Garage Sale Goodies

Have I ever told you that I love Hallmark pins?  Maybe not, but I've at least hinted at it.  I'm not obsessed enough to be trolling ebay or anything, but they're one of the things I always keep an eye out for at yard sales.  So when I found this little turkey for a dime on Thursday, I snapped it up. 

I also scored this antique Swedish camping stove for $3.00.  We don't need another camping stove, but it's Swedish!  It says "SWEDEN" on it!  So obviously I had to have it.  

I also bought a Kelty child carrier (the backpack/frame kind) for $5.00 for a friend who's been looking for one.  Sweet! 

I hope your garage sale expeditions have been fruitful!

Yard Sale Goodies

After the farmer's market on Saturday, Karl and I hit a garage sale and scored these treasures:

This cute yellow metal cart was only $1.  How could we pass it up?

A pair of sawhorses for $2.50!  The last time we needed sawhorses, we made them and they were way more expensive than these nicely foldable ones. 

Our success at this sale further proves my new garage sale philosophy: Go on Saturday.  Skip the frantic Friday morning rush.  Chances are, other shoppers aren't looking for the same things you are, so you'll still have good stuff waiting for you on Saturday.  Plus you get a better experience-- and probably better prices. 

Karl and I weren't planning to go to any garage sales; we just happened upon this one.  As long as we're talking about garage sale philosophies, I'll mention my tried and true favorite (a girl can have more than one garage sale philosophy, right?): Follow your heart and don't overplan.  Most of the great deals I've scored have been at sales that I just kind of stumbled upon.  And when I don't feel like going to a sale but I force myself to go anyway, it's nearly always a bust.  It's almost like we have an intrinsic ability to predict which sales are right for us.  So listen to that little voice inside of you when it says, "Turn right!  There's an awesome estate sale two streets over!"

I need to write a book about garage sale techniques and philosophies.  Or maybe a pamphlet.  Or a series of pamphlets.  Yes, a series of pamphlets, definitely.

Rummage Sale Finds

Karl and I hit a super sweet church rummage sale on Saturday after the farmer's market. Here's a peek at what we brought home:

• A vintage Pyrex dish with lid (which I have already cooked dinner in, thank you very much... for $1.50, I couldn't possibly leave it there)


• A Snoopy Christmas ornament (Ten cents! Ten cents for an ornament featuring my favorite dog ever!)


• A Christmas tree topper (It's about time. For the past three years, we've been making weird ones out of things that really don't belong on the tops of Christmas trees. Plus it was 25 cents.)


• A humongous tub of Tinker Toys with their original antique packaging and instructions


• A delightful homemade laundry bag

Okay, so there's nothing in the photo that we actually needed. But the prices were awesome, so even if we just enjoy our treasures for a little while, I won't feel badly donating them or reselling them in our own yard sale. Plus it was so much fun picking things out with Karl.

But wait, there's more. Karl spotted these old puzzles and immediately fell in love. For 50 cents apiece, the bookshelf in our living room now has just the little something it needed:

Mostly I loved seeing him so happy about his finds. And so happy about displaying them on the top of the bookshelf. Yes, there is now a picture called "Last Cartridge" featuring a cowboy shooting at a bear with his dead horse at his feet in full view in our home. Why wouldn't there be?

Maxwell Street Finds

Last weekend, I ventured downtown to the annual Maxwell Street Days sale. It's always crazy and packed, but I still usually manage to find some good bargains.


I've been hoping for a while to replace my worn-out Keens. This picture doesn't make them look that bad, but believe me, they've got to go.




I was so thrilled to find not one, but two replacement pairs! One for summer...



And one for whenever... (I love these. I almost bought them full price a few months ago!)




My other great score of the day was this sweet tote bag for fifty cents! Can you believe it?


I also brought home two huge bags of art supplies for work and a couple of things from Urban Outfitters, which I have already worn. Hooray for bargains!

Shoe Karma

Last week, I was very very very tempted by a Groupon to a fancy local shoe store. But in the end, I didn't have $50 sitting around, and I didn't exactly need a new pair of just-for-fun shoes, and I have big feet so I wasn't even sure they would have my size, so (in a show of extreme willpower) I passed it up.


Two days later, on my bike ride to work, I stopped at a yard sale. Wonder of wonders, I found the most adorable pair of pink Dansko sandals in my size for $5! Five dollars! Danskos! Pink! My size! It was instant love. I of course wore them out to dinner that very night. My feet have never been happier- or cuter.

I truly believe that if I would have bought that Groupon, I never would have found these shoes. Maybe that's ridiculous (but maybe it's not!). In any case, I'm in love with my new pinkies.

Garage Sale Finds

On Thursday morning, I rode my bike to work. On my way, I passed two yard sales. Of course I had to stop! I picked up two planters (a red one that will be perfect for basil, and a sweet little blue and white one for a small houseplant), a very small glass measuring cup marked with ounces, teaspoons, and tablespoons, two Snoopy figurines (I have a few of these from when I was little, and these are perfect to add to my collection!), and six Hallmark pins (also joining a collection from my childhood).





Check on the little elf nestled in a leaf. Total gem right there. Love it.


This was definitely my best garage sale shopping day of the year so far, especially because it was so unexpected!

Garage Sale Goodies

I hit a few yard sales this morning before work! Most were duds, but I found these treasures:

• Two large corkboards for work for 50 cents apiece
• A Topsy-Turvy tomato planter (I've wanted to try one! I know you can make one out of a bucket or a plastic bag, but I'm lazy) for 50 cents
• A complete Badge-a-Minit kit for work (including a circle cutter and two presses) for two dollars
• A Yogitoes yoga mat cover for one dollar (I have one, but it gets so sweaty during class that it's hard to wash it fast enough)
• I also scored a stocking stuffer for Karl- new, in package- for one dollar. I can't tell you what it is because he might read this and ruin the surprise! He'll just have to wait till next Christmas to find out! xo
  

Yard Sale Finds

A month ago, a family down the street had an estate sale. The were planning to have another one the following week, but it has been rained out and rained out and rained out. Finally, this weekend, they set up shop again to try to sell everything that didn't go the first time around.

I had seen these sweet little dishes there during the first sale. I loved them, but they were selling them in two stacks of five dishes, $8.00 per stack. That was a little much for me. But a month later, I was still thinking about those dishes, so I decided to go back and see if they still had them. They did-- and they sold me all ten for $10.00 total. Not the best deal in the world, but that's alright.



Now they're all washed up and ready for berries or ice cream (or both!) when we get back from Mexico! I think I've already gotten $10.00 worth of joy from them...