15/13	Friday	polaroid flash gun
11/15/13	Friday	polaroid folding camera
11/15/13	Friday	brown and white crock
11/15/13	Friday	brown and white crock
11/15/13	Friday	box GE flashbulbs
11/15/13	Friday	ornate door knob
11/16/13	Saturday	pyrex crazy daisy bowl
11/16/13	Saturday	2 cub scout books
11/18/13	Monday	2 FK jadeite cereal bowls
11/19/13	Tuesday	snowflake aqua pyrex
11/22/13	Friday	Set 4 pyrex early american bowls
11/24/13	Sunday	orange desk lamp
11/24/13	Sunday	pyrex blue horizon casserole
11/24/13	Sunday	pyrex verde casserole
11/24/13	Sunday	camel s&p shaker
11/25/13	Monday	little house on the prairie set
11/25/13	Monday	red metal parts cabinet
11/27/13	Wednesday	8 copper jello molds
11/27/13	Wednesday	biscuit cutter
11/29/13	Friday	pyrex red primary bowl
11/20/13	Saturday	polaroid land camera
11/30/13	Saturday	pyrex red hostess dish
11/30/13	Saturday	aqua blue camera
11/30/13	Saturday	duaflex camera
11/30/13	Saturday	brownie camera
11/30/13	Saturday	argus camera
11/30/13	Saturday	voightlander camera
11/30/13	Saturday	aqua syrup
11/30/13	Saturday	blue/green apron
11/30/13	Saturday	pink tom thumb typewriter
11/30/13	Saturday	toy cash register
11/30/13	Saturday	2 christmas ornaments
11/30/13	Saturday	christmas ornament
11/30/13	Saturday	christmas ornament
11/30/13	Saturday	christmas ornament
11/30/13	Saturday	gold frame

So, lots of Pyrex and cameras.  I also learned that when I'm in my booth working I tend to sell more.  See Saturday, 11/30.  I think sometimes people like to make a connection.  It's one of the reasons I like to do flea markets.

Okay, so the big question... What's selling in your area?  Leave me a comment.  Send me an email.  Or write your own blog post.

Happy Sales!

Melissa

Linking to:
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
The Nifty Thrifty
Thriftasaurus
Remnant
Junkin Joe
We Call it Olde
Thrifty Things Friday

Pyrex Motherload

I cannot believe it's December already.  And that my 4 day holiday weekend is almost at a close.  I didn't go to any auctions this weekend.  I was running low on my stock of Pyrex for my booth, because I sold so much of it in November at the booth.  So instead of standing in crazy lines and battling people to save a few bucks on a microwave, fleece throw, sweater, or whatever it is people buy on Black Friday, I hit the thrift stores.  I hit 9 thrift stores that were a little new to me, because they were a further from me than I would normally drive.  I wasn't looking for anything in particular, however as you can tell from the title of this blog post, I did in fact hit the Pyrex motherload.  So, would you like to see what I got?

2 divided casseroles: Blue Ivy and Horizon Blue

2 Butterfly Gold and a Butterprint casserolea, a Spring
Blossom and Early American bowls., and a Snowflake
garland butter dish.

2 Spring Blossom, Autumn
Harvest, Horizon Blue, and
Old Orchard casseroles.

Spring Blossom and blue fridge dishes.

Butterfly gold, forest fancies, and brown bowls.

The entire verde green mixing
bowl set in perfect condition!

Town & Country and Spring Blossom casseroles, lime green
pie plate, and a red fridge dish.

So, I'm fairly certain I will NEVER find this much in one day ever again.  I think I was able to get this all because everyone was out retail shopping and not thrift shopping.  Maybe Black Friday should always be a thrift store day!

So, of course these pieces all needed to head to the booth.  I also had some things I had bought last weekend that hadn't made their way to the booth yet.  So Saturday mom and I went and redid my booth.  So, let's take a small walking tour of my newly redesigned space...

While we were rearranging, I sold about 10 items out of my booth or roughly 25% of my monthly sales.  I've noticed I always seem to have a good sales day when I'm working in my booth.  Speaking of, I did make it back up to my mall to pick up my check and drop off a few more things.  I was in the top 10 dealers for sales for the month out of roughly 100 dealers.  I don't know if it's beginner's luck or what.  Is anyone interested in what's selling in my neck of the woods (Central Indiana)?  Would that make an interesting or informative blog post?

And wouldn't you know it... I stopped into my close-to-me Pyrex Hot Spot... and got these...

I don't see the 913 loaf pan very often.  This one is an tan/peach.  Does anyone know what "set" this technically belongs to, if any?  The blue primary bowl is a little DWD and will probably go into my large set of DWD / scratched beyond saving everyday bowls.  I also got this Woodland bowl.  

Hope you all had a good weekend.

Melissa

Linking to:
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
The Nifty Thrifty
Thriftasaurus
Remnant
Junkin Joe
We Call it Olde
Thrifty Things Friday