October 15th

a perfect, perfect day. Blue skies and warm autumn sunshine

spent $27.60

a fun day

• surge protector power strip--1.50
• blue pyrex dish--25 cents
• red metal fire extinguisher mount--25 cents
• 2 orange plug expanders--10, together with items listed with *
• vintage Holiday Inn ashtray--10 cents
• 4 big rubber floor protectors (for furniture legs)--50 cents/ all
• booklet on cake decorating (1959)--1
• stack of envelopes, some paper that looks "crumpled" and a package of light blue cardstock--3

• 4 suitcases--7/ all

• 32 cup muffin pan--1

there were 2 for sale, Gail bought the other. It does not come close to fitting into our oven, hopefully it will fit in one of Gail's ovens...

• 12 foot chain with hooks--*

• el cheapo lawn chair--50 cents
• kids book--50 cents
• softcover, Oriental Painting Course--*

• box of paper odds and ends, mostly cardstock weight--2

• very nice vintage Kenmore machine with walking foot and other accessories (box on right)--*

• combination lock--free
  
• bison pin--free
  

The lock was locked, and the owner couldn't unlock it, when he gave it to Joe. He said his son had used it, but had forgotten the combination, and that Joe was welcome to have it "as a paperweight." Joe thanked him, and we headed for another sale going on across the street. In just a couple of minutes of fiddling with it, Joe had it open and the combo noted, so then of course he went back and showed off to the guy who'd given it to him, offering (jokingly) to sell it back to him...he said no, it was still a paperweight as far as he was concerned...meanwhile the guy holding the sale across the street was very impressed and asked me if Joe knew how to pick locks or something. I said no, he just likes to play with them if there is a challenge involved, which is certainly true. And a free lock is useful...

October 8th

slightly cool and overcast most of the morning, with a windy front moving in about lunchtime. Perfect!

spent: $31.75

there seemed to be slightly more exotic merchandise than usual, possibly because we hit several estate sales today. Lots of fun stuff to look through!

• framed classic family portrait from the '60s, taken in Peoria IL (I love the eyeglasses!)--25 cents
• framed picture of trees--25 cents
• 3 very nice books for Pat's grandkids--1/ all
• 10' chain--1.50
• sorting tray (for hardware/ small items) with pouring chute (homemade)--2.50
• small bag of coverable buttons--25 cents
• plug in light with switch--50 cents
• box of antiseptic wipes--50 cents
• digital answering machine (for BC)--3
• roll of wonder under heat bonding tape--25 cents
• pkg of self-sticking velcro strips--25 cents
• glass candle holder--1
• plastic storage box--25 cents

• 2 lengths of woven trim and 1 length red grosgrain ribbon--75 cents
• odds and ends of various kinds of decorative yarn--2/ all

• popover pan--3
• partial roll of baking parchment--50 cents
• Rubbermaid spatula (our old one broke this week!)--25 cents
• pressed flower picture from Tirol (Austria)--50 cents
  
• 2 pkgs dowel pins for joining wood--1/ both
• 4 sets dowel centering pins--1/ all
• nice heavy canvas tote bag--25 cents
• some bent knitting needles and a crochet hook--came with yarn (above)

----------How Cool Was This??----------

Joe asked the woman selling, how much she wanted for the 4 sets of dowel centering pins, and she said a buck for all of 'em (VERY good deal!), then asked him what they were. So he explained how they are used to line up the holes for dowel pieces used in woodworking joints as reinforcement. Another guy was browsing the sale and upon overhearing the conversation, said: "Wow, those things sound useful! I could use some! Do you have any more for sale?" Which of course, she didn't... We all had a laugh. Then, at the very next sale, Joe finds 2 bags of reinforcing dowel pieces, very reasonably priced, and of course, he had to buy them.

 

here is a close-up of the pressed flower picture. Looks like the white centers on the blue flowers were added with paint or ink, the others are just as they dried on the handmade paper background. When I was a girl we spent lots of weekends in Tirol, and I always admired the pressed flower pictures I saw in shops there. We never bought any, instead my mother showed me how to dry and press flowers myself, so I could make my own. I collected and pressed a few flowers, but the colors always seemed to fade drastically and I didn't have any frames to make the pictures look "finished" so I lost interest in the project. I rarely see them, but I am always on the lookout for these Tirolean pictues priced reasonably at sales. This one sure was!

• Here is a very nice boiled wool jacket, Sears label. I especially like the cut and all the pleats (or whatever the correct term is), kind of give it a "futuristic uniform" look. Well, whatever, it fits well and I like it! The woman selling it said she just had too many red jackets, and Joe talked her down from $12 to 9, which is certainly a good deal.
  
• not pictured: $2 worth (8 pieces ) "bolo ties," big, heavy elastic loops, about 18" around, with a big plastic ball threaded on them, used for tying and securing things.
  

September 24th

a perfect day
spent $16.30
quite a few sales today, and for some reason I wound up buying a lot of picture frames...

• black frame--10 cents
• wooden frame--50 cents
• pkg of cone incense--25 cents
• bank promo frame--10 cents
• ravioli cutter/sealer--25 cents
• porcelain frame--75 cents
• softcover, book about attractions in KS (1991)--1
• Learn Hungarian (Magyar) cassette tapes--25 cents
• cribbage board (original price stamped in purple on back: 69 cents)--25 cents

• hardcover, The Associate by Grisham--1
• paperback, Playing for Pizza by Grisham--50 cents
• pair of Skechers for E--5
• "fake wicker" (plastic) frame--50 cents
• simple silver colored frame--10 cents
• white porcelain frame--25 cents
• 5 cards of "rat tail" cording--2.25

• glass jar--25 cents
• working tripod--1
• lamp--1

• hardcover, promotional book put out by UA showcasing their wonderfulness (some nice pictures, but keep that [heh-heh--united] barf bag handy!)--1

September 17th

The weather today was absolutely perfect

spent $48.85

lots of nice sales in our favorite neighborhoods today--and this week I brought my camera along! 

• 
  
  handpainted sign advertising one of the sales  
  
  
  
• baby's red sweat pants--50 cents
• book for Pat's grandkids--50 cents
• parts for modifying a cup holder--free
• partial can of spray paint--10 cents
• Sony portable cassette recorder/player--2, (price also includes * items below)
• monogrammer for older Singer sewing machines--2
• fairly new Cobra CB radio--7, total of $18 for group (price also includes @ items below)
• model of the space shuttle--free
• radar detector--*
• portable CD player--*
• switchable power supply (white brick and cord)--*
• used flag (but in better shape than ours)--5
• waterbed heater (in bag with green tag)--50 cents
• portable weather radio with alarm--@
• pr. ragwool gloves with leather palms--25 cents
• laser-cut wooden belt buckle--@
• set of drawing pens--@
• 2 (they're stacked) black plastic wrench holders--@
• green box of various sized movable eyes for dolls, crafts, etc--@
• 
  
  some of the eyes
• 
  
  the monogrammer and letter disks
• 
  
  the CB's mike
• 
  
  laser-cut belt buckle
  
  
  a beautiful dahlia we encountered on our travels

Our first pick up of the year:

• solid oak entertainment center (with 5 adjustable shelves)--20
  
  
  padded vinyl topped folding table with legs that adjust to 3 heights--@
• 
  
  Joe takes a break in the cuuhmobile while the rest of us finish shopping.
  

September 10th

A perfect day, partly sunny and just a bit cool

spent $29.60

lots of fun sales today

• padded nylon camera bag--1
  
• 2 boxes of assorted sewing trims--50 cents/both
  
• metal case for glasses--25 cents
  
• assortment of collars for drill bits--75 cents
  
• bag of beading supplies--1
  
• pkg of handmade paper with carved wolf bookmark--25 cents
  
• box of pre-wound bobbins--1
  
• cheese slicer--25 cents
  
• set of stainless measuring spoons--25 cents
  
  
• box of small metric and SAE sockets--25 cents
• big pile of brass hooks + 3 large black metal hooks--3

• ice tea spoon--10 cents
• 7 small spoons--35 cents/all
• 5 glass ashtrays--4
• box of sewing fasteners and elastics--25 cents
• CD player--2
• electronic compass--2
• bag of clear marbles--25 cents
• drill bit holder--25 cents
• leather belt--15 cents
• 4 glass shades + old light fixture--5
  
  
  kinda blurry (sorry!), but this is what the compass looks like powered up

• gorgeous rocking chair--3

100% cotton shirt (for Ellen)--50 cents

Japanese-inspired silk top (for Ellen)--50 cents

• old copier repairman's case--3

inside of the case, needs cleaning up, but a very nice tool case. Compartments for larger stuff behind the ones shown here also.

September 3rd

a cool day, felt like fall was in the air

spent $15.25

good to be back saleing with our friends!!

stack of books for Pat's grandkids

• softcover, Sawmills of the Black Hills (1985)--50 cents
• 2 round wooden bases (only 1 pictured)--1/both
• watch--25 cents
• can of spray paint--25 cents
• piece of heavy canvas cloth--25 cents
• softcover, Robot Dreams,  and Foundation and Earth--50 cents/both
• cord and camcorder battery--25 cents
• box of metallic colored pencils--50 cents
• kitchen utensils: 4 thermometers, 3 pr tongs, cooling rack--3 for all
• heart shaped glass box with metal top--50 cents
• booklight (works!)--25 cents
  
  
  

• crate full of miscellaneous door hardware--2 /all  (buy of the day, especially by weight!!)

Contents of the crate:

door handles, hooks, doorstops, deadbolts, handles...lots of nice, quality stuff!

Also, heavy stainless hinges and strike plates. And a nice crate!

• Little Tykes car for Pat's grandkids

(another incredible deal, the woman who sold it to us says she got it at a yard sale years ago and her kids put a lot of miles on it....For $1 it is a great buy, we paid 8 for the one we bought a few months ago)

• shirt and vest (below) for Joe--5/both
  

August 13th

a perfect day for garage saleing!

spent $23.25

note: items listed in purple were all bought for a flat price of $8, included total but not broken down further

went to a lot of fun and interesting sales today, met a lot of nice people

• pizza baking oven--$4

• black square at top left is a very nice nylon bag that unfolds into a much larger bag
• 4 silk scarves and one (black) wool scarf

• pieces of gold, red and brown Naugahyde
• pieces of spotted fake fur material
  
• big stack of fabric scraps
  
• pieces of tiger-stripe fake fur material
  
• hardcover, Betty Crocker cookbook
  
• Japanese ink, stone and brush set
  
• box of assorted glue, ruler, cork stoppers...
• and assorted calligraphy pens, ink and nibs

• wireless router (blue and black, top left)--1
• pretty blue and white silk scarf--25 cents
• wooden (walnut) 10-yr service plaque--50 cents
• assorted crochet hooks, yarn markers, spools and needles--50 cents
• indoor/outdoor timer--1
• softcover, book about Pearl Harbor--25 cents
• the beautiful wool poncho? cape? wrap? Atticus and the cuuh are laying on--50 cents

here is the label from the beautiful wool piece, whatever it is called. I love it!!! Looks and smells unworn

• DVD player--might or might not work
• (on top of player) LED flashlight powered by a hand-crank--50 cents
• glass bowl with some easter grass--25 cents
• 2 spools / 1 card metallic thread
  
• can full of fabric and acrylic paints
• small zippered change purse--free
• bag of lace scraps--50 cents
• paperback, 2 books on D-Day--50 cents/both
• handful of homemade nails--free
• beautiful handknit scarf and hat (met the woman who made them)--1
• square glass bottle with cork stopper--free
• incense burner with metal inlays--25 cents
• 3 power strips/cords--75 cents/all
• 3 large wooden beads--free
• bag of sequins--25 cents
• 
  
  2 aluminum thresholds--50 cents/both

• 
  
  some kind of a rack system--1.75/all 

• 
  
  tablecloth and napkins made for a card table--1/all

the embroidery is very nice and has an oriental feel to it