Sunday, July 30, 2017

Repurposed Photo Window

I found this frame on my own front porch this week.  It has been hiding there since June.  We have been painting our house exterior this summer (it is looking so good!) and the porch is where we have been storing all of the paints and supplies (our house is a "painted lady" so there is alot of paint) -- and some vintage finds had just been forgotten behind that mess. 

 I had paid $15 for the window (ouch), because I bought it for someone else.  They ended up not needing it.  And my front porch was where it went into hiding after that.

(+) Cute hardware.

(+) Chippy paint.

This week I purchased a whole slough of high end wall adhesives  -- retail for about $28 each, I snagged for $2 each.  I was anxious to try one on a window.

(-) One broken window pane.
I chose an adhesive that I thought would fill three window panes nicely.  Overall I was pleased with how the adhesives stuck to the glass.  But you only get one shot to lay them down straight.  Do or do not, there is no try.

I already had a bit of an idea of what I wanted to do with the fourth empty window pane area.  A trip to Michael's produced: foam board (about $5 after coupon for 4 pieces) ; faux chippy wood paper (69cents); and a flat wooden frame ($3.00). You are right in what you are thinking...this is not going to be a big money maker for her.  I may give it as a gift so I don't have to worry about a profit.

With the addition of a photo in the frame, it would make a great wedding gift.

Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Fouled Anchor U.S. Navy Dishes

A couple of weeks ago I did a post on my first set of
U.S. Navy restaurantware dishes that I bought at auction.
Click here to see that post. 
This is the second set, and I actually like it even more than the first set.
These display a "fouled anchor" on each one.
A "fouled anchor" is an anchor with a section of cable entwined around it.

24 Dinner Plates

6 Saucer Plates

 
24 7" Bread or Dessert Plates

8 6" Bread or Dessert Plates
Vintage, in brand new condition.
I purchased all of these for $20 at the Patriotic Auction.
Sold them all on ebay for over $300.

Monday, July 24, 2017

On-Line Auction Finds 7.20.2017

There have not been many garage sales or auctions lately, due to the excessive heat.  So an on-line auction was welcome.  I bid low, and carefully, because I am trying to "clear out".  Looking for: EASY on the pocketbook, EASY to haul, EASY to get ready to sell, EASY to sell. Here are the few "EASY" items that I ended up with:

 I didn't mind the white spray paint as much as the permanent 
marker on these six sewing machine drawers.  I like the assortment.

All I did was a bit of light sanding to
get rid of the sharpie marks and bring out the details. 
Bought for $12, sold for $50.

 The document box had duct tape over the top....

It took some scrubbing with goo-gone,
but turned out cute.

 I didn't have to do anything to this metal tool carrier,
I even left the old wrenches in it.

This will be an ebay item.
Hard to tell, but it is a rations box from WW2 or Korean War.

 And another tool carrier.
I added matching gray paint to the ends.

 And added one of my wall adhesives.

Friday, July 21, 2017

Selling Vintage Buttons & Mason Jars

 Still working through my auction finds of July 1.
I got several bags and tins of buttons, which I always sell in clear
mason jars.  Pint jars sell for $9. And this time I used button cards as price tags.

 My husband recently unearthed some old silverplate
flatware which I had stashed in the attic.
I sold jars of flatware for $6 each.

Old bottle caps in jar sold for $9.
 And anything else that I can cram in mason jars
gets sold that way too.  Easy for the buyer to look
at and they get a bonus jar.

I will sell these button cards separately.
Top one may be my all-time favorite --
how easy to make cute button cards like that one!

Wednesday, July 19, 2017

Old Bikes Are Us



We have been selling old bikes like crazy this summer. Both my husband and I really love the look of them and keep our eyes open for them everywhere.  And I realized that I have not been taking photos of them like I should. Several have sold without visual record.

Many have already come and gone this year.  We have a bike on display at all times in our "Outdoor Store" and as soon as it sells we replace it with another.  We have three bicycles "on standby" right now waiting their turn. This is one of them.

This is one of the remaining two.  They are identical girl/boy bikes.  Maybe I will put them on Craig's List.  None have been worth alot of money (I recently saw an old bike sell at a local auction for $1000!)

But this one is priceless.
It is my old Schwinn from Junior High.
My husband uses it every summer to tool around.

Monday, July 17, 2017

Giant Junk Clock

I don't know where I picked up the round piece.  I am sure I was thinking of it as a table-top.  It had a great weathered look, but one piece was broken off...so it sat around in my "to do" pile for quite a while.

Even after I decided to make it a "junk clock", it took awhile to think through it.  So meanwhile I stained each piece a different shade.  Then it sat for awhile again.  My rusty junk box was very low, so I had to wait for some interesting hardware to come my way.

As soon as I saw the hinges at an auction, I liked them right away. I liked the variety, and could picture how they would look on the clock. And I added the 3 & 9 just to break things up a bit.

So far everything was cheap or free.  Short rejoicing.  I priced clock works at Hobby Lobby -- $15-$20.  I ended up buying it off of ebay for $13.  Then I needed to make a circle hole in the back to place the works -- I needed a special $17 drill bit for that.  So, it was at least a $30 investment -- which hurts my chintzy little heart.

Friday, July 14, 2017

Selling Department of the Navy Dishes


At the July 1 auction I purchased many patriotic items (click here to see that post),
including all of these unused Department of the Navy restaurantware dishes. 
I have another pattern of navy dishes that I will show in the future.

 22 of these shallow berry bowls.

18 saucers, no cups.
Don't you love the pinstripes?

8 bread plates.

And three pieces from the Army Medical Dept.

Wednesday, July 12, 2017

In The Millinery Business


I purchased all of the hats in this post at the 7.01.2017 auction.
 I went a little hog wild on hats.
I basically bought all of these (and about 25 more)
for about $1 each.

Most of the hats in this post are straw hats.
I find when I put things on ebay it helps if I do it in categories.

This cutie also had flowers on the outside of the
satin streamers.

I thought that this one was such a great shape.

I love all the different shapes and sizes,
the adornments....

and mostly the millinery flowers.

 These will be listed on ebay,
others will be for sell in my booth,
and some will get "enhanced" for Halloween.
Just the ebay hats sold for $157.

Sunday, July 9, 2017

Selling More Vintage Pieces Of My Past

A few weeks ago I did a post on selling vintages pieces of my past, 
click here to view that post.
Cleaning out the attic, and doing some major purging of things I had kept from high school.
I put the Gunne Sax dress and yoyo on ebay -- the dress brought $43
and the yoyo sold for $5.  Released from being trapped in the attic and re-homed.

 There has been more rummaging through the attic.
This time we unearthed a token of friendship from high school --
someone had given me a tiny mailbox with tiny stationery.

1979 HELLO KITTY, no less!
How cute is this teensy stationery?
Sold for $10.

ANOTHER Gunne Sax dress,
I think this is the last one I had stashed up there.
Circa 1976.  Size 5 - HA, how things have changed.
All of it going on ebay.
The dress sold for $19

Thursday, July 6, 2017

Patriotic Auction Finds 7.01.2017

Last Saturday I spent most of the day at an auction.  It was local, and my husband was able to load / unload the van twice for me while I stayed to bid.  Whew.  I bought alot, and felt like I got some good deals.   The family had obviously collected patriotic items.  The surprise was that I purchased them. Yellow Mccoy Uncle Sam was purchased for $3 and sold for $16. Paid $1 each for Uncle Sam hat flowerpots.

I am a patriotic red, white and blue in my heart -- not my decorating. Plus, I knew I couldn't price and get the items into my booth before the Fourth of July.  Oh well, sometimes buying patterns just happen.

Frankoma Uncle Sam mug, paid $2 and sold for $8.
Bought a set of anchor plates for $20 at the auction, sold them for $309 on ebay.

I really liked the Fenton plate but it is not
worth diddly-squat.  I bought 9 of the eagle paperweights
and they seem to do better on ebay.  I only paid $1 each,
so I feel pretty confident. 
Ended up selling them for $53.

This is a hand painted Fenton plate, trying it on ebay.
Bought for $2, sold for $15.
I got STACKS of patriotic plates for $4 total.

Blue Hearts & The End Of My Blog

Early on during the corona virus, I did this project. When we put scalloped wood trim on the guest cottage door, we had some of the trim ...