Vintage Suitcase Cleaning Tips Tutorial

I sell a ton of vintages suitcases each year.

Here are some of my best tips on cleaning suitcases.

Make sure they are not mildewy on the inside before you buy them.

There is no good remedy for that.  It is a health hazard.

Samsonite is my favorite, but

almost all vintage Samsonite suitcases have a sticky issue.

Gag, sticky is definitely on my "avoid" list. Almost all of the trim and handles on

Samsonite suitcases seem to become gummy over time.  Shudder.

Here are my weapons to combat that, in the order I use them:

#1 -- GooGone.  Take the suitcase outside (this will actually take the shine off of your granite countertops if it comes in contact with them) and spray liberally on trim.

Wipe off (scrubbing motion) with dry paper towels. I use rubber gloves.

#2 -- Magic eraser.  You can pick up the generic version at Dollar

Tree for $1.  Get wet, squeeze out extra.  Scrub on leftover gummy areas of suitcase,

also good on any black spots on suitcase body.
Magic eraser can be rinsed and reused until it wears out.

#3 -- Windex, generic is fine.  Good for all-over exterior suitcases cleaning.

Helps clean off any remaining Goo-Gone.
Viola!
Looks like a new (1950s) suitcase!

Friday's Garage Sale Finds 8.14.15

So, this is a look at this week's loot.  I actually went to a pretty darn good garage sale on Tuesday, so the one's I hit in town on Friday were a bonus.  I was bad and didn't get the photos taken until they were at the Rusty Chandelier later in the week.

Green desk and chair.  That green color drew me in.

Vintage 7-Up cooler.  Already sold.

Metal phone chair.  Loved the simplicity of it.

Three suitcases.

White metal two tier metal plant shelf.

It is missing the glass shelves, but would look super

with old barn siding. 

Smalltown Citywide Garage Sales -- Summertime Joy

I'm back from our Colorado vacation (picture this: no mosquitos, low humidity and temps in the 80s).  My battery is recharged.  Immediately after getting back I jumped in helping out a friend with her moving sale.  She had lived in the same house for 60 years, so it is no small job.  It has kept me a little distracted from junking, but today we took some time out for junking fun.

The little town by us was having their citywide garage sale.    My husband and I took off early on this beautiful, cool morning. 

We visited many sales just off the highway that had gorgeous vistas.  So that is why people live in Agency.  And that is why I need to bring my camera on junking trips.
You should be looking at a hilltop view instead of the radio I purchased at one of the sales.

We pulled into a driveway that had a sign out, but wasn't open yet.  As we were pulling away, I saw a cute little bistro table and chairs.  I jumped out of the moving vehicle, moved the set far to the side of the driveway, and left a note on it.  SOLD, with my cell number.  About 15 minutes later I got a call from the owner, I told her we would be right there.  I was glad we hurried over, because it WAS the sale to be at.

 

Besides the bistro set, I also picked up a vintage metal baby bed -- both which we dropped off at the Rusty Chandelier on the trip home (so no photos of them).  We also purchased some galvanized tubs, four wire baskets (mailman bought three before I even took my picts), watering cans, tricycle, milk box, and birdbath.

They advertised 30 sales, we probably hit about 25.  We wrapped up the successful morning of junking with a trip to Panera.  You have to love summertime.

There Is No Place Like Nebraska -- July Junking Trifecta

I went to a friend's house Thursday morning to do some weeding.  As I was weeding I got to thinking that we didn't really have anything going on over the Fourth of July weekend, and I needed to remedy that and make some plans.  As soon as I got home, my husband said "We need to talk."  No, I wasn't in trouble -- he had come to the same conclusion and took it a step further and done his homework. 

I quickly cleaned up and packed and we took off for Fairbury, Nebraska.  He said Fairbury was hosting southeast Nebraska's largest flea market over the weekend of the Fourth.  Although I grew up in Nebraska, I never recall having been to Fairbury.  So we took a little tour of the town...

Fairbury, Nebraska was home to Fairbury Windmill Company, which was in business from 1899 until 1961.  Many of the old windmills that you see around were made by this company. Their windmill weights in the shape of bulls and horses are well known to collectors. 

These two park buildings were SO COOL.

They were built in 1936,

so I assume they were part of the CCC or WPA program.

Many vendors were still setting up on Thursday afternoon,

but at least half were ready to sell.

 

This wallhanging was made out of grain.

What a creative piece of folk art.

We saw (and picked up) a few fun things -- I'll show off my finds on a future post. 
I loved this old sled with SKIS, out of my price range though.  Then we ate a quick bite at an iconic Runza Restaurant (fooling people into eating cabbage since 1949). 

We ended the evening by attending an indoor weekly auction.  It was hot, things sold slow and someone kept outbidding me on everything I wanted.  So after we spent a big $3.00, we went back to our hotel for the night to watch some Food Network.

Friday morning we got up early to hit a few garage sales (yes, a trifecta in 24 hours -- flea market, auction, garage sales).   We picked up a few things, including buying some items from "Vince" (left) whom I recognized from last night's auction (where he was the one who outbid me on everything!)

One of the things I bought from Vince at his garage sale was this scary doll, which he ironically purchased Thursday night at the auction after I left. It was on my list of something I wanted! You'll have to tune in soon to see my other Fairbury treasures.

After the garage sales on Friday morning, we hit the flea market again.  Visited the newly set-up vendors... .and spent every last dollar we had.  Luckily, Valentino's Pizza took our credit card to pay for lunch. So we headed home with a full van, full tummies, and empty pocketbook.

 

 

Making A Case For Vintage Suitcases

It's happened before -- it seems like there are periods of time when certain items seem to come to me in flocks, in droves. This week it was vintage suitcases.  Which is fine with me, I love them.  I ended up with five in four days. 

Pretty cool ones at that!

 

Love me some colored vintage Samsonite suitcases.  I grew up in a "tan Samsonite" household.  I have a son that collects the blue.  These are a gorgeous shade of green and the interior is in excellent condition.  I had to scrub the tan trim with my "go to" magic eraser.  It wasn't easy, but it got rid of the sticky residue that plagues the trim on  these vintage beauties.

 

The name on the vintage TWA identification sticker matches the MJW initials on both suitcases.  These things weigh a ton when they are empty, I can't imagine lugging them around an airport.  I already took them into my Rusty Chandelier booth.

 

This guy is circa 1940s, with stickers from 1951-54.

(Even back then the parents sent the old suitcases to college with their kids.)

I imagine some KU fan doing the dance of joy when he receives this in the mail.

Here is the flip side.  It is already listed on ebay.

 

I picked up this black leather one today.

I couldn't believe it was empty because it was

so freakishly heavy.

Another one that got hauled around an airport.

 

Last but not least.

Small leather one actually once held

toiletries.  In outstanding condition inside and out.

 

 

 

Adding A Little More Podge To My Modge Podge Suitcase

Wednesday I went with my friend Marcia to the Sparks, KS flea market.  The weather was perfection.
I picked up four old windows, two old hats, this darling doll head, deer antlers, a white mountain ice box (which I'll be posting on later), and a suitcase.  The suitcase had some slightly faded Victorian themed cut outs that had been modge podged on to it.  I would have preferred it without the décor, but the price was RIGHT.  I thought that I might be able to remove or paint over the decorations -- no and no.  So I joined the party.

I got out my baggy of Victorian "scraps".   Mine were the real deal, over a hundred years young.  Bright and beautiful.  I glued them on and around the existing slightly faded repros.

They were still in keeping with the established Victorian garden theme.

Don't you love the hardware on this guy?

The inside is in good condition too.

Same day I picked them up I had rehabbed

the suitcase and one of the windows.

I was inspired.

Christmas Suitcases

Here are a couple of projects that went into my antique booth at the RUsty Chandelier:

This suitcase was something my husband had picked up at a garage sale on his way to work.  It was a sad faded blue, so I didn't feel at all bad about slapping a coat of paint on it.  (You have to admire how chalk paint sticks to any surface.)

It also gave me a chance to use a vintage metal

"Happy New Year" stencil I picked up.

 

A "stacked" vintage Christmas tree in my antique booth.

I started the "season" with three metal skate "suitcases",

but by the time I thought to make this "Christmas Tree" I was down to only one.

Blessings: Junking With A Childhood Friend 10.24.14

 

We moved in across the street from each other on the same day -- way back in 1969.  We were both eight years old.  We've been friends ever since.  Sure, some times we had more contact than others.  The last few years she's been flying from South Carolina to see me in the fall, so she can catch the leaves at peak color and catch a Nebraska football game the same weekend. 

I appreciated her help in redoing this little flower bed by my shed.  LOVE the vintage garden arbor thing.  She is a Master Gardener so I can't wait to see what this looks like in the spring -- we covered the area with daffodil bulbs and planted perennials on top.

I also appreciate that she is always willing to go junking with me, even though she is not a junker (gasp!) We hit two sales early Friday morning and they were both very productive.
My little town recently moved it's senior center off the square, so the first sale was liquidating everything left from the old senior center.  It didn't take me long to shake the early morning cobwebs and realize there were some great treasures to be had here: 

bingo blower machine

(we may have to have a Bingo Party before selling this baby),

many stacking texasware-like cups (beautiful confetti colors),

(I paid $4 for these and sold them on ebay for $30.)

and this green table unearthed in the old basement to die for. We paid for our items and promised to pick them up later.  Onward...

An estate sale in a small town nearby was our next destination.  I wish I had such a helpful assistant every weekend.  My friend grabbed the stuff as soon as I picked it up and made a big stack for me. 

Cute suitcase,

 

print in cool frame,

 

several great Pyrex bowls,

  (This one I paid $1 for and sold for $38 on ebay.)

 and this tin bread box.

I was blessed with great weather.  Blessed with gorgeous leaves.  Blessed with good friends.