I can't go to the city without checking out the thrift stores, even if I'm supposed to be Christmas shopping, there just might be something wonderful, lately, though, the chances of that happening are not very good, it's all junk!! I had checked out my three usual stops - nothing, there was one left, which I go to sometimes, but it's not a regular like the others. I'm glad I pulled in. Everything I bought I love!!
This is my second one of this particular cup.
I love this set of salt and pepper shakers!! So cute!! No markings on them but after researching, looks like they're Josef.
This little figurine still has the silver Giftcraft sticker on the bottom. I can never remember which company the "G' surrounded by leaves is - it's made in Taiwan.
This stuff was all up front in the Christmas display, of course, I took a walk around the shop, at the back they had some merchandise that hadn't been priced, oh yes, I picked up these two boxes, how much I ask, $2 for the two boxes she says, then she got looking at them and remarked that they were old, I just said, I guess so, I just wanted to leave in case she changed her mind.
I was especially happy to find that Santa one in the middle, I don't have one like that!
Woolcrest - the old Woolco brand, we Canadians all remember what our Walmart was at one time! These ornaments apparently don't belong in this box, they're too mismatched - they were made in Wales, I wonder if any of these were.
I was so happy I stopped at that shop - a good $8 spent!!
Joining up with Thrifter Share today! Laura at Thrifter Share is hosting a blog hop next week, I'm taking part - it will be full of all kinds of Christmasy kitschy fun! What will I share?? You'll be able to link up next week with all your treasures - keep it in mind!
I just noticed that I haven't written a post in a couple of weeks, but to be honest, I felt like I didn't really have much to write about!! But, today I do!! Last Wednesday I tagged along with my husband who had business in London - no, that's not London, England, unfortunately it's the other London, in Ontario. He had meetings so that left me on my own to scout out the thrifts and antique malls - it was great! On Friday, we headed to Buffalo, NY for the weekend - lots of shopping and sightseeing too, we went back to Niagara Falls, NY on Saturday evening to see the American Falls, which we had never visisted - what a view!!!!
Sunday morning we were up early - I had found this flea market online - now I know what all you American gals talk about when you mention a flea market - I had never been to anything like this before. It was called Antique World & Flea Market in Clarence, NY - New York's largest indoor/outdoor market - people are set up at storage units, some booths are right in the unit, some are outside, we want to go back again in the summer when it's operating in full force. There were bargains to be had and things that I had never seen before, I'm happy to say I found some things that I've been wanting for a while!!!
No trip would be complete without finding a few Vera scarves - I found nine!!!
I have never found a teen magazine, they are always ladies magazines, now I have a 1968 TEEN magazine, it was cheaper than all the rest that were there because it said a coupon was missing, it's funny, they typed out the missing words on a piece of paper, it's attached to the page. I can't imagine a cover like this now on a teen magazine!!
If you don't like vintage Christmas, there is no need to go on any further because that's what I brought home...
I bought this in Canada and then saw it later at the NY flea, it wasn't priced but I just bet it was less than what I paid. It's so kitschy cute!!! I had it lit this morning, it's even prettier than I thought, love bubble lights!!
I first learned about Gurley candles from the blogs, I wanted just one so bad, I had to resort to buying a couple on Ebay. Then, this summer, I found two at a yard sale, unheard of for around here!!! Well, I have plenty now.
The candles were wrapped in paper, they're in perfect condition.
How cute are they?
I was in the land of Gurley candles and didn't even realize it, I was buying two from a lady at the flea market, she said those are more, they're the ones made in Buffalo, you know, well, yes, they are!!! They were first made in Buffalo in 1938 under the Tavern name, that is what this box is so they're old, in 1949, the name was changed to Gurley Novelty. I saw a lot of them at the market - no Halloween though, Easter, Thanksgiving - I should have bought more!!!
The choir boy is about 7 1/2 inches tall. The reindeer actually says Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer on the bottom.
Another pack of Christmas hangers...just think, only 7 cents at Kmart!
I was so happy to get a real Shiny Brite box, I have never seen one out there in the wild before and bonus, it's full of pretty shiny brites. In case you're wondering, no, I did not pay 50 cents for it!!
We're on our way back home on Sunday afternoon, my husband spots a flea market, he said do you want to stop, before I could get the words out of my mouth, he had taken the exit. It was freezing, we were walking around quickly, it wasn't bad actually, then he says, look at this - oh, my, I walked fast to the table. It was a whole table of vintage Christmas, I could have had the whole table but I didn't want it, here's what I did want and got them all for $20, plus the spun head snowman.
I can't imagine how they sat there the whole day. What a happy family of knee huggers, they sure made me happy!! They look like they were never used, the material is clean, the Japan sticker is still on the back of many of them. The big guys in the back row are about 8 inches tall. I had bought one of the small ones earlier in the week, he is in rough shape compared to the rest, but I love them all. It was definitely my favorite purchase!!
I love to get away on these excursions, it's so much fun to find treasures like this!!!
Linking up with Joann at Vintage Bliss Tuesdays and Sir Thrift a Lot at Thriftasaurus - two great Canadian link ups!!
There's still lots of Christmas in the thrifts, just not much vintage Christmas. Yesterday was 50% at Value Village, I didn't see not one item I wanted to buy, that's sad!! I also shopped at my local collectible shop and came home with a nice sized Santa
It's the happy Santa in the front - I don't have one that big.
I bought the two ornaments on the right there too - the other one was a in a bag of junk that yielded two items, the other one is....
The little guy sitting in the middle!! I spotted him in the bag, I had to buy it - the bag was only 50 cents and gave me this cutie and the bell ornament. I found the other pixies last year, I know they're not old, but they're pretty cute!
Might as well keep picking up ornaments for the next wreath project!!
Another box of lights - for my light shelf..
I'm listening to this record right now - it's a Peter Pan 33 1/3 Little LP - I paid 25 cents - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth - nothing sounds like a record!!
I don't think there will be much more thrifting now before Christmas, I was happy to find anything at all this week, have you had any luck?
I've been stocking up on any cheap shiny brites that I see for at least a year now, in the hopes of making a wreath, they were pulled out of the tote yesterday and wreath production started. Gary and I did it together, I recommend having an assistant as it's not an easy thing to do - positioning, glueing and holding. It took us a couple of hours.
I used a green foam wreath form from Michaels, I've seen them done many ways, but my method was to wrap it in ribbon and then start the positioning. Also, you should put your ribbon or hook on before you get started - we used a hook. We did the inside first and then the very outer layer. I removed all of the little hangers at the top before I started. I read on many other blogs, have a lot of glue on hand, you will use plenty. It gets easier after you have those top rows down, then you can just glue as many on as you want. I also used some extra things that I think, made it look just a little more special.
I don't know what I would have done if he had dropped this work of art!!!
And, here it is, finished and hanging on the wall - I'm so pleased with it!!!
Vintage Christmas has been hard to come by so far, surely it will pick up now that December is here. I have a few things to share, a pretty small haul, that's for sure!! But, I'm happy with what I found!!
I have to organize all my shiny brites this week, there are just too many bags and boxes of them and now I have more to add to the mix.
This is the first Santa mug I've found this year, he's in sort of rough shape, but still cute and he was priced at only 50 cents.
This little gal has a flocked type of dress and glass pieces down each side of her dress, I bought a bag of junk to get her, there was only one other half decent item in the bag, the rest will be donated back.
I think this little angel is sweet - she came in another bag of junk that I found earlier in the week.
I guess that bag wasn't so junky after all, as these little miniatures were in it too. There's no markings of any kind on any of these items.
My kids had something like this Santa, I think it was an animal of some sort, you squeeze him, his hands will open and you can hook him on somewhere. He has a great old Santa face!!
These flocked bows were in one of the bags too. They are stiff, have hangers on them and a couple of small pin holes, so there must have been something else on them.
These little paper garlands are pretty cute - two were still in the package - I'm not sure what I'll do with them, I know some will go in my Christmas Smash book.
Four of these song books were in a bag, the book has Christmas songs and others, some of which are very strange songs to be included in a Christmas book. There's all kinds of local advertisements in it too.
I don't think these books were ever used so two more to add to my Christmas book collection. The Grinch book retailed for $20 when this was sold, I saw one yesterday and it was more than that, I paid 50 cents!!
My finds were small but at least I came home with something - I shouldn't complain!! Now, I soon need to get some of this Christmas out on display!!
It was a Christmas thrifting day yesterday, it really was! That's all I bought, I went to five thrift stores, I spent around $10 for everything! Not bad - not bad at all!!!
So, the vintage Christmas is coming out, slowly but it's here!! Sometimes you have to look really hard though - I didn't buy one thing at the Salvation Army, so hope things pick up there! I noticed two changes in the displays this year, at one shop, they used to just throw all the ornaments on tables, this year they are bagging them up, which is much better, because there were a lot of broken ornaments on that table! Another shop has plastic containers with drawers, which is a really good idea!
My main focus is picking up things to make my wreath, I don't know if I'm going to do one with all Shiny Brites, part Shiny Brites and part little decorations or all other decorations, I haven't taken my inventory yet, so I guess it will all depend on what I have packed away.
Nice Shiny Brites - some of these were made in the United States, some in Japan, the pink ones in the middle were all made in Poland - I have quite a few of the Polish ones from the day that I hit the Shiny Brite jackpot last year - here is that post, if you're interested!
This is soft plastic, I think it would look so cute on a wreath!
These little boots are in perfect shape, Made in Japan.
I already have a vintage angel tree topper for my little tree so I'm going to pick this apart and use the angel - for the wreath!
This was such a hard picture to take - it's not easy to arrange a group like this! I've never found anything like those little Santa's before, they're sweet! See those two guys in the front - I already have a set of three of those, that belonged to my grandmother - mine is the only set I've ever seen of those!
I didn't buy this for the lights, I bought it for the box!
This little snowman tray was made in Japan and has the stamp Cameron, with a large "C" on the back.
Alvin, Theodore and Simon look so familiar to me - I'm sure the kids had them, maybe they're packed away in the bottom of a container.... Doesn't just seeing them make you think of the Chipmunk Christmas song??
The sound of Burl Ives singing Christmas songs never gets old...
Some Christmas books for my collection..
Last year I didn't find any pop up books, this is my second one this year. Of course, I'd buy it - it's the Peanuts gang!
It's a Hallmark book - pop up Peanuts!!
I bought this I Spy book for SMASHing - the pictures in it are going to be great for that. I think the kids had this one too and it is still packed away. I remember having some Dover booklets in the 80's, they're still out but this is an older stencil book, good for SMASHing, I thought.
I picked this up for the same purpose but then I started looking at it when I got home, I'm not cutting it up anymore! This book came from Bronner's Christmas Wonderland in Michigan, we went there four years ago, it is such a magical place, we want to go back. The book is signed by the author too, so I'm keeping it!
I think I found some neat things, what do you think? It was a great day and I did some Christmas shopping too - I have to take my wreath inventory real soon and get organized! Melissa over at Andromeda Vintage made a beautiful one, check it out - if only mine can look half as nice!!!
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