My favorite rummage sale coming up this weekend

[grasswire]

Ohyeah. Church ladies' rummage sale. I have ALWAYS done well at this sale. A pretty mid-century green McCoy planter for 25 cents. A darling old large studio pottery vase with sunflowers painted on it for 25 cents. Wonderful vintage linens cheap cheap cheap.

Incidentally, I still have all those things for myself.

I get there an hour before the sale starts and scout it out. It's in a parking lot, so roaming is easy. They don't mind if we few earlybirds pick things up as we go scouting.


What's going on in the trade where you are? Hmm?

[Vinca]

1. I can't wait for the fall rummage sales to start.

I had great luck at yard sales last weekend! I bought so much stuff I had to quit early because my car was full. Some of the highlights were a Victorian pool cue floor stand for $10, some old dairy items including a very cool bell that looks like a cow, a 1960's fondue set and a beautiful blown glass perfume bottle. I passed up a record signed by Ringo Starr. The guy started out at $500 and ended up at $80, but I still couldn't take a chance without a COA. Too bad since I was one of the original Beatlemaniacs. LOL.

[grasswire]

2. I saw one of those pool cue stands on Storage Wars.

Don't remember what the value was. Nice piece, though.

[Vinca]

3. It wasn't as nice as that one, but it would look great with a period pool table.

[safeinOhio]

4. This week I bought 2 nice ukuleles

for 10 bucks each..One has an aluminum neck and is a bajo uke. The other is a super nice Silvertone/Harmony, 1960 baritone uke. Both in excellent condition.

The first one was not out in the sale. I asked if they had any old insturments and and they remembered this one. At first the wife said 5 dollars and the husband "no 10", I said 10 would be fine.

S*C*O*R*E

[grasswire]

5. wheee!

If I bought those, I would keep them though. I'd like to learn the ukulele.

[safeinOhio]

6. Thinking about keeping the baritone.

Look out Tiny Tim.

At the sale, the man had an old large stone ware mixing bowl with 10 bucks or best offer. I offered him 5 for it. He was reluctant and said he'd have to ask his wife. I had already spotted the uke for 20. So, giving him an out on the bowl, I suggested 20 for the two. He jumped on it. I can clear $25 on the bowl real quick. That really gives me the 2 ukes for free. I have the bajo uke in my showcase for $60.
I usually don't really want to keep much that I bought, but dang that old Silvertone is nice.

Last week I bought a Fender Stage Lead, 250 watt 1982 amp in perfect condition for $108 at the Mall I work at. I think I should be able to make a quick 60 or 70 on that one. I work at a large, 38,000 square foot mall with over 300 dealers. I get to see what comes in every day.

I have a ball at my "retirement" job.

[grasswire]

7. you picker, you!!

I ought to think about getting back in a mall, instead of paying $200 a month for storage unit. Maybe I *will* think about it.

I started picking 14 years ago. It has been a blast, and I have made some great sales.

[safeinOhio]

8. I have been out of it for a long time.

Had a store and was in a lot of malls.

I now have a small show case and doing very well. Just remember, it's easy to buy and hard to sell.

[grasswire]

9. I have been out of the trade too, since ebay was ruined.

But I really need to unload.

[Vinca]

11. I picked up the whackiest instrument ever this weekend.

It's an Andean uke-like thing made out of an armadillo shell. No strings, but I had to have it for $5.

[grasswire]

13. how does it sound?

?

[Vinca]

14. No idea since I don't know how to string it. I'm going to sell it "as is."

[grasswire]

10. rummage sale report

Gee.

The sale today wasn't a tenth as good as in years past. Much less merchandise was donated, apparently.

That said, I did manage to score a beautiful large Bauer mixing bowl; green. It's exactly like my grandmother's. I had already passed this table twice, but on the third go-round I picked up a large lid to see what was underneath. Bauer bowl!! Happy dance!!

I had to fend off two people who tried to take the bowl out of my cart.

No linens, dammit, except a dozen cutwork napkins.

No mid-century stuff.

I did get some red-handled vintage kitchen tools for a dime apiece.

And I missed on a very cool vintage kitchen scale. I saw it just as someone put her hand on it. Gah!

I picked up a hand-painted tray; sort of folk-ish. Normally I would pass that by but this one looks as if the tray is hand-hewn underneath. Interesting. No sticker. And how can a person lose for fifty cents?

[Vinca]

12. Sometimes the mobs at those things are downright stressful.

There's one I go to (and love) that is only good for about 10 minutes then it gets claustrophic because so many people cram into the church hall. You have to be fast. LOL.

[arikara]

15. My last best find of the year

because I have to work Saturdays again for awhile. I picked up a couple of small grubby pottery pots for $4 each that looked like they could be kind of interesting, sitting on a table full of ordinary nick nacks. All the other regulars had passed them by. I was totally blown away when I cleaned them up, I have never seen such beautiful glazes before. It turns out that one of them is by a well known potter / author from years back and the last one of his for sale on ebay went for $465. Not that I plan to sell these too quickly I want to enjoy them for awhile.

[grasswire]

16. good eye!

What decade are they from?

I have been eyeballing studio pottery from the 70s lately. I have no idea if values are going up. I see some really nice pieces very cheap, and suppose I should educate myself.

[arikara]

17. The one I identified is 70's

at least thats when he wrote the book about glazes. The other I suspect is from the same era. I haven't paid enough attention to pottery either obviously. I used to dabble in it myself, but everything I made turned into a turtle.

[Vinca]

18. Who was the potter? I try to keep up with more obscure potters.

Their pieces often get left behind because people don't know who they are. I bought a nice piece of Rose Cabat pottery from an auction house where I left a bid. No one else bid so I got it for $25.

[arikara]

19. Herbert Sanders

He also wrote several books in the 70's. He just signs the bottom Sanders in a nice decorative style.

I really have to educate myself on pottery too, you're right people tend to not look at it. I was looking on ebay and some the crystalline glaze goes for a decent price even with unknown potters.

[grasswire]

20. It's a whole other world for me to learn about.

I can spot value in vintage -- from the 40s backwards. But I'm not schooled in what comes later. I did find a very minimalist studio piece at a scrap/junk sale; it was filled with leaves and stagnant water. Took it home for ten cents, researched it (the original sticker was on the bottom) and found just one reference to the potter -- a man who worked in California in the 50s and was well regarded. I really like it. It's on my windowsill.

I have some 70s pottery, but most of the pieces I bought in galleries were broken by my rambunctious tabby cat. His favorite hobby.

[Vinca]

21. Thanks. I'll check him out. Good find!