Thrift Share Monday, Ummm... I Mean Wednesday

Is it Wednesday already? I had good intentions of getting my thrift and junking finds ready for Thrift Share Monday but alas, good intentions were pushed off the cliff and we landed on Wednesday. Oh well. I had a tremendous week of treasure hunting last week. It actually started on Monday when I went into the town of Warsaw, Missouri to go to Wal-Mart. I try to plan all of my shopping trips around thrift stores, antique shops, and flea markets - especially with the price of gas right now, we must be strategic shoppers!

I stopped at the Warsaw Antique Mall and here's what I walked out with: a 1988 Fisher Price Illuminated Globe for $10 (I have a thing for globes - you'll see), two vintage photo albums - one tooled leather unused and the other leather with a handpainted Indian with old photos and postcards inside ($5 and $10), a Texas Ware sugar bowl, and a 1982 linen calendar towel (both going to my eBay store) plus some Avon because for whatever reason, all the antique stores around here have at least one booth with Avon. On a whim, I decided to stop at the W.A.R.M. House Thrift Store on my way to Wally World and bonus, everything in the store that day was 10 cents. I got 10 plates - 8 souvenir, 8 plate stands (only because the lady told me that if I was going to take the plates for 10 cents I had to take the stands for 10 cents, too), a vintage hankie, and two vintage mugs.  It was a good day.

On Tuesday, I went to Columbia, Missouri to have my Honda Ridgeline serviced - I am pretty sure they put those maintenance reminders on there so you will spend more at the Honda dealer! The best part is the dealer is across the street from Itchy's Flea Market (no joke but clever) so you know where I am headed while they change the oil. I spent $25 there and here's what I got: an Ohio Art metal globe for $5 (I told you about the globes), 5 souvenir plates (I'm keeping Montana and Kansas City), 2 vintage calendars from 1966 and 1968, 4 postcards from 1909-1913, a photo postcard of Greta Almroth (love it), a Maryland crab bell, a Silver Dollar City spoon rest, a Haegar flower pot (another one of my collections), and a Pyrex bowl in the Terra pattern (first I had seen of this pattern but I will see more... you'll see more too).

With Friday being the first Friday of the month, I headed into Kansas City. I stopped first at Urban Mining where I bought too much and probably spent too much but it was oh so fun. They boxed up for me 4 orange wooden 70's candles, a mod flower cassette case, a metal rolling pin, a 1970 Springbok Heidi Doll Craft Kit (hmmmm... do I know someone named Heidi?), a Las Vegas metal tray, a 1968 Prague book with fold-out map (love the graphics), a vintage Montana fruit label, an "our pet" flash card, a blue fish dresser scarf or runner, 3 Pyrex bowls in the Terra pattern (twice in a week - could it get any better?), and my favorite find there, a vintage, chippy black concrete bear - perfect mod lodge vintage.

Next, I drove over to the West Bottoms where several places have first Friday sales. I started at Liberty Belle since it was closest to where I parked. I picked up four unused 4 piece place settings of Orchard Ware Americana pattern (Made in California) for $20. I didn't know anything about this pattern but after doing some investigating on Replacements, Ltd., I found out this was discontinued in the 1940's and their price for a bread and butter plate is $9.99 each and the cup & saucers are fetching $13.99 each so I felt pretty good about my purchase. It will mix nicely with my black and white plaid Homer Laughlin DuraPrint and Knowles Ebonette dishes both of which are square in shape, too. I also picked up this Fabulous Fondues book for 25 cents, an oil painting of a mountain scene for $2, and a record album set for $1.

When I went out the door to put my treasures in the truck, it was pouring down rain. I had some other errands I needed to do in KC and the rain wasn't conducive to walking from place to place so that ended my junking for the day. All in all, it was a great week, though. Lots of goodies and lots of fun. What have you been up to lately?

Blue Plate Special: Family Vacation Memories with a Side of Smiles

I sold this plate last week to someone living in Manitou Springs. It is kind of neat that it is finding its way back home. As I was packaging the plate up for it's trip, a smile came over me. You see, this plate reminded me of one of my own trips with my mom, dad, and little brother. It must of been in 1974 or 1975 as I can remember my brother being around 6-7 years old which would have made me 11 or 12 - funny that I can remember better what his age was than my own. We had made a car trip to Colorado and one of the places we stopped on this particular vacation was Cave of the Winds which is located near Manitou Springs. After visiting the caves, we spent the night in Manitou Springs. I don't remember the name of the motel but it sat near the edge of town and had a pool out front - I can still see the motel in my mind. I remember swimming in the pool with my dad and brother mostly because we hardly ever swam in the pools at the motels - I don't really know why except maybe because I don't swim that well or possibly because we had other things to do. It was a good memory and apparently, it is still with me to this day.

I was fortunate enough to have parents who thought taking vacations were important. They were always car trips and lasted at least a week. My dad even made a contraption for the back seat that fit over the floor board on one half (or maybe a little more) so that my brother could take a nap or play while we were driving across Kansas - it seemed like we were always driving across Kansas as we had to go through that state to get to the "good stuff". If we weren't staying with my parents friends in Denver, which wasn't that often, we stayed in a motel. Not a hotel - a motel.  I think that explains why I am intrigued by old motel signs - I just love the retro feel probably because they bring back happy thoughts. These were some of the best times I had with my family. I sometimes miss vacationing that way. Seems like we are in a hurry these days and don't take the time to enjoy this great country by car anymore.

I think this kind of memory is a sign of why I resell and thrift vintage souvenir items. Many of the plates and what-nots I sell are from places I have been and just seeing them brings me happiness. And some of the places that I haven't been I look up and find out more about taking a virtual vacation. It reminds me of simpler times. Good times. Not that today isn't a good time but it is in a different, more adult way (most of the time anyway). It allows me to appreciate my parents in a way I never did when I was growing up. Thank you, Mom & Dad!

So, what kind of memories do your thrifted items conjure up? Do you collect something because it reminds you of your childhood? I am so glad I found that Manitou Springs plate. It made my day.

My Obsession: R You a CollectoR of Anything?




Letterpress R's from various sources.
Also, notice the "R" on the prescription bins.

  It is actually my birthright, I think, to be a collector of the letter R. I mean, my parents chose to name me Robin and later in my life, I have chosen to marry someone with his first and last name beginning with this, oh so awesome, letteR. Call it fate, destiny, whatever you want... I have an obsession for the letter R.


R necklace by Avon


This necklace is my first memory of my collection of the letter R. This was given to me by my parents when I was a child and I still have it in my possession. I don't wear it often but I should. I kind of forget it is in my jewelry box. I think it needs to be displayed somewhere so I see it when I am getting ready.  It goes with everything. Most R's do!


I have at least one letter R sign in every room of our house - every room! This R is sitting in our bedroom. I thrifted it at a "junk" store for $1.50. You read that right, $1.50.  It is an old marquee letter, I think, or maybe it came off of a building. It still has the hardware on the back to attach it. It measures 18" tall by 13" wide and is a fabulous red Lucite type material. I found it with several other letters (not R's) that I parted with on my eBay store a couple of years ago. I sold them for too cheap, looking back on it now and how popular letters have become, but I made money on them and I am sure they found good, loving homes!

I told you - every room. This letter R is actually in our first floor bathroom (along with Elvis because it's just about the irony there). It is actually a part of a Ranier beer sign  - I purchased this single letter off of eBay. I love the font of this letter R - it is so fun and playful. I am sorry to say that I have not actually had a Ranier beer (I know it is hard to believe for those who truly know me) - I think I need to find some and partake in it soon. I am sure with the killer R for it's logo that the beer has to be ridiculously tasty!

This letter R is one of my favorites as it is part of the history of my hometown of St. Joseph, Missouri. I picked this up for $5 at an estate sale. It used to be part of the signage for Wyeth Hardware store. The store had been a part of the St. Joseph community for over 100 years and unfortunately, closed in the 1980's. The Wyeth's were also an integral part of the growth and prosperity of St. Joseph and I feel privileged to own a piece of it. It is nestled amongst a couple of my other obsessions - vintage Kodak cameras and globes.

An ode to a couple of R's.

This is just a taste of my many R's. So, are you collecting anything? What inspires you to pick it up and take it home? What do you seek out? Look at what others are collecting on Selena's Collect Share. And check out Vintage Spinster - she has a collection of metal state trays to which I recently made a contribution plus she has some cool stuff. It is amazing to see what people are passionate about.

Fly Like An Eagle...

Immature Bald Eagle flying over the truck.

"Let my spirit carry me."  Hello from the frozen tundra! We have snow on the ground and single digit temperatures this week in mid-Missouri. Perfect weather for blogging! One of my obsessions the past few weeks has been the bald eagles that winter along our road. Since we moved here in 2007, we have had 3 eagles that I have seen regularly that come for the winter months - they love the chicken barns and there are several around. This year, however, we have a bonanza of eagles! I don't have a definitive count but I would guess there are at least 20. One day, when we were driving into town we actually did count 15 sitting in four different trees. After some reading, I found out that Missouri has more than 2,200 bald eagles each winter making it the leading state in the lower 48. I don't leave the house without the camera as I have had the opportunity and privilege of photographing quite a few. I never thought in my lifetime I would see so many and so close. It is truly amazing. What a majestic symbol of America and so appropriate. If you would like to see more of my eagle photos, you can follow this link to an album I have set up on Facebook.


One of my favorite eagle pictures I have taken.


Much of my decorating style comes from nature. Although I admire the clean lines and funk of mid-century modern and incorporate some of it in our house, I am drawn towards cozy, cabin or lodge style. I have pictures of mountains and lakes; collections of deer items - figurines, books, etc; and all types of vintage travel memorabilia. As far as collections go for Bald Eagles, my stash is pretty limited, though. I did a search on eBay of vintage bald eagles items yesterday and 70% of what came up were belt buckles. Who knew?  Anyway, I do have a couple of items that relate to this magnificent bird.

I found this in a set of 3 at a garage sale for $1.00 for the set, I think. They are tiny (this is the largest at less than 3") porcelain glazed figurines, probably Made in Japan, that are big on detail. They sit amongst a vintage atlas, old movie reel canister, vintage Kodak camera, and a twig I picked up at Glacier National Park. I just love this little set and am on the look out for more to add to the collection.

This pillow is one of my newest additions to my pillow and now, bald eagle, collections. I found it last week at Big Brown Dog Antiques for $12. When I saw it, I knew I had to have it. It is so 1970's looking (the age of my house) with the chambray fabric and has such character. Whoever made this had some mad sewing skills as each of the "feathers" on its chest are individual and different pieces of fabric. The detail is amazing and all though it is far from accurate in the coloring, it really does depict the eagle quite nicely. The look on the eagle's face is priceless, too. I wonder if this was made in 1976 in honor of the Bicentennial?

As we start an new year, what inspires your collections? Nature? Art? Are you looking for something special to add? In the words of Steve Miller "time keeps on ticking, ticking, ticking into the future." So, make 2011 the time to bring your future style to the present.

Greeting cards have all been sent, the Christmas rush is through...

Well, not exactly - cards, yes; Christmas rush, not so much. Happy Holidays to all! I have been wanting to post for a week or so but just haven't seemed to get around to it. This year I have been about a week behind on everything - I don't know if it is because for the 2nd year in a row, we are celebrating our family Christmas on New Year's Day or I am just a slug. I did get the house decorated and I must say, it looks vintageous! Too bad the only ones who have enjoyed it are my husband, 3 dogs, 2 cats and me! Not a single visitor in the month of December unless you count the UPS driver who has been here countless times! Oh yes, shopping, country style!

For the past few years, I have been trying to decorate with mostly vintage Christmas decorations. Some of these things are from my childhood (wow, that's hard to say), some were my grandma's, and some are from thrifting. My most prized Christmas decorations are my ever growing collection of vintage and vintage-inspired glass ornaments. My favorite are Shiny Brite but almost any glass ball will do including the small ones (which are actually Shiny Brite) that made their way into a mid-century modern ashtray I picked up at Urban Mining this fall. I really love the little plastic reindeer nestled amongst them, too!

Most of the vintage glass ornaments, however, end up in a more traditional spot hanging from an aluminum tree. Now, I have a vintage aluminum pom pom Christmas tree but my favorite one is this tree that I bought new for $30 after Christmas about 5-6 years ago. Even though someone on HGTV said that if you over indulge on a Christmas tree it should be with lights and not ornaments, I loaded mine with as many glass ornaments as I could. I don't care what they say - I think it turned out fantastic! I also found some vintage plastic garland with plastic candy canes hanging from it at a flea market that really filled in the tree and completed the look. Plus, of course, I have a color wheel! Under the tree, I put old ornament boxes and the "ugly angel" that my grandma had in the 1960's and 1970's.  I think some of my cousin's would probably fight me for her but she is mine, all mine! This is all resting on a tattered vintage alphabet quilt I bought for $5 at Big Brown Dog Antiques.

Another thing I love at Christmas are greeting cards and this year I sent out over 90 vintage Christmas cards. The last few years I have made my own cards (usually with some vintage and thrifted items on them) but since 2010 is the 100th anniversary of Hallmark, I had to celebrate by giving everyone their own. The cards came from various sources including garage sales, eBay, and Urban Mining and were from the 1940's - 1970's. I have always had a fondness for Hallmark cards and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to share them with my friends and family. I hope they thought it was a treat!

As 2010 comes to a close, I wish you the very best! I hope the next year will bring you lots of occasions to show your vintage style. And in the melodic sounds of Karen Carpenter "Merry Christmas, Darling. Happy New Year, too."

Now, Shake It Up, Baby

I have actually been doing quite a bit of thrifting lately even if it isn't the "season". I find that as winter rolls around, I plan my shopping around which thrift or antique stores I can hit along the way. One of the cool things I have found in small town America is that nearly every one has a Walmart (I never thought I would say this but "thank you Sam Walton") and nearly every one has a thrift store or two. I think that is kind of odd, really, about the thrift stores but I love it and am in no way complaining. Also, I can feel good about my junking as it seems that most all thrift stores support some type of non-profit organization whether it be Christian Outreach, Shelter for Abused Women, Salvation Army, Food Pantry, Sheltered Workshop, or Animal Rescue - I know that the money I am spending is going for a good cause.

Lately, I have been gravitating towards colorful vintage salt and pepper shakers. Maybe this tendency comes from my Grandma Clark who collected oodles and oodles of salt and pepper shakers over her 88 years (and still counting the years) - I kind of wish I had some of those. My kitchen and dining room are bursting with color - pumpkin on the walls, retro red tiles on the back splash, and hints of true orange and black here and there. The shakers seem to add the right spice to the palette! Really, is there such a thing as too much color? I don't think so.

I just love, love, love this Native American (or the politically incorrect version - Indian) pair. I picked them up, actually, in Kansas City at the first Friday thing at Urban Mining. I think the pair was $4 which is a little pricey to some but I was taken in by the color and detail. Plus, I had a Groupon so it was like getting it for half-price. The apples were a flea market find - I think I paid 50 cents for the pair - and the red top shakers were purchased at one of my favorite antique stores around here - Big Brown Dog Antiques in Cole Camp - for $4. I kind of collect the red top shakers so I had to have them!

Moving to another part of the world, I adore this Chinese couple. The paint is a little chipped in places and they are certainly not perfect but they look really awesome in our antique curio cabinet with the tea set my husband brought back from China. And, they only cost $1.50. The cookbook behind them is another thrift find - super fun graphics for La Choy recipes and only $1.

 My last little fellow was also found, alone, at Urban Mining. He has so much personality and vivid coloring. He is perched on top of my Grandma's Hoosier cabinet (the real thing with a 1911 date) watching over our kitchen. It just dawned on me that it is appropriate he should be there - kind of an homage to my Grandma and her quirky style, too.

As we enter the holiday season, what is coloring your life? Do you have a favorite thrifting spot? Wherever it is, don't forget to sprinkle a little hope to those in need when you do your shopping. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

It's Hunting Season: Auction Hunters Premiers Tuesday 11/9 on Spike TV

This morning, I bopped on over to one of my favorite blogs Apron Thrift Girl and Selena had posted an entry about a new television show premiering this week called Auction Hunters. Great, just great, all I need is another show to watch! I made a comment on her blog about it and she contacted me to see if I would spread the word about the show. Since I missed the series premier of American Pickers as maybe some of you did, too, I definitely want to be on the ground unit of Auction Hunters so I am sharing this with all of you as well. Set your DVR's - Auction Hunters premiers Tuesday, November 9 at 9:00 Central Time on Spike.

Curious about Auction Hunters? Me too. Here's the gist of it:  Every day in America, there are over ten thousand abandoned storage units that are put up for public auction. Each unit has the potential to be a goldmine or a bust for those who make their living hunting unclaimed property. This eight half-hour episode series follows two of the best prospectors in the business, Clinton "Ton" Jones and Allen Haff, in their quest to win auctions, acquire treasure and sell it for profit.

Auction Hunters Trailer | SpikeTV | SPIKE.com

Now, I love thrifting or junking or whatever you want to call it. That's how I make a little cash through my eBay store and pretty much decorate my entire house. And some of my favorite garage sales are at storage units. But these guys are serious. Buying a whole storage unit of stuff, glorious stuff. I don't know what I would do with all that as my shed looks like this already (I wonder if I can classify it as a storage unit) but my interest is definitely piqued. I mean, seriously, how much fun would it be to dig through all of it to find some treasures! That is the best part!

Unpacked boxes from our move - 3 years ago and this is only half of it!

And even if you aren't planning to go and buy up a whole storage unit's contents at auction, I am pretty sure you can learn some useful stuff from Ton and Allen. Really, how much have you already learned from Mike and Frank over the past year? I know I am more knowledgeable than before. So, if you love junking, and I know you do, then I think you will want to tune in to this new show. Now, on with hunt!

How to Hunt | SpikeTV | SPIKE.com