Stranger Than Fiction: Antique Book Collection

This is part of a series of posts I am doing on my personal collections.  I don't think that I actually even mentioned books in the Lists of My Personal Favorites (click here to see that blog).  I guess I assume that everyone collects some type of books.

This set "Great Men and Famous Women"

 and my other great leather bound sets all came to me when an old

middle school library was torn down.  It had started life a century

ago as the town library and had gotten continually downgraded until

only one little corner room held any books.

They took sealed bids on the contents of the building.

I "won" all the books for a ridiculously low

amount of money.  I also "won" the bookcase they were being stored in.

(The books and bookcase were cheap,

 but the dining room remodel that it sparked was not cheap.) I think some people are afraid of the whole sealed bid process.

 

My boys were about 8 years old at the time.

They still remember making a million trips

out to the car with all of the books.

I forget where these came from --

really old text books from 1860s-70s.

 

Of course I pick up the ones with the decorative spines

whenever I can find them.

They are like a work of art on the bookshelf.

And what about these books?

Well, it is stranger than fiction:

I went to an estate sale in a different town, about 25 minutes from my house.

I was thumbing through the books when a signature caught my attention.

The man who had built our house in 1895 and lived in it until he died!

I also found books that had been owned by his wife, daughter,

in-laws and niece!  I purchased all of them, and they are now

safe back "at home".  If we ever sell this house, the books

 will stay in it where they belong.

What are the odds?

Vintage Wedding Cake Topper Collection

I took a few pics of these for my "personal favorites" click here for that blog.  I like the collection so much that I couldn't resist showing all the pics of my cake toppers:

Here they are in all of their stately elegance.

I love ones with an arch over top.

Probably my favorite.

I have two sets of these celluloid pair.

When my cat was younger he would take them off the piano

and put them in his food dish.

What was up with that?

I really like the more realistic toppers.

But these rated a position in my collection

because of their great clothing.

Vintage Farm Animal Themed Feedsacks On Ebay

These are the last of the really interesting feedsacks.  Click here to view my post on western themed feedsacks, and here for heart themed feedsacks.  This last bunch have a farm animal theme:

Too cute and just in time for Easter.

Paid $1, sold for $10.

I am kind of a sucker for chicks,

so this is my favorite of the lot.

FEED ME!

Sold for $14.

I have two of these smiling little piggy feedsacks.

Sold for $14 each.

I find it interesting that these were made for farm use

and yet the graphics are very sweet.

The cow has long flirty eyelashes.\

Bought for $2, sold for $21.

This collection of barnyard friends feedsacks

will be for sale on ebay the week of February 22.

PAid $1, sold for $8.

List Of Personal Vintage Favorites

Someone asked me the other day what I personally collect.  I usually am so busy finding items to sell, I don't focus much on personal collections.  It is pretty rare that I keep anything,  and unless it is a "family" item I could sell it at any time.  Except for the quilts, nothing is ever completely safe from resale.  I've been known to get rid of complete categories (ode to the lunchboxes).

Here are a few categories I have five or more of (all are vintage or antique):

-- alarm clocks
-- electric fans
-- green or yellowware stoneware bowls
-- brown transferware, but I have been known to keep misc other colors

-- interesting old photos.  A collection that often gets filtered.
-- dog miniatures.  A collection my mother started.  I only keep one if it reminds me of her collection.

-- white matte pottery.  Another rotating collection.

-- wedding cake toppers.  This collection started when I regretted selling one I loved.

-- Ozark touristware pottery

-- old leather Bibles or Prayer Books
-- enamel coffeepots and other vintage coffee items -actually my husband's collection.
-- porcelain doll heads.  yes, just the heads.

-- depression era quilts.  A collection which started with the ones my grandmother made and I used during my childhood.
-- hand made pig cutting boards
-- old tweed suitcases

-- some really great original artwork

I have a few rules about adding any item to my collections.  I have to love it.  I have to be able to display it so that I can enjoy it every day.  I don't allow myself to pay "big money" for anything, it has to be cheap. 

I don't even feel tempted to buy online or even in antique malls to find additions to my collections.  It has to be something I just happen to run across at a sale or an auction.

Except for the rare small items (photos or dog miniatures) I have to get rid of one thing if I add something to the collection.  And did I mention that I have to love it?

St Joseph MO Antique Show Weekend MORE PICS 2.15.2015

More photos of our booth at the St. Joseph MO Antique Show at the Civic Arena (click here to see photos of Day One).  By Sunday we were down to about half the merchandise that we had started with on Saturday morning.  It was much colder and there was a little snow in the forecast, so we were expecting deadsville.  We were pleasantly surprised by a nice stream of people which lasted through mid-afternoon, when the dreaded snow started....

The only thing I brought in to sell on Sunday -- feedsacks.

They displayed great and I sold four for $14 each.

The show didn't open until ll am Sunday,

so I had time to bake cookies for customers and dealers.

I assured these lovely ladies that I would state that this was

the beginning of day two, (we were already

exhausted from a hectic day one.)

SOO many people picked this up and looked at it,

but it is still available and heading to the Rusty Chandelier.

A continued hot seller -- I think I sold five suitcases.

2015 St Joseph MO Antique Sho Pics

I've sold at quite a few February antique shows in my time.  This was one of the best attended and sales were brisk.  Here are a few picts from our booth on Saturday:

Marcia (friend that I share a booth with)

fussing before doors opened.

Made about $1200 after paying booth rent.

(Of course this doesn't include  what the merchandise cost me.)

Upcycled Window Chalkboard Valentine #3

HAPPY VALENTINE's DAY.  Today I will be spending the entire day at the St Joseph Antique Show.  My husband was kind enough to do Valentine CHALKBOARD #3 for this special event.  (Click here to see #1 and here to see #2)

Remember to hug your sweetie.

Stop The World From Turning -- Globe Upcycles

I had mentioned in my Bird Cage Light Upcycle post that I had items ready for several more lighting upcycles in the works.  I've had four globes sitting around forever, one smaller metal and three average size cardboard ones.

The northern hemispheres were turned into upcycled lighting. After I took the globes apart I spraypainted the interior a flat nickel color -- and did some of the bases to match.

The southern hemispheres (bottom of the globes) were turned into bowls. Not food bowls.  This is easily done by disassembling them and throwing out the "tilting" apparatus.  Just screw them back directly on to the base.  These top two photos were a metal globe, the rest are cardboard.

This one I had a cheapo metal basket that I removed

the handle from and attached the globe bowl with e6000.

On one of the globes I decoupaged map scraps to the two interiors because it had a drippy interior.  To make them look more finished I applied a strip of corkboard shelf liner around the top.  It helped to hid  the rough cardboard edges.

Western Themed Feedsacks On Ebay

Last week I featured feedsacks with heart motifs (click here to see the post.) These feedsacks all  came from the first auction of 2015 where I spent too much money.  Now I need to do a quick turnaround and sell some of this stuff to put cash back in my pocket.

 I think it is easy to see why my little hand kept shooting up when I saw these western themed feedsacks.  LOVE.

Paid $1, sold for $12 on ebay.

 

Bought for $3, sold for $26.

Paid $1, sold for $15.

Paid $1, sold for $10.

Paid $1, sold for $15.

Just Put It In A Mason Jar & Sell It!

I shared in a previous post that I store all my Bits & Bobs (click here for post) in Mason Jars.  Also my paint brushes.  Also paint that I've turned into chalk paint or mixed two shades together. But my Mason Jar lightbulb moment occurred when I realized everything sells better in Mason Jars.  Do you ever see bits of lace or marbles in Ziploc bags at antique malls (imagine a small shiver of disgust here)?

They are so much easier to view, and look display worthy in an ordinary mason jar / or any cute jar you come across.  Grouped together in eclectic little cliques. Clear works best.

I was at an auction where there were boxes and boxes of Beanie Babies (imagine a slightly larger shiver of disgust here).  A fellow auction goer shared with me that they planned on putting them in mason jars with a ribbon to sell for Valentine's Day -- now THAT is a brilliant idea.  Everything looks better in a mason jar -- even beanies!

Since I do my share of junking, I often get "extras" in an auction box.  This is a good way to get rid of some of that and still make a little change.  Keep your eyes open for masons or great jars of all sizes (make sure they have lids or that zinc lids would fit them.)

I sell several jars full of STUFF every month, it is money in the bank.