Estate Sale Treasure

Vintage Radio, Estate Sale ($2)

The only thing I got from last Sunday's estate sale was this awesome, still in the box, radio! This photo doesn't even show the best part- the back, which is this great 70s green! It's always neat to find stuff like this brand new from 40-plus years ago. You wonder if the former owner got it as a gift and it wasn't their style, or if they bought it for someone and forgot about it. At least, I wonder these things. The best part of estate sales is taking a look at the past...

Have a great Saturday, everyone!!!

Always,
Amanda

Three Dimensional

1950s Textured Wall Art, Estate Sale ($2.50)

 

 

 

 

I loved the estate sale we went to last Sunday. I don't know how they are elsewhere, but here in Richmond, estate sales have the best stuff waiting in the basement! We found the War of the Worlds book for less than a buck, a very old wooden baseball bat for $2.50 and this wall art for the same.

In addition to this pretty scene, (which, in case you missed the post title, pops out from the frame) there was a Florida Panther one! I loved it, but I couldn't convince the hubby that we should take both home. Alas, we just have this pretty vintage mountain-scape.

I am so glad it's Saturday! Thrift days are my absolute favorites (can you tell?!), so I'm super excited. :) Plus, tomorrow we're celebrating the hubby's birthday with his family, so that should be cool too. Have a good one!

Always,
Amanda

Leaves of Gold

Since I pretty much came out empty-handed this past weekend, I've been digging around the apartment for finds I haven't shared yet. This golden leaf was a find from the last estate sale we went to- the same one we picked up the vintage Duncan yo-yos at!

Golden Leaf, Estate Sale ($3); Earrings, Simply Whispers ($7)

I'm using this pretty little leaf to hold my earrings! Hopefully soon I'll have more than just the couple pairs :)

When the lady at the estate sale rang me up, she mentioned that this leaf was something special- a certain brand or designer- which is why it was three bucks. I still thought it was a good deal for something so neat!

Have a great Wednesday!!!

Always,
Amanda

Midnight Special

1990s Duncan Yo-Yos, Estate Sale ($5)

Remember a couple weekends ago, when the hubby and I went to an estate sale? Well, I forgot to take pictures at the time, but I remembered to this past weekend!

Here are our favorite finds: two Duncan Yo-Yos, straight from our youth! I picked out the Midnight Special, and the hubby grabbed the Neo.

I remember when it was 'cool' to yo-yo...there was a guy in my middle school who would go to contests and everything! I was never that good, but these do bring back fun memories!

I'm off to the thrift stores this morning, although I've been suffering from an annoying sore throat. Hopefully a fun, relaxing weekend will be just the cure :)

Always,
Amanda

Estate Sale Treasure: Book Edition

This past Sunday, I went to a pretty great estate sale that was overflowing with vintage books! (As well as a cool guy find that you'll see tomorrow!)

I looked through probably a hundred old books before deciding on these two primarily for the cover art:

Vintage Books, Estate Sale ($1 each)

Aren't they great? One of my favorite things about old books is the neat designs on the covers :) The Shakespeare book is made for children, too, so it's more of an easy read!

Although I love the idea of digital books and e-readers and the like, there will always be something special about an old book in one's hands.

Have a great Thursday, everyone :)

Always,
Amanda

The Cubs

I have to admit, I dug deep down into my archives of photos to find something to show you all today! I have just not had much luck at the thrifts in weeks!

I had almost forgotten about a little 50 cent gem I picked up at an estate sale in August:

Vintage Cubs Scouts Sterling Ring, Estate Sale (50 cents)

I was excited to find this because my little brother was in cub scouts (he actually is an Eagle Scout, the highest Boy Scout achievement, and so is the hubby!). 

For only 50 cents, this sterling cutie was mine!! I love finding things like these at estate sales. I wonder how many years the owner had it?

Have a great Wednesday! I have off work tomorrow, and you know what that means!!! Thrift time :)

Always,
Amanda

Estate Sale Treasure

Although I didn't hit up any estate sales this past weekend, I finally took pictures of my finds from the weekend before's estate sale :)

I loved the neighborhood that it was in. It was full of big, old homes and so many trees!

Studded Vintage Purse; Mustard Vintage Hat; Striped Silk Scarf; Vintage Handmade Kitty; All: Estate Sale

It was hard choosing what to get since there were so many great things. There was even a rack full of vintage floor-length fur coats selling for $1000! Wayyyy out of my price range!

The kitty will be up in the etsy shop soon, since I seem to be gravitating toward animal-themed items lately. I think she'd look perfect in a 1950's style bedroom :)

I hope you're having a great week! It's almost Halloween!!

Always,
Amanda

The Book Bank

The estate sales we've had here in Richmond recently have been amazing :) I'm always so surprised to find great things at even better prices!

Sunday's estate sale was no exception, but because we went straight to my in-laws from there I didn't take photos of my goodies. With it being dark when I get home from work, it's been too hard to get proper photos, so here's a so-so indoor pic of my favorite find:


Vintage Leather and Metal Book Bank, Estate Sale ($4)

The front says 'Frigidaire' and the top has a slot for coins and cash. The lock on the bottom didn't come with a key, but according to an episode of Pawn Stars, maybe the bank had the key! (Did anyone else see that one?)

It's just so neat for a book-lover who works at a financial institution. (Me!)

Have a good one :)

Always,
Amanda

Two Pretty Little Typewriters

I couldn't believe it when I found a pretty aqua-colored typewriter for ten bucks at the estate sale we went to Sunday. I usually don't even bring that much money to estate sales, but this perfect-condition beauty was worth it!

Of course, I couldn't show off one typewriter without giving my other one a little blog time :) The pretty, black Royal typewriter belonged to my Grammy, who gave it to me at Christmas last year! I love it so much!

Vintage Royal Typewriter, From Grammy; Vintage Smith-Corona Typewriter, Estate Sale ($10)

The best thing is that they both work! It's pretty funny to hear me typing up something though, because they are pretty loud :)

The one that Grammy gave me even has brushes to keep the typewriters clean and free of dust. You better believe I'm taking the best care of my lovely treasures!

Do you all like old typewriters too?

Always,
Amanda

My Thrifting Outfit: Big Mustard and Dots

Sunday was a perfect day. I slept until 9:30 (almost unheard of!), threw on Big Mustard and headed out to an estate sale with the hubby. Of course, it was amazing. I found an awesome lion belt, deer-shaped salt and pepper shakers, sparkly shoe clips, and the most perfect aqua-colored typewriter!

Click on the links for the items for sale on my etsy shop! Of course, I'll show you the rest of the treasures tomorrow :) For now, here's Sunday's outfit:

Vintage Ray Bans, eBay; Polka Dot Shirt, Goodwill; Necklace, West End Antiques; Big Mustard, Good Samaritan; Jeans, Target Clearance; Suede Cowboy Boots, Target; F + C Bag, HSN.com

As you can spot here, I had already switched my weekend bag over to my work F + C bag. It goes much better with my work shirts and black slacks than it does with my vintagey casual weekend clothes! Oops!

Other than that, Sunday was just perfection. Lovely overcast skies with 60-something temps! And I tried a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte for the first time, and it was so yummy :)

I hope everyone's having a great week so far! My mom comes in town this weekend, and I'm so excited!

Always,
Amanda

Come Sail Away

At Sunday's estate sale, it seemed like I found unique treasures everywhere I turned! Two of them were little wooden boxes. I grabbed both: a parrot one for the shop, and a sailboat one for me :)


Sailboat Wooden Box, Estate Sale 9-26-10

The funny thing is, I can't really ride on sailboats. I get super, super sea-sick! (Try saying that 10 times fast :))

I couldn't resist this cute little scene, though. The bird; the water; the little boat. I can see the allure of the salty breeze and the open ocean. For me, it's enough to have a little piece of that to look at every day :)

Always,
Amanda

An Animal Bag and a Cowgirl

I seem to be saying this every week, but I went to the best estate sale on Sunday! The parking situation was less than ideal (I had to maneuver my little Saturn into the woods), but it was definitely worth it :)

I'll save one of the finds to share with you tomorrow, but here are my favorite two:

Wool Cowboy Hat; Animal Print Bag; Both: Estate Sale 9-26-10

I love the cowboy hat- so much so that I've decided to be a cowgirl for Halloween this year :) I have the plaid flannel shirt, the cowboy boots, and now the hat! (Click here for an etsy treasury I made for inspiration!)

And do I even have to explain my love for the bag? It's weird and wonderful- pretty much exactly what I look for when I'm thrifting or estate saling! I'm trying to decide whether or not to sell it in my etsy shop. Let me know if you can't live without it, and I'll list it for you!

Have a great day!

Always,
Amanda

Estate Sale Treasure

This past Sunday, the hubby and I went to a wonderful estate sale. It was run by the same company that did the last really good estate sale I went to. There were cool vintage things everywhere, not a ton of people, and 50% off everything :) My favorite estate sale combination, for sure.

Vintage Purse with Metal Lizard; Made in Japan Piggy Bank; 1970s Chess Set; Vintage 'Pocket Secretary'

I got all these treasures, plus a cameo pendant and earrings (now on sale in the shop), a pretty floral sheet, and a seagull pin! It was great :)

My favorite of the finds above has to be the chess set. It opens up to hold all the chess pieces in their own little slots! (Hmmm, perhaps now I should learn how to actually play chess?)

I hope your week's going well :)
Always,
Amanda

Estate Sale Sunshine

Sunday, I made the mistake of arriving right at noon for an estate sale. This was a major one, with numbers given out and a huge line. I had nothing better to do, so I braved the humidity and the chatty line-standers and waited.

I'm glad I did, because although it wasn't the best estate sale of the summer, it was pretty darn good!

Vintage Hat, $2; Sunshine While in Line, Free (lol); Vintage Austrian Teddy Bear, $2; Hand-painted Jewelry Box, $1

I had to include the pretty sunshine photo, because I spent more time outside in line looking through those trees than I did in the house! I do admit that it was nice not having many people inside when my chance came to look around, though.

As you can see, I'm digging old stuffed bears right now! This little guy is sitting with my quilted teddy bear on top of my Lane wooden chest. It looks so cute with the vintage typewriter Grammy gave me next to it! I'll have to take a photo and show you :)

I hope your week's going well! I get off early today since I have to work Saturday, but then it's a 2 and a half day weekend!!! Ah, holidays.

Always,
Amanda

The Best Summer Estate Sale

I've been hitting some pretty slim pickings at estate sales lately. (Of course I usually go on the last day, so everything good might've been gone!)

The one I went to Sunday, though, was amazing!!! Not only did I find the newspaper carrier bag from yesterday's post, but these other vintage treasures, too:

Hand-Painted Tray ($1); Two Vintage Beach Towels ($2.50); Vintage Tie Holder ($1); 1960s Funny Valentines ($1)

I also got a bag full of vintage post cards that I have yet to sort through :) I am just so in love with all of these finds, and they were so reasonably priced!

I'm not sure how the tie 'rack' works, but I love the painting of the ship on it! It's hanging over my desk as something pretty to look at.

The valentines are pretty cool, too. They all have funny sayings featuring country folks...I can't wait to use them this February!

Have any of you been to any good estate sales lately?

Always,
Amanda

Seven Eleven and the Odd Estate Sale

There weren't any major estate sales last weekend, but there was one small, family-run one that I ventured to on Sunday. When I was there,it was fairly empty of shoppers and random things were everywhere! The family members running the sale just said to step over the junk to get a better look at...well, the other junk.

Do you know how it is when you're one of the only shoppers in a store or sale, and you feel like you should buy something 'cause you feel bad? That was me. Luckily, I found a little baggie of vintage pins:

Random Vintage Pins, Estate Sale ($3 for all)

I was happy to leave the strange other items behind. Among them: a slew of outdated cell phones marked $25 each, dangerous-looking kitchen tools of all sorts, closets full of stained clothing, and a stifling smell of smoke.

While it's true that some of these are found in near all estate sales, usually I find more lovely things amongst the craziness :) I guess I'm lucky to have found these interesting pins, at least! Although I think the large round one might be actual snakeskin, which freaks me out a little...

Have you been to any estate sales lately?

Always,
Amanda

Leather and Gold and Sparkles, Oh My!

The estate sale the hubby and I went to this past Sunday was nothing short of a goldmine! I usually go to estate sales on the last day, since the prices are generally reduced and I almost always find something I love for close to nothing. This sale was interesting because it was 50% off before 3 pm and then 75% off from 3-5 pm.

We went at about 1, and there were hardly any people there! I snagged a leather suitcase for $2 and an expandable leather tote for $1 and was super happy with my finds. That's when I saw the huge tupperware container filled with vintage pins and jewelry. The prices were a little steep for me, so I decided to buy the bags and come back later for the pins...

Leather Suitcase ($2); AT Initials Sweater Clip ($0.25); Leather Expandable Tote ($1); Leapard Pin ($1)

When I went back (by myself...no way was I dragging my poor hubby back to the same estate sale!), it was packed. I had to park probably a quarter mile away from the house and walk alongside the long line of parallel-parked cars back to the estate sale.

Inside the house, it was insane. The tupperware container with the jewelry was surrounded by about 10 women who were throwing treasures in their shopping bags without even looking at them! I managed to wedge my way in and grabbed all the pretty things I could. Luckily, most of the pieces I had my eye on earlier were still there!

I lucked out and ended up with some pretty pins and jewelry, most of which are in or on their way to my little etsy shop. I had to keep the pretty leopard pin and the initialed sweater clip...it's 'AT'! For either Amanda Turner or Another's Treasure :)

What a fun day! Happy Friday, everyone!

Always,

Amanda

Estate Sale DIY: Beach Towels as a Rug

So remember when I said that I went to yard sales and an estate sale back in Richmond the Sunday before last? No? Well, I did make it to one estate sale the Sunday before I left on vacation- and it was pretty good :)

I found a little pile of vintage beach towels with retro colors and designs for 75 percent off of $2! A couple of them are a little too small to use as regular towels, but two together are the perfect size for a rug in the bathroom/closet/laundry room in our apartment:

Vintage Beach Towels (<$1); Richmond Estate Sale 6-6-10

Just kidding about the DIY, really. 'Cause all I did was recognize that the patterns would be awesome as a rug and put the towels on the floor! I guess if I wanted to, I could sew them together, but I might need them for something else in the future :)

I hope you all are having a great week!

Always,
Amanda

This is a pre-scheduled post- I'm on my Florida vacation :)

Red and Mint; Seashells and Butterflies

Now that I've shown you Saturday's finds, it's time to talk about more of Sunday's estate sale goodies :) I have to say that estate sales are edging their way into my heart as a close second to thrifts. There's something so neat about going through a whole house full of treasure, especially when the house itself is as retro and intriguing as the things inside.

Here are some treasures from the first estate sale of the day:

Butterfly Scarf; 80s Shell Belt; Vintage Capezio Bag; Mint Green Costume Necklace: All, Estate Sale 5-23

Pretty lovely, right? :) I've actually been looking for this Capezio bag for awhile- ever since I found the chambray version at an estate sale a couple months ago! It's very roomy, but can be very small in a suitcase, so it's perfect for our Florida trip :)

You all know how much I love finding non-metal jewelry, and I just love the color of the mint green necklace. It was sitting in a box of jewelry marked $1 and everything was 50 percent off!

The butterfly scarf and the shell belt just needed to come home with me. They are so pretty but different, which fits my style just fine.

I hope everyone's last two days of the week fly by so you can enjoy the long weekend :) I know I'm looking forward to it!

Always,
Amanda

Sunday's Estate Sale Tale

Yesterday, I visited 3 estate sales and an antique store and came home with all sorts of treasure! My adventure took me from the west end of Richmond to the country towns in Hanover County (including Beaverdam!) to Midlothian and back. For those who haven't visited Richmond, that's a pretty long way. :)

Before I get too far into the story of my day, here's a photo of what I wore:

Straw Hat and Ray Bans, Pensacola Goodwill; T, Old Navy; Sweater, Goodwill; Jeans, Goodwill; Shoes, Goodwill; Purse, Goodwill Outlet

Okay, back to my adventure. So, one of the local estate sale companies was holding two estate sales in the hills of Hanover County- one nearer the city and one in a barn wayyyy out in the woods. (AKA: I saw not one, but two men mowing their huge country lawns with tractors with a mowing attachment on the back!)

I went to the "city" one first, and found quite a few neat things, including an 80s red Capezio bag, a butterfly scarf, and a little leather box with "studs" embossed on it. Pretty cool stuff.

Then I made my way 20 minutes into the woods toward the "country" estate sale. It was packed. Cars everywhere. A huge line to the register. Oh my. But it was well worth it! There were so many neat things in the rickety old country barn that I was almost overwhelmed. There was a whole room filled with vintage pipe accessories, but all the pipes had already sold. (The hubby collects vintage pipes, so I was hoping to get one there.)

But I did end up with another blue glass insulator to complete my windowsill collection, a vintage safety razor for the hubby, and a tobacco tin filled with random treasure. Here's what I found inside, plus the safety razor:

All this was $3 total! Yeah, that's four vintage pocket knives, keys, a penny, a tie tack, some random brass things, and what I think is a shell from a bullet. Crazy right?

After I left the crazy country estate sale, I went over to Midlothian Antiques to get some pipes for the hubby and to one last estate sale. It was the least exciting of the three, although I did find a vintage TWA bag and a couple neat pieces of costume jewelry.

Whew! Now that I've talked the socks off of you, I'll show you everything else later on this week, plus Saturday's finds.

Have a fantastic Monday :)

Always,

Amanda