Lunch at The Bins

No, I did not eat lunch at The Bins, although I have seen people do it!  Since I work so close I heeded the encouragement of several blog enablers friends to see what would turn up if I stopped every day.  This represents about 40 minutes of digging each day this week, although I did have to "speed pick" the place in 20 minutes on one day.

This vintage girl was already missing her arms and she is destined to lose the rest of her body as soon as I can figure out how to get it off.  There is a metal rod running from her neck to a speaker in her tummy.  Head bone connected to the belly bone, dem bones, dem bones, dem dry bones...

 All in all, the loot was similar to an estate sale only spread over 5 days.

 By going every day I was able to realize that everything left in a bin that goes to the back room is not immediately headed to the dumpster.  There were several times when I saw things I had seen the day before and realized they had piled new junk on top and brought the bin back out.  It would interesting to know what their criteria is for deciding it is time to empty it and start over.

I dug and dug and another picker even helped me but I could not find the lid for that tin in the upper right with the vintage silver leaves in it.  Sometimes people toss things from one bin to another as they are digging so you have to pick the nearby bins when you are looking for something.  In the end I took it anyway because I think it would be great with a glass inside so it could be used as a vase.

 These little spun head sweeties were inside an old Hickory Farms box.  I have learned to ALWAYS pick up boxes and give them a shake to see if there is something inside.  Since I have been picking there I have found a 14K gold ring and a stunning vintage angel tree topper that way.  The best thing is the box has protected them from the dead vacuum cleaners and bowling balls that get tossed on top.

 I adore the little green bowl.  The condition is beyond selling but I think it will be perfect as a saucer under a flower pot.  I learned it is Gladding McBean which was part of the Franciscan line.  My father-in -law worked for the Interpace factory that made Franciscan dishes for years so that was interesting for me to learn about.  When I got married he offered us any set of Franciscan dishes we wanted and we chose some trendy brown ones that I have regretted for 40 years because I could have gotten Franciscan Cherry Blossom FOR THE ASKING.  Yes, I was a teenage bride and that young and stoooopid.  Every time I see a piece I say "there are my dishes I didn't get".  We all have a few life regrets....

 This is a copy of the complete works of William Shakespeare in a lovely tooled leather jacket.

 I gathered up these three Tom Swift books from two different bins.  I adore the titles and they are perfect for display.

  I was delighted when I found the blue INARCO sugar bowl that goes with the set I found at the VOA in this post. Three vintage crochet pattern books and a sweet circus themed baby clothes hanger.  Sorry I didn't take a better picture of that!

 Two boxes of Shiny Brites and a few that will be added to my personal collection for my tree.  The head popped right off this old one-legged doll and I love the wonky, winky eyes.

The picture in the back is not embroidery and not paint-by-number.  It is painted with those embroidery paint pens that were popular back in the day and already framed.
Will I be going back, well maybe not every single day but, boy howdy, YES, I will be be back for more.  I think I'm addicted to The Bins.

The Beginning of a Junky Weekend

 Yes, I know I am supposed to be in time-out on the junk but Labor Day weekend is the last hurrah of Summer so how could I resist.  I kicked off the weekend with a quick stop on Friday at the SST.  Not a big haul but enough to continue to keep me going back.  The small case has dividers in side for 8-track tapes (ha!!).  They will becoming out and a rescue is in order.  The milk glass compote looks like Fenton but there are no markings.

This flatware is stainless so I don't think it is very old but I love the detail on the handles and it has the look.  These over-sized snifters hold a strange attraction for me.  I have no idea where I will find room for yet another one but when I do I'll be ready!
Two more stops on the junky weekend to follow!

Junky Weekend v.1.0

 It turned out to be a fun junking weekend and I haven't gotten a single thing done around the house.  Sometimes we need a weekend like that - you know?  I don't usually take my photos outside but there were a few garden things I really didn't want to bring inside.  That wooden box is the perfect shade of "Grandma green"!

 A huge liquor bottle that will stay with me because I think it is fun patio decor and a galvanized bucket of heads {don't judge!}.

 The biggest aluminum colander I have ever seen and a mother load of lace.

 The lace will all be headed to Etsy, once I get things sorted out.

 Bonsai pots for $1 each - heck YES!

 Another big pile of vintage patterns because I am just stoopid on those things and can't help myself in spite of the amount of work they are to check and list.  These are three of my favorites.  Groovy!

A neat old Carpenter magazine from 1929 will be headed to my son in Pennsylvania.  I'm sure he will "enjoy" the ad for asbestos shingles since he is currently enduring working in a full-on hazmat suit and respirator in 85 degree heat while he tries to clear asbestos from the cellar in his 200 year old farmhouse.  Sorry Andy.
Stay tuned, this is the first round of the weekend.

Tiny Pickings

 I got out to one estate sale and a swing through the VOA yesterday.  The pickings were all tiny but it was fun digging for them and I got some fun things.

 Vintage plastic lace coasters, thimbles, bling, a pincushion and a strawberry and three of the tiniest little cookie cutters I have ever seen. I think they must be from a child's toy baking set. I love the rusty rabbit the best!  I have already soaked the sweet crochet potholder and the stain DID come out - yay!

 Plastic cake decorations and another tea ball.  Oh-oh, that's three now.  A book of old checks and the sweetest little box of "David's birth announcements and shower cards".  That kind of stuff always tugs my heart strings.  The box even has the handwritten list of names and addresses and the gift list.

 Yes, I got another satin dresser box.  I have room for just two or three more and my cabinet will be filled.  I also got three more tape measures.  That is one of those accidental collections I'm going to have to snap a picture of one of these day.  Did you notice the antique hair crimper?  We have no business complaining now days!

 And a birdie in a nest just because I cannot resist a birdie.  This one is a nice size.  It is laying on top of a big pile of ruffled trim.

A little closer look at my new friend.
I have been busy all weekend painting windows for the new cold frame and cleaning the attic.  I could feel my house breath a sigh of relief at all the weight I hauled out of the attic.  I treated myself to a long weekend so I'm hoping to get out to the antique mall tomorrow to check out their Spring Home and Garden show that started on Friday.  There is an up side to rainy days off!

Weekend Picks - Part One

 Time for just one estate sale on Saturday and I left with a sweet pile of sewing notions for my Etsy store.  Yes, that bowl in the back is the one I bought a couple of weeks ago.  It is holding 50+ zippers.

 Everything isn't headed to Etsy.  This vintage dried flower picture is staying with me.

 And these Fostoria Baroque parfaits will be added to the husband's collection.  They are sitting on a stunning lace scarf head cover that is already listed in my Etsy shop.

 A cute little Royal Ruby vase for my collection and, in front of it, cards of vintage rayon seam binding.  I love that stuff!  My stash is overflowing so I need to get some of that listed, too.

 My proudest accomplishment....  There was a huge pile of doilies and I heaped them right into my box, like I always do, and then...  wait for it....  I put them back!  For once I left them behind for someone else to rescue.  Of course, my box was really full with all the sewing stuff so no promises but, as they say, one step at a time!  I kept this one table runner because it was a unique pattern...

...and this pile of crochet squares that are just waiting to be stitched together into pillows or a tablecloth.  The two tiny salt and peppers will be added to my collection.
Stay tuned for Part Two, Sunday at the VOA.

Weekend Finds

 I went to two estate sales this weekend and two thrift stores.  I had to shop hard for my little pile of treasures!  Most of these goodies came from the first estate sale. Three, count 'em, three blue satin dresser boxes, sweet vintage baby shoes, white lawn hankies, a pretty piece of vintage fabric and buttons.  The only thing I bought at the second estate sale was four old-school Altoids tins.

 I can't believe how lucky I have been with buttons lately.  I got this tin full plus a big hand full of carded buttons plus half a dozen corsage pins.  That reminds me of something funny that happened the other day.  My younger son came over the other night and said he brought me something.  He reached in his back pocket and pulled out two vintage folders of Happy Home and Bestmaid needles.  Huh?  What?  He has my mother's old sewing machine because he sews outdoor gear and he found them in the seat of the sewing machine table.  How did I miss those?

 This cute little kitty curled up in her bed lifts off and it is a lint brush.  So sweet!  This will end up over in my Etsy shop for someone to enjoy.  It is heavy plastic but it has sort of an art nouveau look.

I love the colors in this piece of vintage fabric.  It is square and has a handkerchief hem on all four sides so I think it was a small card-table cloth.  There were a lot of linens and I stuck to my guns and didn't buy anything except this one piece that I just couldn't resist. I pretended it was fabric and not a tablecloth to make it okay - LOL!
The two old painting books are kind of a blast from the past and, who knows, maybe they will get me painting again.  I got them out of the 25 cent bin at one of the thrift stores.  The other thrift had everything on half price and, even then, I couldn't find a single thing I wanted.  Slim thrift pickings, indeed, but you have to kiss a lot of frogs....

The Sale That Made Me Break My Rules - AGAIN!

 I had completely forgotten the sale that made me break my rules was being held in two parts and this weekend was round two.  Many thanks to my blog friend Laurie (Magpie Ethel) for reminding me!

 They opened up the basement this weekend and this was truly a hoarder house of quilting, lace trims and childrens' books.  A lot of it wasn't priced so it was kind of tough picking since you had to dig the boxes then haul it around until you could find someone to price it.  Many treasures to be had for the stout-hearted and strong-kneed.  Is kneed a word?  Hmm.  The fabric completely overwhelmed me and I didn't even try.  That is something I really need to learn more about.

I got a ton of rick-rack and other trims, tiny Shiny Brite ornaments and a sweet Christmas deer, wooden spools, decals, die cuts and something new for me - children's story books.  Renee, those are YOUR fault - hehe!  And in case you're wondering...  YES, I did go before I did the housework and no, the universe did not crack open.  Imagine!

Farm Fresh!

 Well okay, not so much what Mike and Frank are talking about when THEY say farm fresh - but I did buy it all at a farm.  This was an amazing sale, if you could get there on Friday which I could not.  I was drooling over the pictures on CL but no way I could get there until Saturday and, even then, not Johnny on the spot since it was an hour drive from my house.  I guess that alone tells you how great the pictures were!  Even at that, I didn't come home empty handed. Notice I picked up another lingerie bag to add to my collection and another satin dresser box.

 There was an ugly little sewing basket so I asked her if she would sell just the contents.  I was so glad I asked because, when I got home, I discovered some great buttons.  Click the picture bigger and check out those cut steels - beautiful!  Those alone made it worth the trip for me.

 Love this old TV tray.  I cleaned it up this morning and it is very chippy but I just love the yellow roses on the red ground.  Strangest thing, they had it's mate and it was in even worse condition and they were asking twice the money - what the...!  It was too chippy, even for me so I passed.  That book is an old handmade scrapbook of fine art pictures and their history. It will make a great starting place for a journal. It went straight to Etsy to inspire someones muse.

 This detachable collar is SWEET and it's already over in my Etsy, too.  Things were so picked over by the time we got there that I can't imagine the chaos they must have had on Friday.  My son was interested in the woodworking planes and hand saws.  They had 200 planes and they were ALL GONE before we got there and mostly broken saws left.  I managed to get one with a nice red handle for him but it was the only decent one left and probably not really what he had in mind.  A "pretty" saw from a Mama's perspective.  I'm sure that will be a big hit.  8+)

 They had a big box of old postcards that were very reasonably priced.  I "speed picked" them since The Husband was standing there looking bored.  A little later when we were picking up the little pile we left at the garage the gentleman there handed them to my husband and said, "Here, you can hold these, you're not just eye candy" - LOL!!!

I stopped at the Salvation Army on my way to pick up a hold at the library this morning.  They are all pretty ordinary buttons but there are lots of sets so they will eventually make there way to Etsy, as well.
This pick will have to satisfy me for a while.  I probably won't get out next weekend since I'm having oral surgery on Thursday morning and I'm told I will likely look like I have been kicked by a mule.  Well that sounds like something to look forward to, now doesn't it.  I am stocked up with reading material.  I want to tell you about a great book I just finished but it's late so that will be for another post.

Da Recent Junk

 Most of my junking this month was just bits and pieces, gathered here and there but I made a good haul last weekend so decided to snap some pictures before I started the cleaning and sorting and storing.  Believe it or not, most of this table full came from The Bins. 

 Goodwill leftovers?  Seriously?  Sometimes it amazes me how this stuff never sold and landed at The Bins.  If you are not from Portland, The Bins is Goodwill's final stop.  Kind of an Island of Lost Junk.

 Really more of a tsunami of junk since they are constantly removing the "picked" bins and replacing with fresh ones.  This is not pretty and you have to stand your ground and be ready to dig.  I wear a dust mask and take my hand sanitizer.  Some folks wear gloves but they feel too clumsy for me.  I guess I'm a "hands on" picker - LOL!

 Some things are priced but most is sold by the pound and starts at $1.79/pound, I think.  Maybe it's $1.69.  The price per pound goes down with the more you buy.  You have to watch out a little because some heavy items are NOT a bargain when you are paying by the pound.  Furniture, bikes, etc are all priced.  Some great furniture shows up there.  The other day they had one of those old treadle sewing machines with great drawers in the cabinet for $40.  Man, did I hate to leave that behind but just couldn't figure out ANY place I could put it.

 It has been kind of fun since The Husband got interested in old bicycles because he says crazy things like "let's go to The Bins" on Saturday.  Huh??  Who are you and what have you done with my husband??  When he is finished looking at the bikes he comes over and tries to help me dig.  He does a really good job manning the shopping cart.

 They call out over the loudspeaker, stay behind the yellow line, do not begin to shop until the bin comes to a complete stop, be courteous, shop only in front of yourself.  Pretty intense picking.

 The Husband is especially handy at untangling the sewing trims that are wrapped around lamps, Christmas light strings and toys.  Keeps him busy.

And lastly, a sweet little pile of doll clothes for the Grand.  They are all washed and waiting for her now.  Four teeny outfits for teeny money.
May all your picking dreams come true!